Oregon White Oak joined by California Black Oak

By Renee Dompier

(Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians of Oregon), Native Plant Nursery Assistant

Here at Elderberry Wisdom Farm, we are starting to grow Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana) and now also California black oak (Quercus kelloggii) in response to requests from partners. We are excited to work with them as they continue restoring Willamette Valley Oak savannas and woodlands, and everything that comes with them including my favorite, the black tail deer!

We’ve been collecting acorns from the Oregon white oak this fall and have planted a few dozen that survived our float test. Acorns that sink in water have a high chance of survival as mature oak trees. The ones that float are taken back outside for deer, squirrels and other critters that collect them as winter food.

I became obsessed collecting Oregon white oak acorns, so much so that even now I can’t walk past an acorn without stopping and picking it up to see if it is floatable! They have quickly become my favorite tree species of all time. Once you have seen a Grandmother Oak, you can’t help but admire them. I mean, the way their limbs stretch out and grow in every direction is amazing in my eyes!  I was lucky enough to see one of the largest trees in this species near the Oregon Gardens this fall and they are now my favorite! Their branches could make any child’s imagination come alive with wonder!

Image of man standing next to California Black Oak

The Oregon White Oak is our primary oak species, but healthy populations of California Black oak also grow in Oregon as far north as Eugene. They are native to or have been naturalized in Oregon along the west slopes of the Cascades as low as 450 feet, and it is expected that they can endure the stress of increased heat waves.

We were blessed earlier this month when some partners from Eugene shared some of their supply of black oak acorn with us. So we are cold stratifying them in our seed bank refrigerator and will try and germinate some early in 2026. We look forward to learning more about how they can balance with Oregon white oak to restore our savannas and woodlands to help our furry friends live here for many generations to come.