Gambel oak

The Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii) is a small- to medium-sized shade tree. It has a rounded and spreading crown and typically lacks a main central trunk beneath the canopy. Its foliage is a dull green with a lighter gray-green underside and made up of deeply cut, 3-6 lobed leaves that sometimes turn red in the fall but most years will turn brown. It produces small acorns that are one-half to one-quarter enclosed by the cup and are edible once properly prepared and tannins are removed.

The Gambel Oak was named after William Gambel, a western plant collector in the 1800s who discovered the tree in 1840 on the upper Rio Grande. It was named to honor him in 1848 just before he died. This oak is common in the Rocky Mountains, and its native range stretches from northwestern Mexico up to the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming and is often growing in thick groves and stands. It can serve as a good specimen or street tree for its nice form and adaptability. It is also heat and drought tolerant (water until established). Does best in full sun and can tolerate a wide range of soils.