Valley Oaks
Don and Carol took us to Kaweah Oaks Preserve, where a fine stand of this iconic California species (Quercos lobata) has been preserved just east of Visalia. These picturesque, large-trunked trees (in the white-oak subgenus) have irregularly shaped branches and produce abundant acorns that support small mammals and birds. If exposed to seasonal rain or stream flow, they survive dry summers and fire. They grow on low hills, along river courses, and in valley savannahs, where they have often been cleared for agriculture or residential development; fortunately, they do not yield useful wood. It will be interesting to see how the hillside stands in Sonoma fared during the recent catastrophic fires. The half-fallen branch on the right looked like a large hand. (2 October, 2017)
Valley Oaks
Don and Carol took us to Kaweah Oaks Preserve, where a fine stand of this iconic California species (Quercos lobata) has been preserved just east of Visalia. These picturesque, large-trunked trees (in the white-oak subgenus) have irregularly shaped branches and produce abundant acorns that support small mammals and birds. If exposed to seasonal rain or stream flow, they survive dry summers and fire. They grow on low hills, along river courses, and in valley savannahs, where they have often been cleared for agriculture or residential development; fortunately, they do not yield useful wood. It will be interesting to see how the hillside stands in Sonoma fared during the recent catastrophic fires. The half-fallen branch on the right looked like a large hand. (2 October, 2017)