Plant Details

Quercus kelloggii

Californian oak

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Common names

13 names · 12 languages
EnglishYour language
  • California black oak[1][2]
  • Californian oak
Other languages (11)
Dutch
  • Californische zwarte eik
French
  • Chêne de Californie
Cahuilla
Central Sierra Me Wuk
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 加州黑栎[2]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 加州黑櫟[2]
German
  • Kalifornische Schwarzeiche[2]
Mono
  • tcakicabü'ü[2]
Portuguese
  • carvalho-negro-da-Califórnia[2]
Russian
  • Дуб Келлога[2]
Tongva
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Quercus kelloggii Newb. ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • California black oak — VernacularName.tsv, line 154543; taxon 78RPJ.
[2] Quercus kelloggii — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • California black oak — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 49919; Quercus kelloggii.
  • carvalho-negro-da-Califórnia — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 49919; Quercus kelloggii.
  • kwingily — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 49919; Quercus kelloggii.
  • 加州黑櫟 — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 49919; Quercus kelloggii.
  • 加州黑栎 — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 49919; Quercus kelloggii.
  • qwinyily — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 49919; Quercus kelloggii.
  • Дуб Келлога — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 49919; Quercus kelloggii.
  • tcakicabü'ü — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 49919; Quercus kelloggii.
  • Tele:li — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 49919; Quercus kelloggii.
  • Kalifornische Schwarzeiche — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 49919; Quercus kelloggii.

General information

Scientific name: Quercus kelloggii
Accepted name (Kew): Quercus kelloggii Newb. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Fagaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Quercus (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Californian oak
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Nut tree
Catalogue size class: Large
Height: 25.00 m
Spread: 15.00 m
Growth rate: Moderate
Foliage: Deciduous

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 8-11
Soil moisture:
Moist
Soil:
Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Partial shade, Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Coffee, Seed
Edibility rating:
(3)
Medicinal rating:
(2)
Functions:
Adhesive, Dye, Repellent, Wood, Carbon farming

Description

Cooked seeds were traditionally used as a staple food by various indigenous North American Indian tribes due to their high nutritional value. They have a bitter taste and can be dried and ground into powder for use as a thickening agent in stews or mixed with grain for bread. The seeds contain bitter tannins that can be washed out by thoroughly rinsing them in running water, although this may also result in the loss of many minerals. The seeds can be used whole or dried and ground into powder. Preparing whole seeds can take several days to weeks; one method is to place them in a cloth bag in a stream to speed up the leaching process. A simple taste test can indicate when the tannins have been washed out. A traditional method was to bury the seeds in muddy ground during the winter, after which the germinated seeds were dug up in the spring when most of the bitterness had been lost. Roasted seeds can serve as a coffee substitute due to their flavor.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 00/00
Harvest ends: 00/00

Crown

Crown shape: Broad pyramidal
Crown density: Dense crown

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 152857; name ID 171386; Quercus L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1090854; name ID 173428; Quercus kelloggii Newb..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Quercus kelloggii

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 2642218, ID 78RPJ: Quercus kelloggii Newb. (accepted).

    Source checked on .