Common Name	Gambel oak, Scrub oak
Latin Name	Quercus gambelii
Family	Fagaceae
Sunset zones / USDA zones	1-3, 10 / 4-7
Type / Form	Tree / Medium
Native Habitat	Southern Rocky Mountains above 6,000 feet
Soil	Dry, decomposed granite, sand, clay loam low in organic content, well drained
Water	Twice per month during dry periods
Exposure	Full sun to light shade
Height X Width	Slowly to 20 to 30 feet
Protective Mechanism	None
Leaves	Alternate, simple, deciduous. Pinnately lobed with 5-9 moderate-to-deep rounded lobes; 3 to 6 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide; usually widest above the midpoint; leathery texture. Yellow-green and smooth above; paler and smooth to densely hairy below.
Flowers	Monoecious; but with separate male and female catkins produced on current year's twigs. Male catkins about 1 inch long; female catkins tiny and in small clusters borne in the leaf axils. Single or clumped acorns about 1 inch long; rounded with a shallow cap covering 1/4 to 1/3 of the nut; mature in one season.
Bark / Roots	Young bark is thin and light colored, turning darker and rougher with age. Young twigs are stout, reddish brown, and slightly hairy; older twigs are darker and smoother; terminal buds are clustered and have distinct overlapping scales.
Maintenance	Low but prune out dead growth, nut do not prune in spring
Propagation	Seeds
Pests and diseases	Galls, leafrollers, cankerworms, anthracnose, perennial canker, leaf blister, powdery mldew, root rot, heart rot,
Landscape uses	Mountain, Songbird, Ethnobotanical, Thornless, Butterfly
Garden Suitability	Background, barrier, erosion control, low maintenance
Nature Value	Acorns eaten by squirrels and strong beaked birds, cover for nesting birds, larval plant for butterflies
Native American Uses	Acorns ground to make soup and flour for unleavened bread
Links
Images and data	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_gambelii
Images and data	http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/HG-514.pdf
Images and data	http://extension.usu.edu/range/woody/gambeloak.htm
Images and data	http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/06311.html
Images and data	http://www.treenm.com/education/gambleoak.shtml
Images and data	http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=315
Images and data	http://www.naturesongs.com/vvplants/gambeloak.html
Images and data	http://westernexplorers.us/GambelOak.html
Images and data	http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/species/qugag.htm
Images and data	http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_rn037.pdf
Images and data	http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/66280/
Images and data	http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Tree%20Enlarged%20Photo%20Pages/quercus%20gambelii%201.htm
Nursery	Oak Hills Nursery, 13874 Ranchero Road, Oak Hills, 92345, 760-947-6261
Distribution map	http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=QUGA