Distribution and Habitat
Quercus chrysolepis, Canyon live oak, is found in a variety of forest communities in the southwestern United States. It is found in 1.12 million acres (4,500 km²) of forest in California alone, including coast ranges and discontinuous occurrence on the eastern slopes of the southern and central Sierra Nevada. This tree is rare east of the Cascade-Sierra crest. Scattered, disjunct populations are found in the mountainous regions of southwest Nevada and in portions of western and central Arizona, and northwest Mexico.
Canyon live oak is tolerant of a variety of soil types, including very rocky or cobbly environments. It is hardy to cold temperatures down to - 11 °F, and will grow in neutral to moderately acidic soils with pH ranges of 4.5 to 7.5. An example of very rocky and serpentine soil tolerance is the species occurrence at the Cedars of Sonoma County, California. Canyon live oak grows at elevations of about 500 to 1500 meters in southwestern Oregon; in Northern California, from 100 to 1400 meters; and in Southern California, up to approximately 2700 meters. Quercus chrysolepis can be the dominant tree on steep canyon walls, especially in locations of shallow rocky soils. In areas of moderate to high rainfall, it occurs on south facing slopes, and in the hotter, drier parts of its distribution, on northerly slope faces.
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