Oak, Grey

Quercus grisea, commonly known as the gray oak, shin oak or scrub oak, is a North American species deciduous or evergreen shrub or medium-sized tree in the white oak group. It is native to the mountains of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

Gray oaks are large shrubs or small trees reaching a maximum height of 30 ft. Deciduous, leathery, oval leaves are dull, blue-green, sometimes turning crimson in fall. Low clump-forming shrub or small tree, sometimes medium-sized, with grayish foliage. Cold tolerant and drought-resistant, the Grey Oak will do well in N Texas.

LEAVES are simple and arranged alternately on twigs. They are 7 to 9 lobed, 5 to 9 inches long with short petioles. The lobes are rounded without bristle tips and vary in length from leaf to leaf, but are rather uniform on the same leaf. Surface color is dull green and paler below.

It is closely related to Arizona White Oak (Quercus arizonica), a larger tree with larger leaves and sunken veins. Common and scientific names describe the color of the foliage.

Pistillate catkins have one to six FLOWERS; staminate catkins are loosely flowered. ACORNS are solitary or paired and are about 0.5 inches (1.2 cm) long.

Gray oak reproduces asexually and sexually. Shrubby grey oak puts out many ramets. Gray oak is monoecious. Acorns are produced annually. Most southwestern oaks, such as Arizona white oak and Emory oak (Q. emoryi), have no seed dormancy. Most germination occurs within 30 days after the acorns drop from the trees.

The hard, heavy WOOD of grey oak has little commercial value. It is used as fence posts and firewood.

Gray oak is valuable spring browse for pronghorn. Its leaves are highly used by elk, white-tailed deer and mule deer. Squirrels, rodents, porcupine, turkeys, thick-billed parrots, pigeons and other birds consume gray oak acorns. The low shrubby growth form of grey oak provides good cover for jackrabbits, cottontails, mice, grey fox and raccoon.

Grey oak hybridizes with four other oak species where it overlaps their ranges: Gambel oak (Q. gambelii),
sandpaper oak (Q. pungens), Mohr shin oak (Q. mohriana) and Arizona white oak (Q. arizonica).