Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii) is native to the mountains and foothills of western North America. Gambel Oak is a hardy, medium-sized deciduous oak valued for its deeply lobed glossy foliage, rugged character and brilliant autumn colour in shades of yellow, orange and bronze. It develops an attractive rounded crown or may form a picturesque multi-stemmed specimen. Exceptionally drought tolerant once established, it is an excellent choice for parks, and larger gardens.
Need help? Visit our care & planting instructions and autumn foliage guide for practical advice.
- Flowers: Inconspicuous yellow-green catkins; male and female flowers borne separately on the same tree; spring (September–October in Australia).
- Size: About 6–12 m high × 6–10 m wide, sometimes considerably smaller (4.5 m high) depending on growing conditions.
- Uses: Feature tree, shade tree, shelterbelts.
- Attributes: Hardy, drought tolerant once established, long-lived, adaptable to poor rocky soils, moderate growth rate.
- Features: Distinctively lobed glossy green leaves turning rich yellow, orange and bronze in autumn; grey to dark brown bark becoming furrowed with age; produces acorns 15–25 mm long.
- Also known as: Rocky Mountain White Oak, Utah White Oak, Scrub Oak, Shin Oak, Quercus gambelii Nutt.
Keep your collection labelled. Add a durable engraved plant label to your order, and order extra labels for existing plants so every tree in your collection stays correctly named.
References incl:
Hillier and Sons (1973) Hillier's manual of trees & shrubs (3rd ed). Hillier and Sons, Winchester, England. ISBN nil.
United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. (n.d.). Quercus gambelii Nutt. PLANTS Database.
RHS (accessed 29/7/2026), Quercus gambelii.
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Plants of the world online (accessed 29/7/2026). Quercus gambelii.
Trees and Shrubs online (accessed 29/7/2026). Quercus gambelii.
Image: Trees and Shrubs Online, Charles Snyers (accessed 29/7/2026).
