Gambel oak
Quercus gambelii
Last reviewed: August 2026
Light
full sun
Water
low
Size
180"–360" H × 180"–300" W
Bloom
Apr, May
Native to
AZ, CO, NM, NV and 4 more states
Pollinators
wind pollinated
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 431 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaThis is a deciduous oak that ranges from a thicket-forming shrub to a small tree, with lobed leaves that turn russet in fall and inconspicuous catkin flowers in spring. It grows on dry foothills and often forms dense colonies from root suckers.
Wildlife value
Host plant for Banded Hairstreak.
Oaks as a group support more caterpillar species than almost any other native plant genus, including documented use by the Banded Hairstreak, and the acorns are a major food source for birds and mammals.
Common questions
- How much sun does Gambel oak need?
- Gambel oak grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does Gambel oak bloom?
- Gambel oak blooms in April and May.
- Where is Gambel oak native?
- Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) is native to AZ, CO, NM, NV and 4 more states, per the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew).
- What butterflies or moths does Gambel oak host?
- Gambel oak is a larval host plant for Banded Hairstreak.
Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
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