This is my favorite tree. It is a Quercus lobata (valley oak). According to the Oak Foundation, these don’t grow above 2K feet in elevation. This one is at 3200’. I did not plant it. It planted itself…right there. When the USFS et al were fighting the Wildfire of 1996, they decided to use my property as the last line of defense…with a dozer line a hundred feet wide, and fire retardant on the line. The fire did not reach this far, thankfully, but the ground was laid bare and Mother Nature told the native trees and shrubs to repopulate this bare earth and they did. This oak planted itself. I found it the next year a few inches tall, and so I took care of it that first year. Once it was clearly established, I left it alone…other than to talk to it and encourage its choice of home. I have many other Quercus lobatas, and Q agrifolias (coast live oak) and Q chrysolepis (canyon live oak). This oak has reached probably 40-50’. Next year, she will be 30 years old. I think I will get a plaque with her birth year on it for her birthday.
I love a happy ending. Dog owner found and put in contact with person who…
Date: July 17, 2026 District: 05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa…
Date:Wednesday, July 15, 2026District:05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz…
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We drove through Yellowstone a long time ago, a couple of years after they had a big fire, and I could not believe all the fresh tree growth. All self generated, not human plantings!
There weren’t many young valley oaks in the ridge area then, likely because of years of grazing. We encouraged FS to put exclosures around new valley oak seedlings that emerged. I don’t remember if that happened. Is the area still grazed?
I love this, you are amazing.
Thank you, Diane
Just like you to be the resource for stopping the fire and to notice this beautiful regrowth. Thank you for sending this pic and story.
I've been sitting under a ten inch Q. agrifolia for several years now. It was an acorn about the turn of the century. Somewhere, I have a photo of some young Q. lobatas outside a fence that were saplings in 1980. Cattle grazing on the other side; zero recruitment there. Notice any scrub jays?
That is such a moving story!!!
Looks like the oak tree and you are made out of the same things. Beautiful, resilient and strong.
Quercus lobata is regularly found above 2k in the Santa Lucias. Perhaps the climate and topography is particularly well suited for this species allowing it to grow higher and on top of ridges contrary to its name and presence elsewhere. There's a fantastic grove of ancient Valley Oaks along Chews Ridge near 5,000 feet that spans over 2 miles.