Live Oak (Quercus wislizenii)

Family: Fagaceae | Edibility: Edible (3/5)

Quercus wislizenii is an evergreen Tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 30 m (98ft) at a slow rate.It is in leaf all year, in flower in April, and the seeds ripen in October. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds

Harvest Seasons: Fall, Late Summer, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

taste test can tell when the tannin has been leached. — A staple food of some native North American Indian tribes.; It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a thickening in stews etc or mixed with cereals for making bread.; The seed, which can be up to 35mm long and 1cm wide, contains bitter tannins - these can be leached out by thoroughly washing the seed in running water though many minerals will also be lost.; Either the whole seed can be used or the seed can be dried and ground it into a powder.

Habitat & North American Range

Desert mountain slopes and valleys below 1600 metres. No more than a shrub in the desert, forming trees in the sheltered coastal valleys. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)