These grow by my shop! {Long}
Stephen Shepherd in the State of Deseret
>Relic Oak
About 4000 years ago, during an unusual global warming episode at the end of the ice age allowed for a species of Oak (Quercus turbinella) to make its way north. It presently grows naturally as far north as the border of present day Arizona and Utah. It made its way up to the Great Salt Lake Valley (this was after Lake Bonneville) and cohabitated with the local Scrub Oak (Q. gambelii) and produced a unique offspring.
A hybrid was born and when the warming subsided, the Q. turbinella could not handle the cold weather and retreated to its present habitation. The robust Q. gambelii that could handle the cold enabled the hybrid offspring to survive in the Salt Lake Valley but only in one location.
The conditions require a south exposure and at the lower limits of the scrub oak, not much below 4500 feet. Conditions must be somewhat moderate and those conditions only come together at a small site at This is the Place Heritage Park, in Salt Lake City, Utah. There are three trees, well alright bushes of this species. This is a unique national treasure and 20 years ago its existence was unknown.
An article appeared in the local paper on Monday and the botanists are already showing up for samples and plan on returning to collect acorns, the trees are loaded this year and if we can beat the squirrels should have a good crop.
These can be cultivars and if properly planted grown in regions where it would not normally grow. Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately the wood, even though a white oak is too small and too brittle for woodworking. It does burn quickly and hot and the bark is good for tanning. I harvest the galls for making ink. A small wasp lays an egg in the twigs of the tree and the tree responds by growing a gall, rich in tannin. Ground up and mixed with copperas (iron sulfate) it makes iron gall ink, used to pen the Declaration and Constitution.
This may prove to be one of the rarest trees on the planet. We will be taking efforts to protect it for future generations.
(This specimen was collected by a botanist today. Q. gambelii has rounded lobes and these are pointed.)
Stephen
