Plants of Stone Lakes NWR

The largest of North American oaks, the Valley Oak (Quercus lobata) grows in the rich, deep soils of California valleys, its roots reaching for required year-round ground water. Valley Oaks have been known to live for 600 years. Its acorns provide food for a variety of mammals and birds including the acorn woodpecker and California ground squirrel. In a formal study it was found that migratory songbirds prefer the native Valley Oaks as foraging stopover sites compared to other trees. It is hoped that more people will plant Valley Oaks in the landscape as these elegant and valuable trees are becoming more scarce in nature.