California live oak

American

noun

an evergreen oak, Quercus agrifolia, of the western coast of the U.S., having leathery leaves and a short, stout trunk.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And plein-air painters filled their canvases with the dramatic silhouettes of the California live oak.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2025

Having healthy, irrigated California live oak and sycamore trees on your property can save your house, Syphard said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2025

The yard is anchored by trees — a California live oak in the center, along with a Meyer lemon tree, a Golden Nugget tangerine and a pomegranate he said has “done gangbusters.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 20, 2018

The fungus somehow switched from being able to grow only on European oak roots to growing on a completely different oak species, the California live oak.

From Slate • Feb. 10, 2014

Not a single California live oak was cut down during construction, and a stand of the ancient trees rises in a dark elegance just beyond a piazza.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023