Blue Oak Grassland
This community derives its name from, not surprisingly, blue oaks — which are low branching, wide spreading trees that reach heights in excess of 50 feet. Blue oaks are well adapted to dry grassland sites and are a familiar sight in the Central Valley and foothills of California. This plant community is one of the largest ecosystems in California, but is threatened by urban development and agricultural practices, as well as what is thought to be a decline in natural regeneration.
Some of the remaining blue oak woodlands still contain individuals that are 150- to over 500- years old and many believe that the remaining blue oak woodlands may be one of the most extensive old-growth forest types let in California. These blue oak woodlands contribute to watershed protection and play a critical role in preserving the biodiversity of California.
In contrast to the other plant communities of Whiskeytown, blue oak grasslands have distinct boundaries between 1,100 feet and 3,000 feet (335-914 m). Blue oak grasslands primarily have an understory of annual and perennial grasses including significant abundance of exotics, such as star thistle. Redbud is a common shrub found in this plant community, which has stunning bright pink flowers in spring.
The plant community is very diverse in terms of the number of different grass and herbaceous species within the understory. Wild flowers include canyon nemophila, sedums, caterpillar weed, Clarkias, bicolored lupine, and fiddleneck. While exploring blue oak grasslands, look for jackrabbits, black-tailed deer, rattlesnakes, California ground squirrel, western fence lizards, and a variety of snakes.
