When woody plant experts visit, they almost all ask to see our specimen of the Mexican oak, Quercus tarahumara. Named after the Tarahumara tribe of Northern Mexico, this fascinating oak is quite rare in conservation collections, although there is currently a concerted effort to introduce more wild germplasm. At present, the JLBG specimen, planted in 2006 from a Yucca Do collection, is one of the largest in the country. Unfortunately, it turned out that some plants in US collections are actually hybrids.
The odd, downward cupped foliage feels like it’s composed of hard plastic, like is used to make patio chairs. We surmise that the odd leaf shape is designed to accumulate atmospheric moisture, and direct it down to the roots. Despite our plant growing well, it has yet to produce acorns. When it does, our concern will be what other nearby oaks did it cross with, since oaks are widely known for their promiscuous nature. So far, our plant has sailed through three winters below 10 degrees F, with a low of 7 degrees F.
