# Lacey oak (Quercus laceyi)

> A small to medium oak (30-50 feet, often smaller) with smoky blue-green summer foliage that emerges peach-colored in spring and turns peach again in fall. It grows happily on thin limestone, resists oak wilt and stays a manageable size, making it an ideal shade tree for small urban lots in the Hill Country.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/quercus-laceyi · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Texas blue oak, Canyon oak
- Family: Fagaceae
- Type: Broadleaf, loses its leaves in winter
- Mature height: 11 m; spread 8 m
- Growth: Slow growing
- USDA hardiness zones: 7 to 9
- Light: Sun or part shade
- Water: Low water
- Soil: Shallow, rocky limestone soils; must be well drained
- Native range: Southern and southwestern Edwards Plateau of Texas and the mountains of northeastern Mexico

**Benefits:** Drought tolerant, Shade, Fits small spaces, Wildlife, Birds, Fall color

**Good for:** Small yard, Yard shade, Street tree

**Watch out for:** No major cautions

## Care

Plant in full sun on well-drained ground and water weekly for the first two summers; afterward it needs almost no irrigation. Growth is slow, so start with the largest tree you can. Prune in winter to shape or raise the canopy. Oak phylloxera may blister leaves but is cosmetic.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** TX, United States
- **Recommended:** Austin, TX, United States (On the City of Austin Grow Green native and adapted plant list (Watershed Protection). Listed as 'Oak, Lacey', ideal for small urban yards; resistant to oak wilt.); Dallas, TX, United States (On the City of Dallas Article X Approved Tree List)

## Sources

- https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/QULA
- https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=QULA
- https://www.austintexas.gov/watershed-protection/plant-guide/oak-lacey
- https://www.treefolks.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/NeighborWoodsTreeMenu-2026.pdf