The trunk of this California Black Oak showed the classic hitch hikers of moss and lichen. The wood is a deciduous hardwood that has not been widely cultivated for commercial use.

The way its trunk branches is similar to the way a shrub branches. In fact, in Shasta and Trinity Counties California Black Oak has taken a shrub form.

The upper branches of the California Black Oak are long and straight. Although once made to grow into special forms for ship construction, that practice is now rare.

Here was a cluster of new leaves sprouting in the springtime. Its leaves turn yellow to red in the fall.

The California Black Oak can grow to over 100 feet (30 meters) in height and can live for up to 500 years.

Here is the classic lobed leaf of the oak tree.

The California Black Oak is an Evergreen (deciduous) tree whose leaves will change color in the autumn but will not fall off. Here we see autumn colors appearing in new growth.

Identifying lichens and mosses can be difficult. The lichen here appeared to be Physcia stellaris . But the moss was unidentified.