Blue Oak Hill

Blue Oaks

I think that I shall never see

a poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

and lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of Robbins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom now is lain;

who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

Blue oaks are drought resistant and deciduous. They depend on ground squirrel burrows to deliver water to their root system during the rainy season. In the summer they drink from their long tap roots.  They grow an average of 8 inches in radius every 100 years.  Seedlings grow only about 140 cm. high after 10 to 30 years (~55 inches).  They must be kept relatively free of the parasite mistletoe. Mistletoe takes not only the oak sap, it also deforms branches with large knots and steals sunlight from the oak leaves. Except for the highest branches (40'-60'), Blue Oak Hill has been cleared of this blight. Since the sticky seeds are spread by birds brushing their bodies against branches as well as by bird droppings, the weeding process is ongoing.

You can capture the magic of an acorn by pushing it into the soil in the rainy season to a depth of about 1 inch, and if it gets occasional water and escapes foraging, it will grow into a GIANT for future generations of wildlife and people to enjoy.