Valley Oak (Quercus lobata), Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii), Coast
Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia), Interior Live Oak (Quercus
wislizenii), and Gray Pine ( Pinus sabiniana), with companions
of manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.), Coffeeberry and Redberry
(Rhamnus spp.), Currant and Gooseberry (Ribes spp.), and Toyon
or California Holly (Heteromeles arbutifolia). Annual goldfields
(Lasthenia spp.), Poppies (Eschscholzia spp.), Lupines (Lupinus
spp.) and other forbs glorify the open areas in spring. We refer
to it as Central Oak Woodland instead of the older name Foothill
Woodland because foothill implies that it is only in the
foothills. Nope; this plant community formerly occupied a number
of valleys, but the flat land was easier to clear for farming,
and the trees were easier to harvest. Moreover, the water table
in many areas of the San Joaquin Valley has dropped, due to
overpumping, from standing water (Tulare Lake) in the early
1800's to 800 feet under the surface presently. Many of the
native trees, notably Valle