Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii)  also known as Scrub Oak, Rocky Mountain White Oak or Utah White Oak, is an emblematic native tree‑shrub for Utah landscapes. Well-adapted to dry lower‑mountain slopes, it thrives in the alkaline, sandy, or rocky well‑drained soils common throughout Utah foothills. Gambel Oak often forms beautiful colonies, although it can occasionally be found growing as single‑stemmed specimens. The trees display shiny dark‑green, deeply-lobed leaves that transform to vivid yellows, oranges, and reds in fall. Inconspicuous spring catkins give way to small acorns that are relished by birds and wildlife. Gambel Oak is a keystone species in the Utah area and makes a beautiful, ecological addition to naturalized plantings, informal hedges or privacy screens, and dry garden beds. Gambel Oak’s deep lignotuber and root sprouting ability enable exceptional drought tolerance and post‑fire recovery, but its sucker‑forming nature and fire‑prone thickets make it better suited for planting further away from structures and occasionaly thinning may be required.