Quercus intricata is an evergreen shrub that reproduces vegetatively, producing large colonies.

The leaves are thick, leathery, usually wavy, oblong to ovate, up to 2.5 centimetres (1 inch) long.

The upper side of the leaf is green with scattered clumps of small curly hairs; the underside appears white or brown because of a thick coat of curly hairs.

[5][6][7][8] It is common in mountains of the Chihuahuan Desert, in the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, Durango, and Zacatecas.

In the United States, it has been reported from only two sites: one in the Chisos Mountains inside Big Bend National Park, and the other near Eagle Peak 24 kilometres (15 miles) southwest of Van Horn.