Live Oak
Quercus virginiana Mill.
Mature Size: 50 feet in height and 4 feet in diameter; open- grown trees may have trunk diameters over 6 feet, and a crown span of 150 feet.
Form: Relatively short, broad trunk and heavy, gnarled branches forming a dense, spreading crown.
Habitat: Mainly dry sandy woods, in coastal areas.
Leaves
Alternate, simple, 2 to 5 inches long, evergreen, leathery, oval with rounded ends, edges mostly smooth or slightly toothed.
Flowers
Males on hanging catkins, females on spikes.
Fruit
¾ inch dark brown acorn, 1/3 covered by a bowl-shaped, warty cap; acorns in clusters of 3 to 5, maturing in one year.
Bark
Dark brown tinged with red, slightly furrowed, later becoming black and blocky.
Twigs
Slender, gray and fuzzy, with small, blunt, multiple end buds.
Values and Uses
The wood is heavy and strong, but extremely difficult to saw and dry. It was once prized for blocks and ribs on sailing ships. The acorns are a dependable and highly desirable food for a wide variety of wildlife. Live oak is salt-tolerant and makes a good ornamental landscape tree for southern coastal areas.
Did You Know?
Live oak, as the name implies, is evergreen and also is long-lived. It sprouts readily from the roots and root collar. The United States Navy once owned many stands of live oak, as it was considered the strongest wood for ship building. The timbers of the U.S.S. Constitution, "Old Ironsides," are made from live oak.
