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Live Oak

Quercus virginiana


Hardiness Zones: 7 - 10   View Map
  • Grows rapidly when young
  • Can live for centuries
  • Adapts to almost any type of soil
  • Tolerates salt spray and compacted soil
  • Works well as a street tree
  • Has superior wind resistance
  • Features leathery leaves that are 2–5" long and persist to the following spring, dropping when new leaves begin to unfurl; the leaves are a glossy, dark green on top with a paler underside that is often covered with fine down
  • Drops its leaved in the fall near the northern climates
  • Produces green acorns, approximately ¾" in length, which turn dark brown at maturity and can be borne singly or in clusters of up to 5
  • Assumes a dwarf form on drier sites
  • Grows in a rounded shape

Tree Details

Shape

Rounded

Growth Speed

Medium

Scientific Name

Quercus virginiana

Mature Height

40' - 80'

Mature Spread

60' - 100'

Highlights

Often seen magnificently draped in Spanish moss, the live oak is the iconic tree of the South. It has been called one of the most impressive North American trees and can live to be hundreds of years old.

Its exceptionally strong wood was a key lumber in early navy vessels, including the famous USS Constitution. (Yes, 'Old Ironsides' was really made of wood.) Today it is a tree appreciated by arborists and city foresters for its wind firmness, adaptability to various soil types, and tolerance to soil compaction and salt spray.

Sun Preference

Full Sun, Partial Sun/Shade

Soil Preference

Acidic, Alkaline, Clay, Drought, Loamy, Moist, Sandy, Well Drained

Wildlife Value

Sweet live oak acorns are at the top of the food preference list for birds such as wood ducks, wild turkeys, quail and jays, and mammals such as squirrels, raccoons and white-tailed deer.

History/Lore

The live oak provides one of the most indelible images of the Old South. The huge branches of a live oak festooned with Spanish moss and spreading horizontally over grassy lawns is iconic. The tree has long been a favorite not only for its beauty and shade but also for its strong and dense wood. It was once so valuable for wooden vessels that the Navy maintained its own live oak forests. The early Native Americans liked it too, extracting an oil from its sweet acorns that was something akin to modern olive oil. It earned its place in American history as some of the lumber used in the construction of the naval frigate USS Constitution, and when British cannon balls bounced off the hull during a battle, the vessel was thereafter known as "Old Ironsides."

It is the state tree of Georgia.

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