- Broadleaf evergreen (but see below) tree, large, 40-80 ft tall (12-24 m) and 60-100 ft wide (18-30 m). “Champion trees” have been measured at 78 ft tall with a spread of 160-180 ft (23 × 49-55 m). Leaves are simple, evergreen, alternate, [considerable plasticity in leaf form, Flora of North Amer.], elliptic-obovate, 3-8(13) cm long, 1-4 cm wide, margins minutely revolute or flat, entire or irregularly 1-3 toothed, (leaves of young seedling trees are “holly-like), upper surface lustrous dark green, lower surface gray green with a wooly pubescence, mid-rib yellowish brown. Acorn lustrous chestnut brown, ellipsoidal, about 2.5 cm long and 1cm wide, the light brown cap covers about ¼ its length.
-
Sun, adapts to most soil types, tolerant of salt spray, a street and park tree throughout the southern US
-
Hardy to USDA Zone (7) 8 Native range extends from coastal southeastern Virginia, south though Noth Carolina, South Carolina to Florida, and west along the southern edge of states near or on the Gulf Coast, to southeastern Texas, and a scattered population in southern Oklahoma. The Southern Live Oak is the State Tree of Georgia.
-
Evergreen? Southern Live oaks are known as evergreen oaks, since they retain their leaves into winter. However, some consider them not to be true evergreens. [Technically (Flora of North Amer.), subevergreen. Because typically in early spring as temperatures rise slightly, all the old leaves begin to yellow, senesce, and drop over a period of several weeks, these changes coincide with the emergence of new leaves. It can be successfully grown in Western Oregon, the old leaves may drop in especially cold winters, with the tree leafing out again in spring.
- There about 21 Quercus species in the US that are designated as live oaks. Most are in the southeastern and southwestern states as well as Texas and California (Wikipedia)
- Oregon State University campus: small tree at the east end of the parking lot on Jeffeson Way and 15th St.(across from McNary Hall).
-
large tree in spring with Spanish moss (Wikipedia)
