LIVE OAK
The Live Oak is a remarkable southern shade tree, often chosen for its beauty and resilience. It graces avenues with its presence, spaced about 90 feet apart, and gracefully withstands auto exhaust to form the iconic “canopy roads” in southern cities. This majestic tree, known by names like live oak and belonging to the Fagaceae family, truly embodies natural splendor.
With its large stature and noble appearance, the live oak boasts spreading branches that stretch nearly horizontally. Its thick, leathery leaves are a deep green hue. The bark transitions from dark red-brown to gray as it matures into a deeply furrowed texture. In early spring, it produces catkin flowers that gently dust the landscape with yellow pollen. By autumn, sweet and edible acorns mature on new twigs.
Native to regions from Virginia to Texas and even parts of Cuba and Mexico’s coastal plains, Quercus virginiana thrives in fertile hardwood hammocks with moist yet well-drained soils. Whether in partial shade or full sun, this tree flourishes best when given ample space to grow—its life measured not just in years but centuries.
The wood of the live oak is impressively hard and strong; at 55 lbs per cubic foot when dried, it’s among North America’s heaviest woods—a testament to its durability once prized by shipbuilders for crafting robust ships’ ribs during wooden sailing ship eras.
As Georgia’s state tree—and one that demands respect for its potential size—it serves as both a historical symbol of strength and an enduring presence across landscapes where it stands proudly adorned with Spanish moss or resurrection fern epiphytes.