Sweet, tapered acorns produced by the trees are eaten by birds and mammals, including sapsuckers, mallards, wild turkey, squirrels, black bears, and deer. The threatened Florida scrub jay relies on the scrub form of the southern live oak for nesting.
Other birds make use of the moss that frequently hangs from the biotree branches to construct nests. Typical Lifespan: Southern live oaks are fast growing trees , but their growth rate slows with age.
They may reach close to their maximum trunk diameter within 70 years. The oldest live oaks in the country are estimated to be between several hundred to over a thousand years old.
Habitat: Southern live oaks grow well in salty soils and in shade, which makes them great competitors against other less tolerant trees. Southern live oaks are confined to warm parts of the country, though, because of their inability to survive freezing temperatures. Range: As their scientific name Quercus virginiana suggests, southern live oaks are found in Virginia, and from Virginia south to Florida and west to Texas and Oklahoma.
They are small, brown, and pollinated by wind in spring. Donate Today. Sign a Petition. Donate Monthly. Nearby Events. All trick, no treat? The high price of harvesting cocoa for chocolate Read More. Read More. Learn More. The National Wildlife Federation Uniting all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Join Ranger Rick Inspire a lifelong connection with wildlife and wild places through our children's publications, products, and activities Learn More. National Wildlife Federation is a c 3 non-profit organization. If well-sited, a live oak should reach its mature shape and size in 75 years or less.
Live oak tolerates wet as well as moist soil conditions, as long as the site is well-draining. It can even tolerate heavy rains and flooding for short periods of time. Live oak is also very tolerant of salinity, both in the air salt spray as well as in the soil.
It will grow in a range of average soil types, but prefers full sun. It is very sensitive to freezing temperatures, and should not be planted where these are a risk. Mature Live Oaks Quercus virginiana are often decorated by nature with resurrection ferns and Spanish moss. Although grown best in well-drained, sandy soils with plenty of moisture, it tolerates drier, more compacted soils.
Once established, live oak is drought-resistant. It prefers full sun but tolerates more shade than other oaks because its leaves function throughout winter. Pruning is only necessary to develop a strong branch structure early in the life of the tree. Train trees to grow a central leader by eliminating young multiple trunks and branches. Prune in mid-to-late summer to avoid oak wilt disease. It was discovered growing as a seedling in Orangeburg, SC.
It has a uniform, upright pyramidal growth habit with a mature height and spread of 30 to 40 feet by 12 to 18 feet, respectively. It is expected to have a mature height and spread of 40 to 80 feet by 60 to feet, respectively. Expect a mature height of 50 to 75 feet and a spread of 60 to feet. This information is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement of brand names or registered trademarks by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is implied, nor is any discrimination intended by the exclusion of products or manufacturers not named.
All recommendations are for South Carolina conditions and may not apply to other areas. Use pesticides only according to the directions on the label.
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