Live Oak

This species is broadly planted. It is one of the few native trees that is widely available. Noted for its twisty form, tolerance of root damage, and longevity.

The form of this tree varies enormously with light conditions.  Open grown trees are sometimes shaped like inverted bowls and there is much horizontal growth.  Shade grown trees tend to grow straight toward the best light source and can either be tall and straight, or if the light is nor directly above, be very twisty.

Noted for being a good epiphyte host. Throughout much of its range its branches are hosts to many epiphytic plants, especially bromeliads (such as ball moss, Tillandsia recurvata and Spanish moss, T. usneoides), ferns (such as resurrection fern, Pleopeltis polypodioides  and orchids including butterfly orchid (Encyclia tampensis).



Large specimen tree or shade tree.

Tolerant of occasional/brief inundation such as can occur in storm surges.



Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray would be uncommon (major storms).

Massive low hanging branches often droop to touch the ground--make sure you allow plenty of room for this tree. Can be somewhat messy especially if loaded with Spanish moss.

Acorns provide a good food source for many types of birds and mammals.

Good nesting habitat for birds and squirrels.  The acorns are low in tannins.

Hummingbirds are attracted to and eat live oak pollen

Tropical rockland hammock, pine rockland in fire-suppressed areas and near tropical rockland hammock, upper edges of floodplains, margins of ponds and lakes, levees and second bottoms, secondary woods, roadsides, mesic to dry mesic hammock.

• Interesting foliage, Hurricane wind resistance
• Larval host plant for Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), red-banded hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) and white-M hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) butterflies;.
• Possible larval host for Juvenal's duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) and oak hairstreak (Fixsenia favonius) butterflies.