The southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) is one of the most widely planted landscape trees in Texas.

It is a very large iconic tree, commonly 60 feet tall, with a trunk diameter of several feet. Its large limbs form a dense crown that can spread to more than 100 feet across. At maturity, the lower limbs can sweep down toward the ground - and even touch the ground - before curving up again.

The tree is a great source of shade! It is an evergreen or nearly evergreen oak tree. They drop their leaves immediately before new leaves emerge in the spring. The leaves are a stiff and leathery dark green. The bark is dark and deeply
furrowed.

Our 30-Gal Live Oaks are 10-11 feet tall, have a caliper of about 1.75-2.0 inches, and a spread of 4-5 feet.

Our 65-Gal Live Oaks are 12-13 feet tall, have a caliper of about 3.5-4.0 inches, and a spread of 5-6 feet.

Our 100-Gal Live Oaks are 14-15 feet tall, have a caliper of about 4.0-4.5 inches, and a spread of 7-8 feet.

Our 200-Gal Live Oaks are 14-15 feet tall, have a caliper of about 5.0-6.5 inches, and a spread of 8-9 feet.

The southern live oak is cold hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 8a but it often lives well in Zone 7 too. It will generally live anywhere south of Dallas/Fort Worth all the way to the Rio Grande - as long as there is at least 25 inches of annual rainfall (see map).

[For drier locations we recommend the Mexican White Oak (Quercus polymorpha). It is widely planted as a landscape tree and it will grow almost anywhere - wet or dry.]

Live oaks grow across a wide range of sites from moist to dry. The southern live oak likes plenty of moisture and well-drained soil. Their usual rainfall range is 25–65 inches of water per year - preferably in spring and summer. They like good drainage; but they can withstand occasional flooding. They are resistant to salt spray and moderate soil salinity. They grow best in well-drained sandy soils and loams but they will also grow in clay. Southern Live Oaks are planted all over the Houston area. They even grow in the Mexican states of Nuevo León and Tamaulipas.

Live oak wood is hard and very strong. In the days of wooden ships, live oaks were the preferred source of wood for ships. The frame of the U.S.S. Constitution was constructed from southern live oak. The density of the wood allowed it to survive cannon fire - earning her the nickname "Old Ironsides”.

Southern Live Oaks live for a long time. Many trees are more than 400 years old.“The Big Tree” in Goose Island State Park in Rockport, Texas, is the largest live oak in Texas. It is estimated to be 1,000 years old!