The Name Live Oaks

The Name Live Oaks

The name live oak came from the fact that they remain green and “alive” throughout the winter when other oak trees are dormant and leafless.

The Name Live Oaks

While many species of oak trees are found throughout the world’s temperate zones, live oaks are native only from Virginia south to Florida and west to central Texas, especially thriving in the heat and humidity. 

The Name Live Oaks

The Name Live Oaks

Sandra J


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53 Replies to “The Name Live Oaks”

  1. Currently in the land of Live Oaks and they are probably my favorite tree just for their uniqueness alone. Learned to stay away from that Spanish Moss when I found out why the birds are so attracted to them.

    1. They are my favorite as well. I love the giant older ones where the branches seem to defy gravity by growing straight out horizontally.

  2. Lovely pictures! I absolutely love these oak trees. They give a beautiful mystic look to the place. Aren’t these the same live oak trees that can be seen in Savannah, Georgia. I also saw similar oak trees at Radium Springs, Georgia. I think they are also referred to as the Southern Live Oaks.

    1. Yes, they are found from Georgia to Texas, I believe they are the most elegant trees. I do love seeing them. 🙂

  3. It looks so funny to see the moss hanging from these trees doesn’t it, but they look so regal and their reflection in the water makes them so different from the trees we are used to seeing.

    1. Yes, I love these trees. On tomorrow’s post we found a historic place that has over 400 of these beautiful trees lining what use to be a driveway to a home. It is a mile long. It was so beautiful. 😊

        1. What a drive it would be to get to your house. I always wanted a tree lined driveway. I have one now but nothing like those. 😊

  4. Great pictures. By the way, there are two other species of oaks native to California that keep their leaves in the winter that are also called live oaks, different species (all in the same genus) than the ones pictured.

    1. Very interesting Greg, one other person said the live oaks in Texas are dormant for the month of April, I think it was. They are such interesting trees. I just love the moss hanging on them. 🙂

      1. I went for a hike with my mom when I was visiting home earlier this week, and that place had a lot of trees with moss on them. I haven’t posted the pictures yet, and I didn’t get a close look to see what kind of trees… I’ll post them on my personal Instagram eventually, and I might post some on my blog-related Instagram too.

          1. There is a link to the Instagram for the blog. I feel like I’ve talked to you enough on here that if you message me there, I’ll send you a link to the personal Instagram. I don’t have that one listed on the blog for anonymity purposes.

    1. Nice, they are my favorite tree. The ones in southern Alabama have branches that look like they defy gravity the way the grow horizontal to the ground. You would think they would brake off.

  5. We have an oak in southeastern Arizona that also stays green all winter. Its leaves turn yellow and fall off in March or April. Newcomers always think they’ve died. But then they green up again for another eleven months.
    They need little to no supplemental water. If it’s been a dry winter, I give mine a good soak on a warm day in early March. And they grow oh-so-slowly!
    We also call ours a Live Oak, yet I think it’s a different species than the one in the east.

    1. Those sound wonderful Emilie, I am so fascinated with trees. So many different species of them and all so amazing on how they grow. These live oaks have that beautiful moss hanging on them and the live oaks I see in southern Alabama are even more unique as their branches can grow straight out horizontal to the ground. Amazing they don’t just break off like that.

    1. They are so gorgeous Rudi with all the moss hanging off of them. They are by far my favorite trees I have seen in our travels.

  6. They are generally called Texas Live Oaks and are dormant in April. We live in the Shannendoah Valley of Virgina. There are no Skas there of any kind.

    1. They are my favorite trees so far through out our travels Ray, Tomorrows post I put some photos on of a row of live oaks we came across in Savannah, One mile long of over 400 of them lining a driveway to a historic location. It is just beautiful, probably more so in the summer.

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