General Information about Live Oaks:

The Quercus virginiana is also known as the Southern live oak tree.

The live oak tree is a southern symbol of strength.

The live oak tree is the state tree of Georgia.

The U.S.S. Constitution reportedly received its nickname, “Old Ironsides,” during the War of 1812 because of its live oak hull. The hull was so tough that the cannon balls of the British war ships literally bounced off it.

Live oak trees are planted in historical cities for their character and appearance.

Live oak trees weigh over 55 pounds per cubic foot when air dried.

Live Oak Tree Fruit:

Live oak trees product sweet edible acorns that turkeys, ducks, jays, quail, deer and other animals like to feed on.

Live oak trees start producing acorns when they are around 20 years old.

Live Oak Tree Growth & Life:

Live oak trees can live for hundreds of years!

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

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.

Live oak trees can grow in forests, in front of buildings such as schools, parking lots, gardens, backyards and more.

Live oak trees also grow by oceans. They do great resisting the salt spray.

Live oak trees support many types of epiphytic plants (including Spanish moss to a point); giving live oak trees more character.

The live oak tree grows 1 inch of caliper and around 2-4 feet overall per year when young.

A mature live oak tree can draw up to 50 gallons+ per day through it’s tap root deep in the ground.

Live Oak Tree Uses:

The live oak tree is the broadest spreading of the oaks producing an abundance of shade.

Live oak tree wood is very strong and tough and is often used for structural beams and posts.

Live oak trees were used in colonial times to make ships for the navy.

Nothing says Florida like a palm tree, so it’s fitting that the state tree is sabal palm. Oddly enough though, the sabal palm is not a true tree, and as a palm, is more closely related to grasses.

The sabal palm, also known as the cabbage palm, was designated the state tree in 1953 and occurs on the Florida state seal. There were actually years of debate before the sabal palm was selected as the state tree. Other trees up for consideration were the royal palm, slash pine, and longleaf pine.

Early Floridians had a variety of uses for the sabal palm. The bud of the tree is edible and is known as “heart of palm” and swamp cabbage, the trunk and fronds were used to build shelter, and various fibrous parts were used to make cordage.

Cabbage palm (Sabal palmetto) is native to Florida, grows throughout the state, and continues to grow north along the coast to North Carolina. It happens to also be the state tree of South Carolina. Cabbage palm is found growing in pine woodlands, hammocks, and on river banks. These plants are fairly tolerant of salt spray on foliage but are intolerant of salt in the root zone.

Cabbage palms have curved, fan-shaped palm leaves with blades that are 3 to 4 feet long and petioles (leaf-stalks) that are 3 to 6 feet long. A full, round canopy forms atop a trunk that is 10 to 16 inches in diameter and grows to 40 feet tall. Branched inflorescences are produced in late spring and usually grow beyond the leaves, containing thousands of tiny, creamy-white, fragrant flowers that attract bees. Black fruits are produced in late summer and are consumed by wildlife. The immature leaves—sometimes called the “heart”—are edible and have a cabbage-like flavor.