Live Oak
Quercus virginiana
The grand spreading oak of the Deep South, evergreen and often draped in Spanish moss. Its acorns and vast canopy support more wildlife than almost any other tree. Its acorns are unusually low in tannin and sweet-tasting, needing little leaching before grinding into flour; an edible oil has also been pressed from the seed.
- Family
- Fagaceae
- Type
- tree
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 40–80 ft
- Spacing
- 60–100 ft apart
- Light
- sun, part shade
- Soil moisture
- dry, moist
- Soil pH
- acidic, neutral
- Bloom
- March, April, May
- Bloom colors
- yellow
- Wildlife value
- songbirds, butterflies, larval host
- Caterpillar hosts
- ~557 butterfly & moth species
- Landscape uses
- naturalizing
- Native states
- AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TX, VA
Related native plants
More Quercus species
- Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
- Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)
- White Oak (Quercus alba)
- Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia)
- Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)
- Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa)