LIVE OAK Encino,
Quercus virginiana - Fagaceae, Beech Family
DESCRIPTION: Large, stout-trunked tree with spreading canopy and massive, low
limbs.
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Height: 30-60 feet.
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Flowers: 2 to 3-inch-long yellow
spikes.
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Fruit: Edible acorns.
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Foliage: Evergreen, thick
dark-green leaves.
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Bark: Dark-brown, deeply
furrowed.
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Growth rate: Medium to fast.
REQUIREMENTS:
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Sun: Full.
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Soil: Usually sandy soil; can be
in heavy clay.
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Drainage: Medium; tolerates some
salt.
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Water: Medium.
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Maintenance: Medium.
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Propagation: Fresh acorns.
NATIVE HABITAT:
Native to sand plains in northern
Lower Rio Grande Valley.
WILDLIFE USE:
Acorns offer food for deer,
javalina, turkey; livestock browse leaves; cover; nest sites; ocelots known to
use live oak groves.
COMMENTS:
Wood is heavy and hard. Very sturdy
long-lived shade tree where deep shade is desired.
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