SMA Presents the 2013 Urban Tree of the Year:
Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
Massive southern live oak
(Quercus virginiana) was bested by little redbud in the 2010 SMA
Urban Tree of the Year election. As this was announced
at the SMA conference banquet in Savannah, Georgia of
all places, many live oak fans cried, “We was robbed!”
Those old wounds can now begin to compartmentalize
as live oak gets its proper due as the 2013 SMA Urban
Tree of the Year.
Southern live oak is a decurrent tree with low, arching,
wide-spreading branches. Depending on climate, its
ultimate height ranges from 40 to 60 feet (12 to 18
m) and width ranges from 50 to 80 feet (15 to 24 m)
or more. It is reliably hardy to Zone 7b. Southern live
oak, the state tree of Georgia, is native to U.S. coastal
regions from Virginia south to Florida and west to Texas,
but it can be planted effectively in coastal areas all the
way up to Washington State. It can freely hybridize with
other oaks including swamp white oak (Q. bicolor) and
bur oak (Q. macrocarpa).
Southern live oak’s suitability for urban use comes from
its salt tolerance, ability to tolerate both dry soils and
seasonally wet ones, tolerance of soils both acidic and
alkaline, ability to grow in part shade, wind resistance,
and lack of major pests.
Distinguishing One’s Live Oaks
live oak is, well, more than just a live oak!
A
Live oak can be used as a common name for
several live oaks, namely southern (Q. virginiana),
coast (Q. agrifolia), interior (Q. wislizeni), and canyon (Q. chrysolepis) live oaks. Southern live oak is
the quintessential moss-draped oak [regaled here,
as Tree of the Year]. Coast, interior, and canyon
live oaks are found primarily in California. During
my tenure in that state, I had the opportunity to
work with all three of the California live oaks. Of
the three, coast live oak was the most suited for
use as a street tree. Interior live oak tended to
be smaller, with a bushier canopy, as did canyon
live oak. Both were good trees for sites off of the
streets.
—Chris Boza, City Forester, Hayden, Idaho
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The Professionals on Southern Live Oak
ost people don’t know one tree from
M
another. That’s to be expected, but live oak is one
of those trees that just about everybody knows, can
identify, and more importantly, loves. In the Gulf South
they routinely live upwards of 300 years, a fact that
provokes awe and a certain jealousy among us humans.
Their physical strength, wondrous canopies, and nearevergreen nature serve to connect us with the past.
I remember once in the early 1990s when R.J. Laverne
(then with ACRT) visited Baton Rouge as a consultant
to help us craft an urban forestry management plan.
Having come down from Maine, he explained to me that
he’d never really seen a live oak, so I took him on a tour
that started with one of our older specimens. The thing
I recall most was R.J.’s absolute wonder as he walked
beneath the huge canopy and cradling low-draping
limbs, just quietly touching and gazing at the thing like
he was a child who’d just walked into Disneyland.
Now, it’s true that live oaks are not for everybody. They
are enormous and greedy devourers of physical space.
They eat sidewalks and curbs for lunch. They are no
respecters of underground nor overhead space and frequently come into conflict with utilities. They also possess a disturbing predilection for included bark (when
grown from random seedlings).
On the other hand, their low green canopies shield us
from hurricane winds. Their strength and durability often
keep them alive through the most egregious construction abuse. Their ecological value is as enormous as
their size, and their cultural value is indescribably deep
and wide, from the lumber in Cajun cabins to the massive ribs of Old Ironsides.
It’s fitting that an oak that’s not really in the red oak or
white oak class and not really evergreen nor deciduous
should stand as the representative, in many people’s
minds, of an entire genus. It’s also fitting that specimens that have stood naturally on my own native soil
since the days before my own town even existed should
be honored by SMA collectively with their mighty kinfolk
across America. It just feels right.
—Steve Shurtz, Urban Forestry & Landscape Manager,
Department of Public Works, City of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
(right) Live oaks give ideal filtered shade to azaleas in Savannah.
• Photo by Bill Haws
City Trees
Bob Thibodeaux and Acorns of Hope
Live oak foliage with acorns • Photo by Franklin Bonner,
USFS (ret.), Bugwood.org
B
ob Thibodeaux writes, “The great natu-
ralist Audubon wrote that the finest live oaks of
the world grew along the southern Louisiana coastline, which is where I gather my acorns.” Thibodeaux
is the longtime proprietor of Bob’s Tree Preservation
(www.bobstree.com) and well known for his passion
for live oaks. If you meet him in your travels, he will
likely offer you acorns from his pockets.
The mission of the non-profit Thibodeaux founded, Acorns of Hope (www.acornsofhope.org), is
“to plant trees and educate the community on
coastal erosion and the importance of replacing
trees destroyed in the devastations of Hurricanes
Katrina, Rita, and the many other recent storms
that have ravaged the coastline.” In addition to
donating 10,000 live oak trees from its own nursery, Acorns of Hope organizes a yearly bike ride to
raise money for tree planting in the Coastal and
Prairie Communities of South Louisiana.
Thibodeaux collects acorns himself for growing
trees in the nursery. According to the Acorns of
Hope website, “At our Acorns of Hope Nursery, we
are planting the very best acorns from quality parent plants. Then we choose to plant in harsh conditions, without irrigation and fertilizers or staking, to
imitate stringent coastal conditions ... Many of the
trees planted at the farm come from the seeds of
recognized live oaks in the Louisiana area: Bob has
collected acorns from historical oaks such as the Jim
Bowie Live Oak, Tree of Seven Sisters, Evangeline
Live Oak, The Spider Live Oak, St. John Cathedral
Live Oak, Calcasieu Manor Live Oak, Alamo Oaks,
Majestic Live Oak, 250-year-old Boudreaux and
Thibodeaux Live Oaks and the Angel Oak (estimated
to be approximately 1400 years old)... our live oaks
grow to become strong, well-rooted trees, perfect
candidates to transplant and reforest our hurricanedamaged part of the world.”
SMA’s Steve Shurtz says, “Nobody loves live oaks more
than Bob Thibodeaux.” We take our hats off to this
champion of the 2013 SMA Urban Tree of the Year.
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Photo by Chris Evans, Illinois Wildlife Action Plan, Bugwood.org
The two live oak species
in our neck of the
woods are the coastal live oak (Quercus virginiana)
and the plateau live oak (Quercus fusiformis). Live oaks
are one of the most versatile and valuable tree species
we have. Not only do they help provide clean air and
water, capture stormwater, and provide oxygen, beauty,
and superb wildlife habitat; they are also extremely
tough and drought hardy. When they do expire, large
trees are valued for woodworking and smaller trees can
be used for barbeques and fireplaces.
In harsh tree wells in the urban environment where
other species would give up the ghost, live oaks can
survive and provide their wonderful shade and beauty.
In our oldest municipal park in Texas, San Pedro Springs
Park (second oldest in the United States), the old live
oaks provide an emotional link with the past. Citizens
can visit the park and imagine early San Antonians picnicking under the draping canopies with limbs so long
and heavy that they touch the ground.
It is for these and so many other reasons close to each
citizen’s heart that the live oak is one of the most loved,
revered, and treasured species in San Antonio.
—Michael Nentwich, City Forester, San Antonio, Texas, Parks
& Recreation
A Legacy Oak on a rural Baton Rouge, Louisiana property •
Photo by R. Robert Rackley
City Trees
When you think of Savannah,
one of the
first images you have is live oaks adorned with
Spanish moss. These trees add to the historic beauty
and colonial charm that makes Savannah a destination
city in the Southeast. Aside from their beauty, the live
oaks may be near-perfect trees to have in the urban
environment. They have a spreading canopy that can
cover a large area, making them great shade trees to
cool visitors, residents, and historic buildings. The live
oaks also keep the city green all winter long.
Aside from the environmental benefits, live oaks can
compartmentalize very well when injured, so they don’t
decay rapidly like other trees. Most of the deadwood
is strong and secure, making them safer compared to
other trees with similar diameters of deadwood. Live
oaks can withstand weather events better than other
tree species in Savannah, which helps lower the liability
to the City. Their canopy provides a great habitat for a
variety of wildlife, songbirds, lizards, and small mammals. The live oak is a very popular tree to have on
one’s property and can add considerable value. I cannot
think of a more perfect tree for this city. Kudos, Quercus
virginiana!
—Michael Pavlis, Tree Maintenance Supervisor, Park and
Tree, City of Savannah, Georgia
(above) Steve Shurtz with the Randall Oak (35 foot/10.7 meters
circumference) in New Roads, LA. Photo by Andrew Shurtz
A great southern live oak specimen on Jean Lafitte Drive in Baton Rouge • Photo by Steve Shurtz
www.urban-forestry.com
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Southern live oak ...
No other tree species evokes such powerful classic imagery of the
Southland. Graceful limbs draped in Spanish moss and
resurrection fern arch over roadways to form a cathedral-like effect that leaves an indelible impression on
all onlookers. Southern live oak is synonymous with
Savannah; it is an integral part of the City’s history,
identity, character, and charm.
The durability of live oak wood is legendary. The USS
Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship afloat
in the world (1797), was constructed using framework
and timbers made of live oak harvested in Brunswick,
Georgia. The ship was dubbed “Old Ironsides” for its
ability to withstand canon fire. Why, I sometimes wonder, did Savannah’s forefathers decide to plant Southern
live oak so prominently throughout the city? Perhaps the
species had already earned a reputation for strength
and toughness!
An ordinance passed by the General Assembly of the
State of Georgia in 1895 established the first Park &
Tree Commission in Savannah. The following year, the
Commission expressed its preference for the use of live
oak due to its long lifespan and hardiness. This legacy
of live oak trees has endured to the benefit of generations of Savannahians. Southern live oak is hands-down
the most durable, storm resistant, hardy tree in the
Southeast and is truly a tree for the ages.
The “Hollywood Oak” on Hollywood Street in Baton Rouge •
Photo by Steve Shurtz
— Bill Haws, Forestry Administrator, Park and Tree,
City of Savannah
Southern live oaks in autumn fronting the Old Baton Rouge City
Courthouse • Photo by Steve Shurtz
Spanish-moss draped live oaks in Savannah • Photo by Bill Haws
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Resurrection ferns on live oak • Photo by Frank Thibodeaux
City Trees