Live oak

Live oak or evergreen oak is a general term for a number of unrelated oaks in several different sections of the genus Quercus that share the characteristic of evergreen foliage.

The name live oak comes from the fact that evergreen oaks remain green and "live" throughout winter, when other oaks are dormant and leafless. The name is used mainly in North America, where evergreen oaks are widespread in warmer areas along the Atlantic coast from southeast Virginia and North Carolina to Florida, west along the Gulf Coast to Louisiana and Texas, and across the southwest to California and southwest Oregon.

Evergreen oak species are also common in parts of southern Europe and Asia, and are included in this list for the sake of completeness. These species, although not having "live" in their common names in their countries of origin, are colloquially called live oaks when cultivated in North America.

When the term live oak is used in a specific rather than general sense, it most commonly refers to the southern live oak (Quercus virginiana), the first species so named, and an icon of the Old South, but can often refer to other species regionally.

Quercus ilex

Quercus ilex, the evergreen oak,holly oak or holm oak, is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region. It takes its name from holm, an ancient name for holly. It is a member of the white oak section of the genus, with acorns that mature in a single summer. It was first introduced to the United Kingdom in the 16th century. The first trees to be planted from acorns into England are still to be found growing within the stately grounds of Mamhead Park, Devon. They are uncommonly fine examples; several of these trees are 10 ft (3 m) in circumference at 3 ft (0.91 m) from the ground, and one of them measures 13 ¹⁄₂ ft (4.1 m) in circumference. One specimen in Milo, in Sicily, is reputed to be 700 years old while a small population on the slopes of northern village of Wardija in Malta are said to be between 500 and 1,000 years old. Prior to the Carthaginian period was prevalent on the islands.

Description

Quercus ilex is a medium-sized tree 5–20 metres (16–66 ft) tall with finely square-fissured blackish bark and leathery evergreen leaves. The old leaves fall 1–2 years after new leaves emerge. The leaves are dark green above and pale whitish-grey with dense short hairs below. The leaf shape is variable (depending on age and growing conditions), the adult leaves are entire, 4–8 centimetres (1.6–3.1 in) long and 1–3 cm (0.39–1.18 in) broad, while those on the lower branches of young trees are often larger (to 10 cm or 3.9 in long), and are toothed or somewhat spiny – possibly as protection from grazing animals. In this, the foliage resembles that of the common European holly Ilex aquifolium, and this resemblance has led to its common and botanic names. The name ilex is originally the classical Latin name for the holm oak, but was later also used as a botanical genus name for the hollies. The flowers are catkins, produced in the spring; the fruit is an acorn, which matures in about six months.