Southern live oak
Quercus virginiana
Evergreen, wide and slow. Plant it where your grandchildren want shade.
Hardiness: zones 8 to 10
Light: full sun
Size: about 50 ft tall, 80 ft wide
From: SE United States
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: wildlife, butterfly and moth caterpillars.
Native to: Southeast, Great Plains & Texas. Hardy in zones 8 to 10.
The story
The southern live oak keeps its leaves all winter and spreads wider than it is tall, its limbs sweeping down to the ground and up again. Some of the old ones along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts were already big when the first ships arrived.
Planting
Full sun, any soil from sand to clay, and a space at least 60 feet across. It tolerates salt wind.
Growing
Water to establish. Train one strong trunk when young, then leave the wide limbs alone.
Harvest and use
Deep evergreen shade, sweet acorns for wildlife, and a home for ferns, mosses and birds along every branch.
What to watch for
Not hardy north of zone 8. Oak wilt in Texas: prune only in winter or midsummer heat.
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home