Southern Live Oak

Quercus virginiana · Fagaceae · 버지니아참나무

How to spot it

Leathery leaves with fine hairs underneath and margins that curl under, a broad crown and long horizontal branches.

Look

Leaves: Thick leaves, glossy above; young trees or new growth may show teeth. The old leaves stay until new leaves start to grow.
Flowers: In spring, male flowers hang in long catkins and female flowers grow in short clusters.
Fruit: Egg-shaped acorns grow singly or in groups on long stalks, with the cup covering about one third. They mature in one growing season.
Bark: Dark reddish-brown bark, slightly fissured.

Where it grows

Native to: Southeastern United States and Mexico.
Ecology: Grows on the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains of the United States, and tolerates periodic flooding, salt spray and wind. The acorns are food for birds and small mammals.

Sources