Joe, how big are your seedlings? Would it be better off in a bucket or is it ready for ground planting?

You can plant in ground they are a few feet high, Mark I emailed you

Joe, The Fusiformis you gave me has taken a liking to my yard so far. Pushed out about an inch or so of new growth and a few of the branches. Going to be enjoyable watching this baby grow.

Mark, that's awesome....looking forwards to seeing pics as it grows

The Texas Live Oak (Quercus Fusiformis) loves the hot weather - - explodes with new growth.

Summer update : here is a pic of my north Texas Live Oak (Quercus Fusiformis) ...doing great in the heat. Standing over 10ft now-lots of growth last 2 months

I had about a dozen acorns last year, this year at least twice as many

should be ready to pick by October

Another winter with my Texas Live Oaks..Quercus Fusiformis...pics coming soon

Spring 2017 update

Taken April 27, 2017 Texas Live Oak (Quercus Fusiformis)

Catkins on my Quartz Mountain Live Oak from Oklalahoma (Quercus Fusiformis)

Joe, While the rest of my trees have hated this long hot dry spell, my live oak is loving it. Tree is doing great. Hopeful that we make it through winter #2.

Awesome Mark, put some mulch around the base to about the drip line for the winter, then remove in the spring. This will help keep Roots warm. Also since it's a little tree, If we hit a night greater than 5 below zero..you can string some extensions cords from your house that looks like a bit of a distance and some of the NON LED Christmas lights under it ..they will heat it up around it about 5 degrees. Gotta be the old type lightbulbs...the LED's don't give out any heat. Once it gets bigger we can put one of those foam noodles that kids use for swimming around the base, after that it should be clear sailing.

Mark, here is my oldest Live Oak ..

Like yours it loves the heat, while other trees were strugglers.

Yes I have had mine planted since June of 2014. I love it I have seen about 5 feet of growth. This year it grew more in width than it did in height. I have acorns on it the last two years. Not sure how old it really is. I bought it in Hot Springs Arkansas. Transported it to Fayetteville Ark. It has had some kind of bug on it two years I thought I killed them the first year. This year I put some stuff down early spring that they promised me nothing would attack it. They are white and fuzzy. They have what looks like a seed inside of them. Never have I seen them before. The tree now has a name,(Pinokio Sam) my grand son. That is perfect my family names everything. They are beautiful, I did the big Christmas Lights the first year I put three strands and sort of a green house. Looked like an outhouse, well lit but an outhouse none the less. The last two years shrub covers if it was forecasting ice. This year will truly be the test.

Another year of an Ozarks winter with my live oaks..this one had some long duration below zero days...but everything is good ..new buds getting ready to leaf out

Looking good. That spell back in January was cold!! I'm personally excited for the trees to leaf out. Just for comparison, I looked at when our trees leafed out last year, and it was nearly 2 weeks ago!! We've probably got another 2 weeks AT LEAST ahead of us before they leaf out this year. The weather is so different every year.

Jaco, yes it was a tough winter ..not because super cold, but just long duration cold...send a pic of your Live Oak tree

Found a live oak at Wal-mart early spring. Finally got it planted and is doing great. We have had so much rain and more expected. Eager to see how it weathers the winter. Last winter was a doozy. So dry, and the 7 degrees were very challenging. We are in zone 7b.

Update..my Texas Live Oak (Quercus Fusiformis) Aug 22, 2018

Joe, I’ll have to check. I’ve been trying to be better about keeping up with my tags.

I did check and we do have the Quercus virginiana. Also, did some additional research and according to the SMA, Texas A&M, and UofF it is reliably hardy to Zone 7b. There are sites that say the zones 8-10 but I found info that it's doing find in 7a and some 6b too. All that being said, I will definitely mulch it heavily this fall and will water newer shrubs and trees when extremely cold weather is coming. Learned that the hard way. Last year we had three days of 7 degrees. The only things we lost were still in pots and even then only lost about a quarter of those. I'll check back in next spring to report how it did, but so far so good.

I just stumbled across this site after finding that I have a live oak on my home site. My home site is in the Strafford area. If I get some dimensions of the tree, can anyone give me an approximate age ? I won't be back to the site for a few weeks. This is a pic I took while identifying it. Thanks.

HU 303, it's not a Live Oak..it's a Shingle Oak

Ok Kelli, once it gets established it will be much hardier...

update...another winter gone and all my Texas Live Oaks are doing great

here is an updated pic

This is a March photo of one of my Live Oak trees. I have a lot of new growth now as well.

i just planted 2 live oaks about a month ago zone 7a Tennessee. Does anyone know if it takes them a while to get going? I never had success with live oak. Nothing to do with cold I just can’t seem to get any growth at all going

Clint, I’d say it’s going to take a while. We planted one a few years ago, zone 7B, it was doing fine and then I decided to move it. It’s actually doing better now. It’s in the south lawn, gets full sun all day, and we put out a bunch of bags of leaf mold and it’s very happy now.

Glad to see this thread! I live just east of Springfield. Originally from Florida, so growing live oaks would be like transplanting a bit of my childhood.

I have one 3year old live oak and 3 seedling live oaks in my yard. The three year old I have buried in leaves and covered in a tarp on the coldest nights in winter. I live just outside Springfield near the town of battlefield.

Going to give it a try in Leeton Mo as soon as I can plant. These are Empire Live Oaks.

I have never tried an Empire Live Oak..they do have them as a Quercus Virginiana ..which are generally the southern variety zone 7b or 8 +

but they are saying min. zone 4, I do not think that's right.

I have Quartz Mtn Live oaks from Oklahoma ..Quercus Fusiformis

Good luck -- so far we are having a zone 7 winter here in most of Missouri so good time to plant them.

keep is informed

Dillybean,

I dont think the Florida Live Oaks you are used to will grow here in Missouri, but I have successful grown Texas Live Oaks and Quartz Mtn Live Oaks for over 10 years here in SW Missouri ..look like the Florida Quercus Virginiana variety but much more cold tolerant and about 75% of the size of the Florida variety.

Kelli, when you get a chance post a pic of your live oak

Joe I hope all the Live Oaks around Springfield come through these record cold temperatures. I have my Empire Live Oaks in my heated garage under a grow lamps. Watching the weather I've been thinking about all you down there.

russell.norris61@gmail.com

Joe, I went by the house in which I planted the live oak, I have sadly since moved. The live oak is still doing great! I would love to get another sapling from you to plant at my home here in Springfield. I'll try to get pictures of the one in Fair Grove for everyone to see.

Mark

I own a tree service. I did work at a house here in central missouri that has a massive southern live oak in the back, 5 to 6 foot across on the trunk. I really think it needs to be measured.

Charles Ritz

Rolla Missouri

Our live oak tree, zone 7B. I’ve moved it at least twice. Last year we moved to this spot and it’s doing excellent even with the crazy winter weather we had. When we first moved it here, and it’s close to the spot where we lost a 30 year old Willow oak, just tipped over. Anyway, we cardboarded all around it, maybe 6’ out, then maybe bags of leaves and topped with pine needles, and put a little fence around it to keep the chickens from stripping the area bare, which worked. It’s had plenty of rain the last year and we did just tweak the sprinkler system so it’s getting a bit more too. All in all we’re very pleased.

It's looking good!

Mine in Fayetteville Arkansas died this year. I was so upset. It would have topped the house this year. It was that sub zero weather we got in

Thanks!! I’m frankly amazed ours lived through the freeze. It’s a stretch for us in zone 7b. I’m a firm believer in mulching. We have 2 acres and have a lot to mulch. We go around picking up bags of leaves, pine needles, and grass clippings. Some of the kids who do yards will bring out trailer loads of leaves and needles. It makes such a huge difference. Makes a bigger difference when the leaves are shredded but we’ve gotten lazy.

I am planting canyon live oaks in sw mo. They seem to be the best candidate due to greater cold hardiness of -11F. I apprciate the info and photos of the live oaks. I would like to develope a live oak forest.

Hi everyone! I am so happy I found this thread! I live about an hour north of KC and am also trying my luck growing a southern live oak (Quercus Virginiana). Just planted 10/20/22. So far so good (wow, less than a month in lol), but this little tree is absolutely babied. I have somewhat of a mad scientist operation going on up here with burlap, tons of mulch, makeshift green house & heat lamps for when the freezing weather starts up. I am bound and determined. Question though, I ordered this tree from Arbor Day in a 5 gallon container. I am very new to tree planting so I don’t know a lot yet, but to me, she looks way over pruned. Please let me know what you guys think.

I am open to any and all advice you all can offer. Thanks y’all! (Note, this is not where the tree is planted.)

Here is the actual planted location.

Tiny compared to the red oak! Awww

Hi, I'm in zone 7B, NE Arkansas. We planted one years ago, and have moved it around a few times. I found the right spot and it's very happy and doing excellent. Good luck!

Taylor, im Not sure a Southern Live Oak will make it in Northern Missouri ..way way out of their zone. I am in SW Missouri and like a zone 6b-7a and no way. i have Quartz Mountain and Texas live oaks growing for many years but they are Quercus Fusiformis. Never Plant a live oak in the fall, they need planted in the spring to get some root growth to keep them drawing up warm water to help then withstand the cold. If i were you i would put a foam pipe wrap (like a swim noodle) around the trunk and then pile alot of pine bark up around the trunk to withstand the cold.

here is more info on cold or moderate climate live oak trees

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4584005/quartz-mountain-quercus-fusiformis-live-oak-trees-in-zone-6

Mark, come on by and get a seedling this Spring for your Springfield Home, i have plenty

I’m in Clever, MO and love the Live Oaks down in Charolette, SC The live oaks you are planting in Misssouri will they grow like thoses with the long limbs?