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arauquoia

2 live oak species?

arauquoia
18 years ago

I was told that there are two species common to the Southeastern coastal region: a tall one and a short one.

If true, do you know their common and botanical names?

Comments (9)

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    18 years ago

    There's Quercus geminata, often called Sand Oak.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Q. geminata

  • wilmington_islander
    18 years ago

    rhizo has it nailed. My yard is full of large specimens!

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    18 years ago

    And of course, the other SE coastal live oak is Quercus virginiana. We forgot to mention that!

  • roserx
    17 years ago

    I live in NW FL & the Live Sand Oak is recommended by the State & Co Ext Svc, but I am having trouble finding one to buy. It seems like the local nurseries carry only Live Oaks. I had read that Live Sand Oaks are more wind resistant, but they also don't grow as tall as Live Oaks. Are there any other differences?

  • aureliajulia
    17 years ago

    Finally! A use for my plant taxonomy class! Unfortunately, I donÂt have the common names for most of these, but will list Family, genus, and species. They are:

    Fagaceae, Castanea, pumila
    Fagaceae, Quercus, laevis
    Fagaceae, Quercus, margaretta
    Fagaceae, Quercus, marilandica
    Fagaceae, Quercus, michauxii
    Fagaceae, Quercus, nigra: this is the very common water-oak, and probably one of the 2 you are asking about. It has lobed teardrop shaped leaves in clusters with angled buds. Leaves are palmately compound. The trunks are ridged vertically, that is, it looks as though someone has taken a regular tree trunk, then glued more smaller straight tree trunks to it vertically all the way around the circumference, and finally covered them with bark.
    Fagaceae, Quercus, pumila
    Fagaceae, Quercus, virginiana: the very famous live oaks, probably the other you are looking for. Leaves are ellypticle, have revolute edges, clustered buds, have small tight acorns, are evergreen and sporadically drop. Also has heavy bark.

    Another common tree to the area I want to include is the gum tree. I like them because they were in a girl-scout song I sang when I was a child; they are characterized by a leaf with five points, and often have prickly brown gum balls on the ground underneath. Also, I love them because of their scientific name:

    Hamamelidaceae, Liquidambar, styraciflua

    Pronounced

    Huh, mam (a as in apple) muh lee day cee eee, Liquid Ambar, stie ra (as in apple) suh flu uh

    Uh as in duh! And stie as in pie. Say it a couple of times. ItÂs fun.

    You made my day arauquoia!

    Aurelia

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    17 years ago

    Ummmm, the poster was asking about coastal Live oak species, so your list is a little confusing. And the leaves of Quercus nigra are not palmately compound. Not palmate, not compound.

  • aureliajulia
    17 years ago

    Indeed, they are simple pinnate. Actually I had to write it a few time because the program kept closing, mistakes happen.

    As the poster was asking about 2 types of live oak common to the area, and as far as I know only virginiana is the the true live oak, then I assume they actually want the 2 commomly know local oak trees, live and water oak. The rest of the list just shows the diversity for the area. A lot of people call any oak tree in the SE a "live oak."

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    17 years ago

    As mentioned above, the Sand Live Oak (Quercus geminata) is quite common in the area. It's a true live oak.

    Laurel Oak is commonly mistaken for Live oak and people in the area are forever calling it Water Oak, though the true Quercus nigra very obvious leaf, acorn, bark, and form differences. But it doesn't belong to the live oak group of oaks.

    http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/Extension/img/for51f12.jpg

    Here is a link that might be useful:

  • lucky_p
    17 years ago

    Q.minima, Dwarf Live Oak, is sometimes encountered in the lower Coastal Plain, from NC to MS, but it's mostly seen as a rhizomatous shrub.

    Q.fusiformis, the Texas or Escarpment Live Oak, while native to TX, OK, & Mexico, has been planted well outside its native range, and may be the best bet for those of us in the frigid northland(zone 6) who want a live oak.

    Boynton oak(Q.boyntonii) and Chapman oak(Q.chapmanii)are two other small, shrubby white oak species, though relatively rare, which may be encountered in the Coastal Plains areas as evergreen to subevergreen trees, with Boynton only being native to AL & TX, and Chapman being most common in FL.

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