Under The Mighty Florida Oak

Every time I walk under these magnificent ancient looking trees I feel as if I am being transported back in time. They have huge trunks and gnarly outstretched limbs that look as though they could reach out and grab you. Each tree is usually draped in Spanish moss and it sways in the wind giving them a bit of an eerie feeling.

Just one of these beauties provide an enormous amount of shade as their limbs provide a large canopy of up to 150 ft. Walking underneath feels as if you are in a forest and it could only be one tree.

The live oak is the southern symbol of strength, many can be 100-400 years old.

It is a large spreading tree found from southeastern Virginia to Southern Florida and southern Texas.

The name live oak comes from the fact that it's leaves stay green (live) throughout the winter when most oak trees go dormant

Quite an array of wildlife are supported by the abundant sweet edible acorns that this tree produces. It is also a great habitat for Spanish moss and other air plants.

Live Oaks have a yellowish brown wood which is one of the heaviest native hard woods weighing 55lbs per cubic foot when dry.

Because this is a fast growing and spreading tree planting should be restricted to large yards and parks.

Early American's found the live oak's hardwood ideal for shipbuilding. Because of the trees' short height and low hanging branches, lumber from live oak was specifically used to make curved structures of the hull. The line of the grain would fall perpendicularly to lines of stress creating structures of exceptional strength.

The U.S. Navy even procured large holdings of live oak forests for the exclusive use of government shipyards. The U.S.S. Constitution reportedly was nicknamed "Old Ironsides" during the War of 1812 as it's live oak hull was so tough cannon balls would bounced off of it. When the ship was restored in the 1990's live oak was once again the wood of choice.

Near Ormond Beach, in the Bulow Creek State Park, you can find one of the oldest documented live oak trees in the state. The Fairchild Oak is over four hundred years old and just keeps growing. It is considered one of the largest live oak trees in Florida.

The park also protects one of the largest remaining strands of live oak forest along Florida's east coast. You can find Bulow Creek State Park just minutes north of Daytona Beach on the Ormond Scenic Loop and Trail.

This tree was simply known as Safety Harbor Oak for as long as anyone can remember.

In 2004 Safety Harbor's oak became the center piece for a sprawling new public park. It was then named the Baranoff Oak in honor of Dr. Stephen Baranoff, who was known for his civic contributions in this Tampa Bay Florida community.

With a trunk that is nearly 20 feet, the Baranoff Oak meets the requirements of the prestigious Live Oak Society.

Treaty Oak is located in the middle of downtown Jacksonville, on the south side of the Main Street Bridge.

One of the most beautiful live oaks in Florida, this tree is the subject of many local legends that claim treaties with Indian tribes were signed under its spreading limbs.
But this story was actually made up by a reporter who was intent on saving the tree from developers.

This Live Oak is over two centuries old, its trunk is more than 25 feet in circumference, it is 70 feet tall, and the crown spreads over 145 feet.

After the 2004 hurricane season, author and landscape designer Pamela Crawford teamed up with researcher Barbara Hadsell to study the trees that held up best and worst in the storms.

They found that the Live Oak is one of the best trees to survive a hurricane, it has been called the most wind-tolerant shade tree for Florida. Some trees died where Hurricane Charley made landfall, but not far away they survived and started growing leaves three months after the storm. It was the top shade tree to survive Hurricane Camille, one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the United States. But roots need room to spread, and it can become unstable if planted on residential properties with small yards. Very high wind tolerance.

Go to Arbor Day Foundation to learn more about the benefits of trees.