🌳 Oak
Quercus virginiana
The tree that made Spanish moss famous and hurricanes nervous.
Sun
Full sun
Days to harvest
N/A — ornamental (20–30 years to majesty)
Spacing
40–60 feet apart; 30+ feet from structures
Soil pH
5.5–7.5
How to grow
Live oak is Florida's signature tree — plant it where it has room to become a legend, because a mature live oak is wider than your house. Plant high with the root flare visible, mulch wide, and water deeply the first year. Then mostly leave it alone; live oaks have been handling Florida longer than Florida has been Florida.
Water & feeding
Deep watering weekly for the first year; established trees need nothing but rain and the occasional hurricane to show off in.
Common problems
- Oak wilt is rare in Florida but real — avoid pruning in spring when beetles spread it
- Girdling roots and buried root flares from sloppy planting
- Limb failure in storms if co-dominant leaders weren't pruned when young
Harvest
Ornamental: prune young trees to a single strong leader; mature trees need only deadwood removal every few years. Never 'hat-rack' a live oak unless you enjoy being judged by arborists.
Nerdy fact: A mature live oak's canopy can shade over a quarter acre, and its roots partner with mycorrhizal fungi in one of the oldest underground economies on Earth.