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Monday - October 19, 2009

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: About Live Oak trees in Austin, Texas
Answered by: Janice Kvale

QUESTION:

Hello, I planted a couple texas live oak two years ago in South Austin. They're about 5 feet tall. How long will it take for them to mature? Thanks

ANSWER:

The short answer to your question is that the Quercus virginiana (live oak) trees mature in about 50 years, more or less. They are actually one of the faster growing trees when in an ideal environment, growing about three feet a year when young. As they get larger, the growth rate tapers off. What follows may be more than you want to know, but I just can't stop myself. Mr. Smarty Plants likes native Texas trees!

The happiest live oaks are planted in soil, sand, clay, or loam that is acid and kept well watered, especially when young. That said, the live oak is a relatively hardy tree and adapts readily to drought and alkaline soil though it may be harmed by freezing temperatures further north. Thought to be evergreen, Quercus virginiana (live oak) and its cousin, Quercus fusiformis (plateau oak) actually replace about half of their glossy, waxy leaves annually in early spring.

Many like to shape the young oaks through pruning. Oak wilt is endemic in central Texas and can be spread through injudicious pruning as the Nitiludid beetle invades the new cuts. Pruning must be done only in the coldest or hottest months in central Texas when the beetle is less active. Learn more about how to correctly prune at our Wildflower Center site and more about preventing oak wilt through the Texas Oak Wilt website.

Texans love their live oaks with good reason. A popular shade tree in Central Texas, the live oak can grow to between 30-80 feet in height. It is often wider than it is high with wonderful sturdy branches that spread horizontally before reaching for the sky, perfect for climbing or maybe a tree house. (One needs to consider the space needed for the mature tree before planting!) Austin is well known for the 500-year old Treaty Oak, still hanging on after several assaults. It is located downtown on Baylor between 5th and 6th Streets. An excellent history and a photo of Treaty Oak is on the Wikipedia website. A stunning live oak located behind the Hampton Branch of Austin Public Library in Oak Hill at 5125 Convict Hill Road was named Austin's Tree of the Year in 2007. An outdoor classroom created by local Rotarians is located under its broad branches.

Quercus fusiformis

Quercus virginiana