Home > Live oak

The name live oak comes from the fact that evergreen oaks are still green and "live" in winter, when other oaks are dormant, leafless and "dead"-looking. The name is used mainly in North America, where evergreen oaks are widespread in warmer areas, along the Atlantic coast from Virginia to Florida, west along the Gulf Coast to Texas and across the southwest to California and southwest Oregon.

Evergreen oak species are also common in the warmer parts of Europe and Asia, and are included in this list for the sake of completeness. These species, although not having 'live' in their common names in their countries of origin, are colloquially called 'live oaks' when cultivated in North America.

When the term 'Live oak' is used in a specific rather than general sense, it most commonly refers to the Southern live oak (the first species so named), but can often refer to other species regionally.

In Texas, a small grove of live oaks (Texas live oak or Southern live oak) is known as a mott.

Evergreen species in genus Quercus

• Section Quercus. The white oaksGenus Quercus Subgenus Quercus Typical oaks. Widespread; acorns not tightly clustered, with scales on acorn cup arranged in spirals. Section Quercus The white oaks (synonym sect. Lepidobalanus . Europe, Asia, north Africa, North America. Styles short; aco. Europe, Asia, north Africa, North America. Styles short; acorns mature in 6 months, sweet or slightly bitter, inside of acorn shell hairless.
  • Quercus arizonica - Arizona white oak - southwestern North America
  • Quercus emoryi - Emory oak - southwestern North America
  • Quercus fusiformis - Texas live oakTexas live oak Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Fagales Family: Fagaceae Genus Quercus Species fusiformis Binomial name ''Quercus fusiformis Texas live oak is an evergreen or nearly evergreen o - south central North America
  • Quercus geminata - Sand live oak - southeastern North America
  • Quercus ilex - Holm oakHolm oak Holm Oak foliage (note pale undersides) : Plantae : Magnoliophyta : Magnoliopsida : Fagales : Fagaceae Quercus ilex Binomial name Quercus ilex L. The Holm Oak ''Quercus ilex L. also called Holly oak or Evergreen Oak, is a large evergreen oak nati - southern Europe
  • Quercus oblongifolia - Mexican blue oak - southwestern North America
  • Quercus pungens - Sandpaper oak - south central North America
  • Quercus turbinella - Shrub live oak - southwestern North America
  • Quercus virginiana - Southern live oakSouthern live oak Quercus virginiana Southern live oak in winterin a pasture near Georgetown, South Carolina Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Fagales Family: Fagaceae Genus Quercus Species virg - southeastern North America

• Section Cerris. Europe, Asia, north Africa. Styles long; acorns mature in 18 months, very bitter, inside of acorn shell hairless or slightly hairy.
  • Quercus calliprinos - Palestine oak - western Asia
  • Quercus coccifera - Kermes oak - southern Europe
  • Quercus semecarpifolia - Himalayan oak - eastern Asia
  • Quercus suber - Cork oakCork oak Scientific classification : Plantae : Magnoliophyta : Magnoliopsida : Fagales : Fagaceae Quercus suber Binomial name Quercus suber L. The Cork oak Quercus suber L. is a medium sized, evergreen oak tree in the section Quercus sect. Cerris''. It is - southwestern Europe

• Section Protobalanus. Southwest USA & northwest Mexico. Styles short, acorns mature in 18 months, very bitter, inside of acorn shell woolly.
  • Quercus chrysolepis - Canyon live oak - southwestern North America
  • Quercus palmeri - Palmer oak - southwestern North America
  • Quercus tomentella - Channel island oak - southwestern North America
  • Quercus vacciniifolia - Huckleberry oak - southwestern North America

• Section Lobatae. The red oaksGenus Quercus Subgenus Quercus Typical oaks. Widespread; acorns not tightly clustered, with scales on acorn cup arranged in spirals. Section Quercus The white oaks (synonym sect. Lepidobalanus . Europe, Asia, north Africa, North America. Styles short; aco. North, Central & South America. Styles long, acorns mature in 18 months, very bitter, inside of acorn shell woolly.
  • Quercus agrifolia - California live oakThe California live oak Quercus agrifolia also called the Coast live oak is an evergeen oak, highly variable and often shrubby, found in the coastal regions of southwestern North America from Mendocino County, California south to northern Baja California - western North America
  • Quercus canbyi - Canby oak - Mexico
  • Quercus humboldtii - South American Oak - northern South America
  • Quercus hypoleucoides - Silverleaf oak - southwestern North America
  • Quercus polymorpha - Coahuila oak - Mexico
  • Quercus rhysophylla - Loquat-leaf oak - Mexico
  • Quercus wislizenii - Interior live oakInterior live oak Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Fagales Family: Fagaceae Genus: Quercus Binomial name ''Quercus wislizenii The Interior live oak Quercus wislizenii is an evergeen oak, highly - southwestern North America

See the list of Quercus species for a fuller listing of oaks including deciduous species.