Live oak is found growing in association with several other hardwoods, including the water oak, laurel oak, sweetgum, southern magnolia, and American holly. You can find live oak along stream banks or borders of salt marshes along roadsides or in city lots and commonly scattered in pastures or in mixed woodlands. It normally grows in low sandy soils near the Coast but can be found in a wide variety of sites. On the Gulf Coast, live oaks often support many types of epiphytic plants (plants that grow on top of another plant but does not depend on it for nutrition) such as Spanish moss which hangs in weeping garlands, giving the trees a striking appearance. The national champion live oak, discovered in 1976 near Louisburg, Louisiana, had a diameter of 11.65', height of 55', and a crown spread of 132'. Live oak is a large spreading tree of the lower Coastal Plain from southeastern Virginia to southern Florida and to southern Texas and reaches heights of 65' to 85'. It is the southern symbol of strength lining the historic streets of small towns. Quercus virginiana, also known as the southern live oak, is the official state tree of Georgia. It grows most abundantly on rich hummocks of soil. It has a distinct spreading appearance and was formerly used in ship building because of its large size and great strength.
Its leaves are thick, leathery, dark green, smooth and shiny on the upper surface, pale and hairy below.
