Sand Live Oak

( Quercus geminata )

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Family -  Fagaceae

Natural Habitat - Scrub, Scrubby flatwoods, Coastal Hammocks, Dunes, Sandhill

Planting Zones - 7, 8, 9, 10

Description - Although the Sand live oak is capable of achieving a height of 90 plus feet it's more often under 40 feet. In dry scrub habitat it often grows in shrub-like proportions of less than 15 feet, sometimes growing in dense thickets.

Sand Live Oak resembles Live Oak, Quercus virginiana, in several respects. The most notable difference is that Sand Live oak leaves are revolute, that is the margins are rolled under and leaf veins are markedly impressed into the surface of the leaf.

Leaves are alternate, leathery, revolute, 1-4 inches long, margins entire. Bark is grey, thick and furrowed, acorns are produced in pairs and groups of three, slightly elongated

Landscape Use -  Excellent accent or specimen tree/shrub for dry sandy sites and as a replacement for Live oak in smaller scale landscapes.

Culture - Sand live oak likes full sun, well drained sandy soils with little or no organic content. Moderate salt tolerance, should be protected from direct salt spray, high drought tolerance once established. Growth rate varies in relation to the amount of available moisture.