Species Plate · Foundation Canopy
Live Oak
Restoration Role
Foundation evergreen canopy. Live Oak provides year-round structure, nesting cover, thermal shelter, and the big spreading form the Hill Country is known for.
Site Suitability
PrimaryWestern Headwaters Savanna, Eastern Shelterbelt
SecondaryDrainage Savanna Edge
AvoidWet floodplain, saturated low areas
SoilsSeC, RuB, SuB
HydrologyUpland, well-drained, drought tolerant
Propagation & Care
Seed collectionCollect mature brown acorns September–December. Float test.
StratificationNone. The acorns have essentially no dormancy and must never dry out — collect and sow immediately.
PropagationPlant 1 inch deep in D40 Deepot. Germination: 2–6 weeks.
Container progressionAcorn → D40 Deepot → Field planting.
Nursery wateringModerate. Allow slight drying between watering.
LightStrong grow lights. Harden to full sun.
OutplantingBest age 8–18 months. Plant November–February.
Establishment Watering
- Year 1: 10 gallons every 10–14 days during drought.
- Year 2: 15 gallons every 3–4 weeks if dry.
- Year 3: minimal.
Field notesEscarpment live oak (Quercus fusiformis), the drought- and cold-hardy Edwards Plateau species west of Q. virginiana’s Texas range; the two hybridize freely in the transition zone. Slow above ground, fast below. Give it room — on deep soil it gets very large, and one well-placed Live Oak can become a destination on the property. The signature tree of the property and our Forestry mark; seed comes from on-site mother trees.
Quick Reference
Difficulty2 / 5
Growth rateSlow
DroughtExcellent
FloodFair
WildlifeExcellent
Browse PressureModerate
MethodSeed
ContainerD40 Deepot
SourcesPropagation data from the Short’s Resort Native Tree & Shrub Propagation Manual (SR-PROP-01), checked against the NPSOT Native Plants Database and USDA PLANTS in September 2026. Names follow USDA PLANTS; where NPSOT files the plant differently, its name is given under the title. Browse-pressure ratings are the station’s own judgement, checked against the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Photographs via Wikimedia Commons under the licenses noted on each image; credit to the individual photographers above.