Escarpment live oak facts for kids
Quercus fusiformis, often called the escarpment live oak or Texas live oak, is a special kind of tree. It's known for keeping its leaves all year round, or almost all year. You can find this tree growing naturally in parts of Oklahoma, Texas, and even in some areas of Mexico.
Quick facts for kids Escarpment live oak |
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| At the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas | |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Quercus
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| Species: |
fusiformis
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List
Quercus oleoides var. quaterna C.H.Mull.
Quercus virginiana var. fusiformis (Small) Sarg. Quercus virginiana subsp. fusiformis (Small) A.E.Murray Quercus virginiana var. macrophylla Sarg. Quercus virginiana f. macrophylla (Sarg.) Trel. |
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Contents
About the Escarpment Live Oak
The escarpment live oak belongs to the white oak group within the Quercus family. It's a type of oak tree that stays green most of the time. This tree is often confused with the southern live oak.
How to Tell Them Apart
You can easily tell the escarpment live oak apart from the southern live oak. Look at their acorns! The escarpment live oak's acorns are a bit bigger. They also have a more pointed tip.
The escarpment live oak is usually a smaller tree. Its trunk doesn't get wider than about 40 inches (1.0 m). The southern live oak can have a much wider trunk, up to 75 inches (1.9 m). Escarpment live oaks also have branches that grow more upright. This gives them a less wide, spreading crown.
Where They Grow
Unlike the southern live oak, which likes wet places, the escarpment live oak prefers dry areas. You can find it in the Quartz Mountains and Wichita Mountains in southwestern Oklahoma. It also grows across Texas and into parts of Mexico. These Mexican states include Coahuila, Tamaulipas, and Nuevo León.
A Hardy and Popular Tree
The escarpment live oak is known for being very tough. Especially the trees from the Quartz Mountains can handle very cold winters. They don't lose many leaves even when it's freezing. This makes them a great choice for planting in many different places. They can grow well in areas as cold as USDA zone 6a.
Why People Love Them
Because of its beauty and strength, this tree is very popular. It can handle city conditions well. This makes it a favorite for landscaping. You'll see it used a lot in Texas and southern Oklahoma. Its use is also growing in the Western United States.
The Biggest Escarpment Live Oak
The largest known escarpment live oak in Texas is in Bosque County. Its trunk measures 342 inches (870 cm) around. This is actually bigger than the largest southern live oak recorded in Texas! That one measures 338 inches (860 cm) around.
See also
In Spanish: Quercus fusiformis para niños
