Live Oak or Laurel Oak – Do You Know the Difference?

By Pam Brown,
Urban Horticulture Extension Agent, Pinellas County Extension

When you first notice them, a majestic Live Oak and a Laurel Oak may look like the same tree, but there are some important differences that could be very important to you and your landscape over the years. Both are Florida native trees.

First let’s look at the characteristics of each tree:

Live Oak, Quercus virginiana,
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/trees/QUEVIRA.pdf

is a large, sprawling, tree that grows to a mature height of 60 to 80 feet with a spread of 60 to 120 feet. It develops very strong wood that is quite resistant to decay. These trees can live for 300 years or more, are very tolerant to drought and are somewhat tolerant of salt.

The leaves of the Live Oak have smooth edges that are sometimes toothed and are a lustrous green on top and pale green with very fine fuzz on the underside. Live Oaks will retain leaves until after the next year’s foliage has appeared, making it a true evergreen. Clusters of three to five acorns are found on long stalks attached to twigs. The mature bark is a deep red-brown and slightly furrowed vertically.

Laurel Oak, Quercus laurifolia,
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/trees/QUELAUA.pdf

is a tall, broad tree that grows to a height of 60 or more feet with a fairly symmetrical oval canopy spread of 40 to 60 feet. The fast growth rate results in relatively weak wood that is prone to break and decay. Laurel Oaks have a lifespan of 50 to 70 years when grown in ideal conditions. These trees are moderately drought tolerant and have a low salt tolerance.

The leaves of the Laurel Oak are smooth, narrow, shiny green on top and pale underneath with a yellow midrib. The margins of the leaves are either smooth or irregularly lobed. Acorns are about ½ inch long and found singly attached directly to the twig. The bark is a dark reddish-brown that becomes deeply fissured with age.

Now, why is this important for you and your landscape?
Research at the University of Florida has shown that the Laurel Oak is very prone to failure in hurricane winds due to the weak wood and their tendency to decay. These trees may not be appropriate to plant near a home or other structure. Their deep roots and a relatively short height in relation to crown spread, along with strong wood help the Live Oak withstand the high winds and strong storm surges that can bring trees down during hurricanes. For research details:
http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/documents/FR173.pdf

Make Your Yard as Green as It Can Be

By James Stevenson
Extension Educator

Here at Pinellas County Extension, our departments work together to teach sustainability; that is, ensuring that we enjoy a quality of life that will be available to future generations. Perhaps you would like to “green” your life. How about using the New Year to make changes to your landscaping practices? By the end of 2008, you may find yourself with a few more dollars, a garden of beautiful flowers and a happy family.

Sound too good to be true? Consider these 10 tips for a greener, cheaper, 2008.

1. Plant A Tree – I remember planting a tree with my father when I was a little boy. We’ve watched the tree grow over the years, and it now shades my parents’ house while providing food and shelter for birds and other wildlife. The shade from a tree planted on the west side of a building can help cut air conditioning use. Call us for a list of trees that will fit nicely into your landscape.

2. Add Drought-Tolerant Native or Non-Invasive Exotic Plants – Unless you live on a waterway, plant selection for Florida yards are best made with drought-tolerance in mind. Many plants that have evolved in dry, sandy soil make wonderful garden additions. Call us or come by for a list of drought-tolerant plants for Florida gardens.


3. Service Your Lawn Mower – Make sure your lawn mower is in tip-top working order. The price of gasoline does not show any signs of lowering, so we must make sure our gas-powered engines are running as efficiently as possible


4. Reduce Lawn Area – You may decide to give up on the whole lawn idea. Think about the cost of irrigation, lawn mowing, fertilizer and pesticide which is spent on growing grass which is cut, bagged and thrown away (at a cost!). Consider converting your yard into a series of beds featuring flowers, shrubs, trees and even vegetables and herbs.


5. Convert To, or Install Low-Flow Irrigation – If you must irrigate, choose low-flow irrigation systems. These are cheap and easy to install and put the water right where the plants need it (not in the street or driveway!).


6. Install a Rain-Barrel – One way to save money on watering potted plants is to use what is free – rain. This spring we will be offering a rain barrel workshop where you can learn to connect clean, 55 gallon food containers to your down-spout to collect rain that falls on the roof.


7. Get The Family Involved – Get them up from in front of the TV and spend some quality time doing light chores outside. There will be plenty of interesting discoveries to be made; bugs, flowers, butterflies, everyone will be so enthralled they won’t notice they are working!




8. Grow Your Own Herbs And a Few Vegetables – Growing your own herbs is easy and rewarding. Once you start, you will never shell-out $2 for a small bag of basil that has been imported from South America and tastes of plastic. Growing a few vegetables only costs pennies for a packet of seeds, and is a great way to get kids interested in gardening (AND eating vegetables!).


9. Compost – Putting vegetable scraps into the garbage disposal grinds them to slurry that will end up in the Gulf. And you pay to send it there! Try backyard composting of vegetable and fruit scraps, yard clippings, leaves and coffee grounds. Once rotted-down this rich organic material makes wonderful, moisture-conserving mulch.


10. Sick Plant? Call Us First – Our Extension educators are ready to take your call about any garden-related question you may have at the Extension Service’s Horticulture Help Line at 727-582-2110. Most people call when they have a sick plant. As we have nothing to sell, we have no need to try and foist some chemical off on you which you may not even need. Our advice may be as simple to follow as “you may wish to reduce the amount you are watering” or “sounds like you are using the wrong type of fertilizer.” Our unbiased advice comes from the many years of horticultural experience and the latest research from the University of Florida. Our Educators are available Monday through Friday from 9:00am- noon and 1:00-4:00pm .