Species › Plants › Texas Live Oak

Texas Live Oak

Quercus fusiformis

CommonPlant
Illustration of Texas Live Oak (Quercus fusiformis)

Texas Live Oak is a semi-evergreen to evergreen oak native to the Edwards Plateau and surrounding regions of central Texas and southern Oklahoma. Often confused with the coastal Live Oak, it is distinguished by its narrower, more spinose leaves and its adaptation to the rocky limestone hills of the Texas Hill Country. It forms characteristic groves of spreading, wind-sculpted trees and is one of the defining plants of the Hill Country landscape. Its acorns are a major food source for white-tailed deer and wild turkeys.

Habitat
Rocky limestone hills, canyons, Edwards Plateau, caliche soils
Diet
Acorns eaten by white-tailed deer, wild turkey, squirrels, and blue jays
How common
Common

Best time to see a Texas Live Oak

The best time to see a Texas Live Oak is January–June, when about 62% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 7,351 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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