| Texas live oak | |
|---|---|
| An old Texas live oak at the Alamo | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fagales |
| Family: | Fagaceae |
| Genus: | Quercus |
| Section: | Quercus |
| Species: | Q. fusiformis |
| Binomial name | |
| Quercus fusiformis |
|
Quercus fusiformis (also often referred to as Q. virginiana var. fusiformis), commonly known as Texas live oak, escarpment live oak, or plateau live oak, is an evergreen or nearly evergreen tree native to south-central North America. In the United States, it occurs from southern Oklahoma south through Texas, from about Corpus Christi in the east to the Pecos River in the west, and then south into adjacent northeastern Mexico in Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas.
This live oak in the white oak section of the genus Quercus is distinguished from southern live oak most easily by the acorns, which are slightly larger and with a more pointed apex. It is also a smaller tree, not exceeding 1m in trunk diameter (to 2.5m diameter in southern live oak), with more erect branching and a less wide crown.
Texas live oak is typically found on dry sites, unlike southern live oak, which prefers moister conditions. The tree is generally accepted to be the hardiest evergreen oak, able to withstand very cold winters with minimal leaf burn in areas as cold as USDA zone 6a.