Why it’s called “live oak”

Live oak trees are evergreen, while their non-live-oak cousins drop their leaves every autumn. But perhaps another reason they have the title live is they never seem to really die. The bushy green shrubbery at the base of the tree shown above is the re-birth of the fallen tree. Dozens of shoots are coming off the still-living roots, and will eventually thin out to maybe two to six new trees. In places north of the house where a wildfire went through about 40 years ago are clusters of live oaks that came back from being burned to the ground. A whole ring of trees covers a spot on the ground maybe ten feet (3 m) in diameter, all connected, all growing off the same root system.

A few miles from where we live sits the largest live oak tree in California, a monster with a crown that spreads about 200 feet (60 m) and a base that is simply awesome. Its lowest branch is over eight feet (2.5 m) in diameter. Years ago we got some acorns from it, planted them in pots, and one has survived. Before we stick it in the ground, we should take it over to meet “Mom.”