TooCoys
Shohin
Found this little guy growing in palm stuff. Comes from the live oak right behind our RV. Wonder what I can do with it, besides put it in a pot to grow out before transplanting on the family farm.
Live Oak Anyone?
- Thread starter TooCoys
- Start date
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Best to start with something a little larger if you want an "oaky" bonsai within your lifetime...Below is a Live oak (quercus fusiformis) bonsai I've been working for 20 years or so. Original Stock collected near Salado, Texas in 1990. Trunk was already 200 or more years old. A seedling like that will take some time...
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TooCoys
Shohin
Trunk was already 200 or more years old. A seedling like that will take some time...
I’m sure! These things tend to love forever. They are everywhere in South Louisiana where I’m from. Most are in the historic register and have plaques and everything.
my nellie
Masterpiece
What a tree!
May I ask is there a thread for this here on BNut?
RobertB
Chumono
Are they really that slow growing? I have a small seedling too on the bench I started this yr. it's a whopping 6 inches tall.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
Guess I don't have a dedicated forum for oaks... but that doesn't mean I don't love them!
I am currently keeping three species of oaks that will do well in Southern California:
Coast live oak (a native)
Valley oak (a native more north in California, but they will grow here if you give them water)
Cork oak (Mediterranean)
If you want quick results fast, go with the valley oak - which just happens to be the largest oak in the world. I am currently defoliating my valley oaks for the second time this summer - they are insanely strong. If you want something that will chunk up fast, go with cork oak - which can give you a 4" caliper trunk in about 5 years.
Which leaves live oak. I won't say it is slow growing. But it has a lot of mysteries. It likes acid soil. It does not like its roots to be touched. It does not like it when you pinch or mess with new growth until it is extended and hardened. In the wild it can tolerate horrible growing conditions... which tends to equate to slow growth. However if you bring them in out of the hot and dry and give them a little TLC, they can be quite robust.
I am currently keeping three species of oaks that will do well in Southern California:
Coast live oak (a native)
Valley oak (a native more north in California, but they will grow here if you give them water)
Cork oak (Mediterranean)
If you want quick results fast, go with the valley oak - which just happens to be the largest oak in the world. I am currently defoliating my valley oaks for the second time this summer - they are insanely strong. If you want something that will chunk up fast, go with cork oak - which can give you a 4" caliper trunk in about 5 years.
Which leaves live oak. I won't say it is slow growing. But it has a lot of mysteries. It likes acid soil. It does not like its roots to be touched. It does not like it when you pinch or mess with new growth until it is extended and hardened. In the wild it can tolerate horrible growing conditions... which tends to equate to slow growth. However if you bring them in out of the hot and dry and give them a little TLC, they can be quite robust.
TooCoys
Shohin
Yes they are. In my home town of Broussard LA. There are least two of them that I know of that are multiple hundreds of years old. They are so old that they’ve had to gently lift the limbs that have long touched the ground with iron “stands” to keep them off the ground.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
I guess whenever southern live oak comes, up California growers chime in
The Live oak in La. that the OP is using isn't the live oak in California. Very different species.Southern Live oak (quercus virginiana) is quite fast growing, loves water, but not submerged roots. It grows primarily on the coastal plain from Va. to Texas, with the biggest, most impressive and old trees within 100 miles inland of the coasts of Ga., Fla., Miss, Ala. La. and Texas.
The live oak I have was considered a subspecies of quercus virginiana, but has been re-classified as a mostly separate species. Quecus fusiformis (in my picture) is an upland, more winter hardy and drought tolerant version of the southern live oak. It is hardier and more adaptable to warmer and colder conditions that the European cork oak (and it's equal as a bonsai candidate, IMO.)
It is an extremely common tree in central Texas from Oklahoma down into the Austin hill country. It isn't finicky about soils, both acidic and basic--the soils near Austin overlap limestone, caliche soils (which is basically compacted fossil shell) can have a pH of near 8 or even more. It's a common soil in Texas. Fusiformis has been used as a landscape tree in central Texas for a very long time. It is a "go to" landscape plant and can be found in nurseries all over from seedling size to almost mature sizes in 500 gallon containers. It is even farmed in containers for landscape uses. It is an excellent candidate for bonsai that hasn't been used much.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
I've posted this tree a lot here. I think people may be sick of looking at it
. It will come up in a search on "live oak" or "quercus fusiformis."
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
I guess whenever southern live oak comes, up California growers chime in
The OP was talking about his tree that he found growing in a palm in Texas
I thought the subject was more broadly about live oaks (many of which are native to Mexico, Texas, SW US, etc) versus a specific species That said, my valley oak example isn't even a live oak... so I am wrong on both counts
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
"Live oak" to anyone east of New Mexico and South of Oklahoma mean one species--quercus virginiana...
Michael P
Omono
Another fan of Q. fusiformis here! In addition to its many virtues listed by rockm, it is naturally smaller than Q. viriginiana, with smaller leaves and acorns.
my nellie
Masterpiece
I have spotted it Live Oak SkeletonI've posted this tree a lot here. I think people may be sick of looking at it
But it's last updated in 2015.
I can understand that the growth rate is too slow and not much of a change has happened (...I assume) but could I kindly ask for a recent photo of this magnificent tree? Please...
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
"Live oak" to anyone east of New Mexico and South of Oklahoma mean one species--quercus virginiana...
Live oaks east of New Mexico and South of Oklahoma:
- Section Quercus. The white oaks – Europe, Asia, North Africa, North America, styles short; acorns mature in 6 months, sweet or slightly bitter, inside of acorn shell is hairless
- Quercus fusiformis – (also Quercus virginiana var. fusiformis) Texas live oak – south central North America
- Quercus geminata – sand live oak – southeastern North America
- Quercus hinckleyi – Hinckley oak – Texas
- Quercus minima – dwarf live oak – southeastern North America
- Quercus pungens – sandpaper oak – south central North America
- Quercus virginiana – southern live oak – southeastern North America
- Section Lobatae. The red oaks – North, Central and South America, styles long, acorns mature in 18 months, very bitter, inside of acorn shell is woolly
- Quercus hemisphaerica – laurel oak – southeastern North America
- Quercus laurifolia – swamp laurel oak – southeastern U.S.
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rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Still, if you say "live oak" in the South and in Texas it's Quercus virginiana that's being talked about. Most people don't know the difference between a fusiformis and virginiana, much less a sandpaper oak...
BTW, Texas is the oak capital of the world, basically. While Europe has only 22 oak species, and Asia has 98, North America has 234. The U.S. has 60 within its borders. Over 40 those species grow in Texas, which is near the center of oak diversity in Northern Mexico
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
Still, if you say "live oak" in the South and in Texas it's Quercus virginiana that's being talked about. Most people don't know the difference between a fusiformis and virginiana, much less a sandpaper oak...
In California I'll bet most people don't know the difference between an oak and a sycamore
TooCoys
Shohin
I dug him up and potted him. He was wedged between the palm scales and surprisingly wasn’t in very much dirt at all. Only the bottom two inches or so of the taproot were actually touching dirt, which is more likely composted parts that also got caught in the palm scales.
I don’t know what I’ll do with him but I needed to get my hands dirty, and he oroabably wouldn’t have lasted where he was anyway.
I don’t know what I’ll do with him but I needed to get my hands dirty, and he oroabably wouldn’t have lasted where he was anyway.
Johnathan
Omono
I love this tree. Everytime I see it I get happy. When do you repot it? How many times have you had to repot it in 20 years?I've posted this tree a lot here. I think people may be sick of looking at it
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
I repot rarely, like every five to seven years because it's an older tree and the deep pot can hold a lot of roots.
I think seven is the longest it's gone. In total, in the last 20 years, it's been repotted four or five times, if I remember right. The tree grows like a weed most of the time, but at the end of that longest period, the soil wasn't draining and the roots were packed in the pot. Had to remove more than half of the root mass that spring. It takes at least two people to repot it because it's pretty bulky. If you don't have someone on the other side when you're moving it around to get it out of the pot and root prune it, branches can get broken.
In the future, I'm thinking about getting a custom pot for it with details that will reference its Texas roots (pun intended). The Chinese pot it's been in for the last 15 years or so is getting banged up a bit. A replacement pot will probably cost a fortune though...especially for what I have in mind. Dreams are nice, reality is a B$#@.
