Species Study: Quercus virginiana aka Southern live oak

[Cajunrider]

Here we go!

Thread 'Live oak beginnings'

May 28, 2019

Funny what you find clearing out old books. I ran across these Polaroid photos of my live oak waaay back when. The photos are dated 2000. I'd had the tree three years by then--Also ran across photocopies of old 1983 articles by Vaughn Banting on how he developed his signature flattop BC and another he wrote on how BC develop...

Last photo is of the live oak a couple of years ago.

• rockm
• Replies: 11
• Forum: Collecting & importing

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Thread 'Live oak skeleton'

Apr 13, 2011

I spent last Saturday with some friends cutting my live oak back to a basic skeleton. The tree had become a little congested with extra branching and the trunk was obscured when the tree was in leaf. We removed branches that were decades old (and too long) back to a new skeleton for future branching. The pruning was severe, but the trunk will be more visible and foilage will be tighter in the future.

The pic is bad, but you can probably make it out...

• rockm
• Replies: 56
• Forum: General Discussion

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Thread 'Live Oak images'

Jun 16, 2010

Found this interesting site recently. Nice images for bonsai use...

http://www.monumentaltrees.com/en/trees/liveoak/

• rockm
• Replies: 7
• Forum: General Discussion

Thread 'Question on southern live oak (Q virginiana) ramification'

Mar 10, 2025

I know oaks in general can be difficult to convince to ramify. But my recent attempts with southern live oak seem particularly frustrating. Those of you with Q virginiana ( @rockm ), do you use the typical techniques - let growth extend and harden off, then cut back to two or three leaves. Or do you cut back new growth to two or three leaves before it fully extends and hardens off?

• BrianBay9
• Replies: 3
• Forum: Other Deciduous

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Thread 'Cjr Live oak yamadori'

Jan 12, 2019

Collected a 10ft tall live oak tofay. The trunk is 2 1/4 inch at the base.

• Cajunrider
• Replies: 58
• Forum: Other Deciduous

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Thread 'Cjr live oak yamadori #2'

Jan 13, 2019

Collected another live oak. This one is 6 inch at the base.

• Cajunrider
• Replies: 67
• Forum: Other Deciduous

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[Michael P]

Great thread, I'm glad you started it! Can we include the escarpment or Texas live oak, Quercus fusiformis? It hybridizes with Q. virginiana producing many intermediate forms. It has smaller leaves and acorns which make it a good species for bonsai.

 

[rockm]

Great thread, I'm glad you started it! Can we include the escarpment or Texas live oak, Quercus fusiformis? It hybridizes with Q. virginiana producing many intermediate forms. It has smaller leaves and acorns which make it a good species for bonsai.

The first tree in the thread is my escarpment live oak quercus fusiformis

 

[Cajunrider]

Great thread, I'm glad you started it! Can we include the escarpment or Texas live oak, Quercus fusiformis? It hybridizes with Q. virginiana producing many intermediate forms. It has smaller leaves and acorns which make it a good species for bonsai.

Absolutely if the boss of Bonsainut doesn’t mind changing the thread name for us. I can’t change it now.

 

[Cajunrider]

Promoting a side branch to apex. The old apex becomes a long running branch.


Done on another tree.

 

[Cajunrider]

Live oak collected 2023. Moved from grow bed and simple wiring.

 

[Cajunrider]

Pruned to form a typical live oak canopy.