Florida oak tree leaves identification. For years hikers homeowners and the merely curious have used keys and guides to identify unknown trees. The inner surface of the acorn shell is smooth and the relatively sweet acorns of white oaks generally germinate in the fall. Oaks are cold hardy fine in any florida planting zone. Live oak is evergreen as it gets its new leaves about the same time that it drops its old leaves.
Laurel oak quercus laurifolia florida forest trees. The chapman oak q. With over sixty different oak species in the us alone and hundreds more across the globe it can be challenging to identify oak leaves. Sweetgum the star shaped leaves of the sweetgum tree liquidambar styraciflua make this a popular landscaping species in florida and other parts of the deep south.
But even with a guide it can be difficult. Oak tree leaf identification has never been easier than this. Learning the unique features of each leaf type will help you in distinguishing them. Water oak quercus nigra.
Sand post oak a variety of post oak also is native to florida. Red oaks and white oaks. How to identify oak leaves. To add to the confusion oaks hybridize between different species growing in close proximity to one another in turn producing leaf shapes having characteristics of both parents.
All have alternately arranged leaves usually with rounded tips. Bluejack oak quercus incana florida forest trees. To help narrow down a specific tree they can be distinguished into two basic categories by leaf shape alone. Oak trees native to central florida some species of oaks have a broad range of mature leaf shape and in many the leaves of new shoots are entirely different from the mature leaves.
Many oaks are deciduous meaning that they drop their leaves during the winter. Spot the florida oak tree by studying its leaves. The tree can grow in the range of 50 to 60 feet tall and it will develop tiny green flowers in springtime even before the leaves emerge. Chapmanii has narrow non lobed leaves that are silvery green and 3 inches long.
Its worth noting that although leaf shape alone is rarely enough to identify a trees species there are a handful of oaks with very distinctive leaves that can accurately result in the identification of the tree. It needs full sun and room to spread its wings as well as a well drained planting location. Common oaks of florida 2 live oak overcup oak post oak swamp chestnut oak and white oak. Austrina has oblong three lobed leaves that are yellow green and can vary in size.
If you are trying to identify an oak during winter or fall you might also be able to identify whether the leaves change color and fall off or if the tree is an evergreen variety. For example the bluff oak q.