The Planting Distance of Live Oak Trees From a Home
There are two main reasons to think carefully about just how close to your home you should plant live oaks. The first reason is safeguarding the live oak's wellbeing. It tends to grow sideways as much as vertically. The second reason is protecting your home and hardscape from horizontal limbs should they break. Very large live oaks also develop vigorous surface roots powerful enough to buckle sidewalks and driveways, and seriously damage foundations. Planting live oaks in the right place prevents problems. Does this Spark an idea?
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Know Live Oaks
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There are many species of live oaks and most share some traits with the famous Southern live oak Quercus virginiana. These are the trees from the movie "Gone With the Wind," the massive oaks presiding over plantation lawns. Trees are long-lived and may stand for centuries. Their leaves are leathery, and the wood so tough it inspired the nickname "Old Ironsides" for the U.S.S. Constitution during the War of 1812; British cannonballs bounced off the ship's oak sides. Native live oaks species are found along and near warmer U.S. coastlines, though evergreen oaks from Asia and Europe can also be considered live oaks.
Leave Space
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The Southern live oak is massive with a thick but short trunk growing 40 to 60 feet tall. Its crown or total branch spread can reach to 100 feet or more, about twice its height. Many of those branches low and nearly horizontal, making it an ideal shade tree. California's coastal live oak Q. agrifolia reaches a similar height and width. Allow these trees to grow naturally by planting them no closer than 40 to 60 feet, approximately half of their expected crown width. Half a crown width is a good rule of thumb for any other live oak species.
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Prune
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American Forests magazine recommends pruning by a professional arborist for Southern live oaks. Because they live so long and grow so large, prune and shaped them carefully. Live oaks are low maintenance and once well started, need pruning only every 5 years. Professional pruning is not necessary for all live oaks.
Consider Alternatives
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A fairly new Southern live oak cultivar, "High Rise," has a more pyramidal shape, growing 80 feet tall but only 40 feet wide. It is much like other shade trees including many other oaks. High Rise is better suited to smaller yards, and yet is still low maintenance, relatively disease free and very long-lived. There are many other species and cultivars of live oaks.
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References
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