Quercus virginiana P. Miller. Subgenus: Quercus. Section: Virentes. Common name: Live Oak, Encino. Phenology: Apr; Sep-Nov (of the same year). Habitat: Locally common to abundant in maritime forests and maritime scrub on barrier islands, more rarely inland (though regularly on the mainland from se. NC south, and extending substantially inland from s. SC south), sometimes in dry, fire-maintained habitats more usually occupied by Q. geminata, also planted (especially in the outer Coastal Plain). Distribution: Se. VA south to s. FL and west to TX. Villaseñor (2016) listed Q. virginiana as also fairly widespread in Mexico (CHH, COA, NLE, SLP, TAM, VER), but this is presumably based on what would now be called Q. fusiformis.
Origin/Endemic status: Endemic
Taxonomy Comments: Q. fusiformis Small of TX has sometimes been treated as a variety of Q. virginiana, but is best separated as a species. It flowers before Q. geminata when growing together.
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, Fl2, FNA3, GW2, K4, Mex, NcTx, NS, POWO, S, S13, Va, WH3; = Quercus sempervirens Walter; = Quercus virens Aiton var. virens; > Quercus geminata Small — C, misapplied; > Quercus minima (Sarg.) Small — Tx, misapplied; < Quercus virginiana Mill. — G, RAB; > Quercus virginiana Mill. — C, Tx; >< Quercus virginiana Mill. var. maritima (Michx.) Sarg. — F, misapplied; > Quercus virginiana Mill. var. virginiana — F; Quercus virginiana Mill. Basionym: Quercus virginiana Mill. 1768
Links to other floras: = Quercus virginiana - FNA3
Show parent genus | Show parent in key(s)
Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FAC (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FAC (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU (taxonomic lump from wetland indicator species)
- Great Plains: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
Heliophily ⓘ: 5
Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.
© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Quercus virginiana, Acorns, Jekyll Island, Glynn County, Georgia 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Jay Horn source | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Jay Horn source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Quercus virginiana, Clam Creek, Jekyll Island, Glynn County, Georgia 2 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Quercus virginiana, Maritime Forest, Jekyll Island, Glynn County, Georgia 3 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
© Aidan Campos source | Original Image ⭷
© J.W. Hardin | Original Image ⭷
© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
© Bruce Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
© J.W. Hardin | Original Image ⭷
© J.W. Hardin | Original Image ⭷
© Bruce Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Vitis species (left) and Quercus virginiana (right), Dungeness, Cumberland Island National Seashore, Camden County, Georgia, Alan Cressler 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷Feedback
See something missing or incorrect about Quercus virginiana? Let us know here:
- Please include your name and if possible, email in case when need to clarify what you wrote.
- If you opt out of including email, please be as specific as possible (e.g., which photo is incorrect?)
- Please do not submit questions asking to identify plants or about horticultural topics (e.g., how do I control an invasive plant in my garden?). Instead, those questions can be submitted here for the Carolinas region only.
- Please do not send us feedback about unkeyed species as this work is ongoing.
- Please allow time for flora edits to show in our next data release. We greatly appreciate your feedback but may require extra time to research complicated taxonomic issues.
Horticultural Information
Intro:
Stems:
Leaves:
Inforescence:
Flowers:
Fruits:
Comments:
Height:
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description:
stems:
leaves:
inflorescence:
flowers:
fruits:
comments:
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range: southeastern U.S. & ne. Mexico
0 unsaved edits on this page.