Sandhills Live Oak Quercus geminata
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- KWER-kus jem-in-AY-tuh
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Sand Live Oak is a small, native, evergreen tree that also grows as a shrub and is found along the coastal plain of SE North America. It can be found in the sandy soils of coastal dunes, hardwood forests, mixed pine uplands, scrub, and sandhills. Sand Live Oak grows best in partial shade to full sun and generally reaches heights of up to 50 feet but can grow taller. It is salt and drought tolerant but doesn't tolerate flooding with salty or brackish water.
Use this tree as a specimen or accent tree. They can form colonies so they can help stabilize a bank or slope.
After a fire, it will regrow completely since 80% of its biomass is underground.
It is a host plant for the larvae of the Imperial moth (Eacles imperialis), as well as numerous butterflies, including Banded hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), Edward's hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii), Gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus), White-m hairstreak (Parrhasius malbum), Horace's duskywing (Erynnis horatius), and Juvenalis duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis).
VIDEO: Part of the Native Plant Picks series from the North Carolina Sea Grant led Coastal Landscapes Initiative.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Quercus
- Species:
- geminata
- Family:
- Fagaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Used for lumber.
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Southeast US
- Distribution:
- AL , FL , GA , LA , MS , NC , SC. Found from the coastal plains of Louisiana to NC, and south through Florida.
- Wildlife Value:
- Acorns are an important food source for mammals. Oak trees support a wide variety of Lepidopteran. You may see Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus), which have one flight from June-August everywhere but Florida where they emerge April-May. Edward's Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii), has one flight from May-July in the south and June-July in the north. Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), has three to four flights in the south from February-November and two flights in the north from May-September. White-M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) has three broods in the north from February-October. Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) has three broods in Texas and the deep south from January-November, and two broods in the north from April-September. Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) has one brood from April-June, appearing as early as January in Florida.
- Play Value:
- Wildlife Cover/Habitat
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wildlife Larval Host
- Wildlife Nesting
- Dimensions:
- Height: 20 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Irregular
- Open
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- Occasionally Wet
- Very Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12-24 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Nut
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- 1 inch long acorns are dark brown and egg-shaped with 1/3 of the nut enclosed in a scaly, light grey cup. Appear in groups of 1 to 3 annually in the fall.
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Flowers:
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Catkin
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Description:
- Separate male and female flowers.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Fleshy
- Leathery
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- The thick, leathery leaves range from 1½ to 2½ inches long. They have coarse veins that are deeply pressed into the leaf surface and smooth margins that are inwardly curling. The upper surface of the leaf is dark green and the underside is a dull grey to almost whitish color with sparse to copious pubescence or hairs.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Black
- Dark Brown
- Surface/Attachment:
- Furrowed
- Bark Description:
- The bark is rough to the touch, dark brown, and deeply furrowed.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Light tan to light gray pubescent twigs becoming smooth the second year.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Lawn
- Naturalized Area
- Slope/Bank
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Native Garden
- Nighttime Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Small groups
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Moths
- Pollinators
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Salt
- Storm damage
- Wind
- Problems:
- Problem for Horses
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- Abdominal pain, constipation then diarrhea (occasionally bloody), depression, frequent urination, discolored urine, jaundice; acorns can obstruct the digestive tract
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Gallotannins, quercitrin, and quercitin.
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Fruits
- Leaves
