This broad-spreading tree is the Southern Live Oak, Quercus virginiana.

It is called a “live oak” because it remains green through most of the year, unlike many oaks that lose all their leaves in winter. Older leaves are usually shed as new growth appears, so the tree is rarely bare for long.

Its heavy limbs often spread outward almost as far as the tree is tall, creating a wide canopy of deep shade. On mature trees, those branches may twist, arch, and sometimes grow close to the ground.

The leaves are thick and leathery, helping the tree tolerate heat, wind, drought, and salt carried from the coast. The upper surface is dark green, while the underside is often paler and slightly hairy.

Like other oaks, it produces acorns. These develop in small clusters and provide food for birds, squirrels, and other wildlife.

Southern Live Oak is native to the coastal southeastern United States, but it also grows well in warm Caribbean landscapes. Its rough bark and spreading branches provide excellent surfaces for orchids, bromeliads, lichens, and other epiphytes.

A mature Southern Live Oak is more than a shade tree. Its great limbs can support an entire community of plants and animals, making it a small ecosystem in its own right.