Tag Archives: Live Oak trees

Live Oak Trees- Take a Bow

Iconic Trees, Live Oak trees, Reasons for diversity of Flora in the T exas Hill Country March 2, 2024 1 Comment

Bella off to check a Live Oak tree

The magnificent Live Oak trees in the Texas Hill Country are unique and beloved by residents and visitors alike. They vary in several ways from the clustered, closed-canopy, taller Oak trees found in the eastern part of the U.S.A. Just like many other aspects of Texas, our Live Oak Trees really are different.

Unusual shapes caused by severe weather, injury, and sun seeking (phototrophism)

To start with the form of our Live Oaks is broader and shorter than Oak Trees found elsewhere in the country. The thin, rocky soil of the Texas Hill Country along with frequent droughts give rise to this distinctive shape. These characteristics require the trees to have reduced height so that the limited water can be drawn up and into their leaves. Live Oaks spread out in a broad fashion, making drawing water much easier and with their gnarly limbs bending close to the ground, as if bowing in reverence to a demanding Mother Nature.

An Live Oak tree hundreds of years old that lost many of its limbs during the 2021 Ice Storm Uri and has yet to completely fill out its canopy

Live Oak trees are extremely drought tolerant. Even their small, thick leaves differ and for good reason from the large five or six lobed Oak leaves found elsewhere. Our Live Oak trees are also less clustered than eastern Oak trees, making the abundant sunlight even more available and the process of photosynthesis easier.

The Live Oak leaves are smaller, thicker, and stiffer. These adaptations help the tree to survive in its dry environment. As might be expected the largest Live Oaks are found in the valleys where the soil is thicker and groundwater more available.

Live Oak trees are always green. During March the leaves turn a yellowish green color and are pushed off by new leaves. Along with the Juniper tree, referred to locally as cedar, the Live Oak is always green.

During the wettest years Live Oak trees drop large numbers of acorns. The abundant acorns provide food for deer, feral pigs, and squirrels but must be buried in order to take root and grow into a tree. Squirrels bury large numbers of acorns, some of which are never retrieved. Serial wet years are necessary for a Live Oak sapling to sprout, making the likelihood of new Live Oak trees unlikely. The existing old trees are especially dear; some of which date  to before the European explorers first roamed through this area.

This Live Oak either had its main trunk cut off during the 1950s severe drought or else lost it to weather, leaving an unusual shape for the tree

A close up view showing the original trunk

These mighty trees demonstrate amazing staying power and a floral grit. The striking temperature differences with single digit cold temperatures and blazing hot summers require it.

The great size and twisted trunks of Live Oaks never cease to create in me a sense of awe and wonderment. Live Oak trees are truly iconic to the Texas Hill Country and add further diversity to the flora and fauna of this region.

For those wishing to read more about the diversity of the Texas Hill Country may I suggest Armadillos To Ziziphus, by David M. Hillis. Dr. Hillis is a renowned biologist whose ranch, aptly named The Double Helix, teaches at the University of Texas at Austin. His book is chocked with wonderful insights about the incredible diversity of the Hill Country and is a great read.

If you haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy of my recent book, Hitler’s Maladies and Their Impact on World War II, I hope you will do so. Hitler’s poor physical and mental health provides insights into his diminished performance during the latter years of World War II but in no way mitigates his evil ways. Also my earlier book, Carrying The Black Bag: A Neurologist’s Bedside Tales remains available. Both books can be obtained from your favorite bookstore, the publisher, or the author at jthomas_hutton@yahoo.com.

Tree Story

hopefulness, Life On The Ranch, Live Oak trees, Oak Wilt, Perserverance, Texas Hill Country September 22, 2016 Leave a comment

As I trundle around my ranch, my gaze is often drawn to unusually shaped trees. For example, the tree below while fully developed, is missing its middle portion. It looks strange. The main branch likely broke off many years ago in a wind storm or lightning strike but has compensated by growing from its outer branches. Such adversity, such perseverance from this Live Oak tree. This tree has managed to overcome and become an attractive, if unusually appearing, tree once again.

The strong Texas winds during storms have blown down a number of other trees around the ranch. Most died soon after being toppled but surprisingly some have survived. The  trees downed by wind had shallow roots with the root ball surfacing completely or partially. Several trees with some remaining root structure have survived. They eventually redirected some of their limbs skyward and, if not exactly thriving, at least continue to live.These trees are all Live Oaks, the name coming from always having leaves. As compared to the usual deciduous trees that lose their leaves in the winter, the Live Oak always appears to be alive and pushes off its old leaves in the Spring to make room for new ones. The strong life force of the Live Oak conjures up for me the verb “to live” as much as it does the adjective “live.”

Oddly shaped tree that likely lost its main trunk to wind or lightning many years ago

Oddly shaped tree that likely lost its main trunk to wind or lightning many years ago

A blown down tree that has survived.

A toppled tree that has survived.

This felled tree not only has its trunk bent toward the sky but also has vertical shoots springing from near its base.

This felled tree not only has its trunk bent toward the sky but also has vertical shoots springing from near its base.

Looking at these challenged trees causes me to lean in and listen closely for their stories. It seems to me their botanical grit has frustrated the destructive forces of nature and offers a a metaphor for our human condition.

All of us are faced by life’s challenges. Fortunately most of our challenges are not serious but some are. A few of us have endured great challenges including death of a loved one, divorce, or loss of a job. Like the tree story, some people, despite such huge losses following their necessary grieving response, are able to re-establish their emotional grounding and get on with their lives. Others faced with similar or even lesser stresses sometimes just don’t bounce back as well. In my professional life as a neurologist, I was always surprised by how different people responded to bad news about their health. These responses varied widely. (if interested many examples are shared in my recently published book, Carrying The Black Bag: A Neurologist’s Bedside Tales) Which factors lead to these differences?

To continue the metaphor further, while external forces such as windstorms and lightning damage trees, an even greater menace to our oak studded ranch results from a tree disease known as Oak Wilt. This fungal disease spreads via a beetle through wounds to the tree or via its root system. It chokes off the channels that take up vital, life sustaining nutrition and hydration. In very short order, an affected tree loses its leaves and dies. A Red Oak tree will die within a day or two. Live Oaks take longer to die and  despite being very ill, some will survive.

A tree killed by Oak wilt

A tree killed by Oak wilt

The kill rate for oaks is 80-90%, yet some Live Oaks will maintain leaves on a limb or two and fight valiantly to survive.

A tree severely affected by Oak wild but one that will likely survive in altered shape

An Oak tree severely affected by Oak wilt but will likely survive with a drastically altered shape

Without hopefully torturing the metaphor too greatly, It seems to me several points can be made. First, this serious tree fungal disease can be overcome by a few determined Live Oak trees. While damaged, the surviving trees, given enough time, will live and may even eventually become handsome trees once again. This is, i believe, an example of the strong life force of the Live Oak trees along with some good luck.

A second point relates to the higher death rate of those trees affected by the internal disease, Oak Wilt, as compared to the trees that sustain major damage by external forces. The internal forces of Oak wilt are more often fatal to the tree than are the external forces.

Might this also be true for people? We often face external adversity with greater determination especially if our own spirits are not sapped. Self-doubt, discouragement, depression, and hopelessness diminish the quality of our survival more so than do grievous external forces such as job loss, financial reversals, loss of a limb, or geographic relocations.

Oak trees are not humans. I get that. Yet, the apparent desire of Live Oak trees to persevere despite injury or illness provides a ready comparison for the human condition. Given that all of us will likely face a serious loss or illness, perhaps it is worth pausing to contemplate how we might nurture our fortitude and prepare ourselves for the inevitable.

Perhaps the tree story will help to nourish the hope that maintains our human existence during turbulent times.