Light. Full sun.
Water. Water regularly while it establishes. It prefers moist soil but is highly drought tolerant once established.
Soil and feeding. Grows in sand, loam or clay and tolerates alkaline soil. It grows best in moist, acidic soil.
Size. Planted at 25 ft and up, young trees grow about 3 ft a year. Mature trees reach 60–80 ft tall and 60–120 ft wide.
Pruning. Keep one central leader: shorten competing trunks and remove branches with narrow angles to the trunk. Prune yearly while young, then every few years until about age 30.
Problems to watch. Usually pest-free; galls are mostly harmless. Roots can lift sidewalks and driveways, so plant well away from pavement and power lines.
Good to know. Highly tolerant of salt spray and very wind resistant once established. Birds and other wildlife eat the acorns.
Sources: UF/IFAS EDIS ENH-722/ST564: Quercus virginiana: Southern Live Oak · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Live Oak
