Live oak tree outside Louisiana's Old State Capitol Building in Baton Rouge.
Photograph by Carol M. Highsmith, Carol M. Highsmith's America Project in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress.
"Can Live Oaks Live Forever?" by Lindsey Liles, published in Garden & Gun on March 13, 2024 speaks to our mission to preserve the tree canopy here on Amelia Island.
"Those who own older houses with live oaks on the property adore their trees as much as the house,” says Michael Murphy, a master arborist based in Beaufort, South Carolina. “The live oaks are sacred to them, and they see themselves as the steward of these trees for future generations.” To that end, Murphy advises property owners on just how to preserve their aging trees—possibly in perpetuity.
Can a live oak forever?
Murphy believes so. A live oak can eventually grow out so far that it can’t hold itself up anymore, but there aren’t many other threats to these trees. “So far, there’s no insect or disease that will kill a live oak, so besides fire or a storm or removing oxygen in the soil, the only way they are going to die is if they fall apart,” he explains.
Read the full article here.