Is it true that Southern Live Oak won't grow in most of Tennessee? (grown, palms)
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I know they will grow in Memphis, but they don't see nightly frosts, and most years there don't dip below 10F. Most of Tennessee is somewhat cooler despite still being a true subtropical climate.
I've heard that the warmest parts of Tennessee (apart from Chattanooga and especially Memphis) are the "Gulf Coastal" Plain (west TN), the Central Basin (around Nashville/Murfreesboro) and the Sequatchie Valley (Pikeville, Dunlap, Jasper). Is it true that Southern Live Oak won't grow in even these three regions of Tennessee?
Oddly enough, the state champion is in Knoxville (last I've heard), which is in none of those three regions and not quite as warm as Chattanooga.
I've never seen one, and I don't think they'll grow here, but am I somehow mistaken? I find it shameful that they can't be grown around here, but I'd like to know whether they'll at least grow in the Central Basin, as they're evergreen and I'll be setting up my nursery there. Plus, their leaves aren't dark like the Southern Magnolias (which are still nice), and they get much bigger than the Needle Palm and Dwarf Palmetto (which are still preferable on the shrubs/small trees scale).
P.S.: I don't really care that much about whether the Spanish Moss will grow on them. It's the evergreen foliage and massive size I'm all about, and even if I could grow them, I think palms would be much nicer than vine-type plants and especially nicer than those deciduous bananas and Crepemyrtle.
You’d need to find a Live Oak seed source from the northernmost part of its native range, which would be coastal VA and NC. Those are probably better adapted to colder temps than ones from Florida or Louisiana.
Live Oak seems to be evergreen since it holds its leaves during the winter, but they actually do shed their leaves during the spring, and for about two weeks they are bare. Instead of raking leaves in the fall, you have to rake leaves in the spring.
You’d need to find a Live Oak seed source from the northernmost part of its native range, which would be coastal VA and NC. Those are probably better adapted to colder temps than ones from Florida or Louisiana.
Live Oak seems to be evergreen since it holds its leaves during the winter, but they actually do shed their leaves during the spring, and for about two weeks they are bare. Instead of raking leaves in the fall, you have to rake leaves in the spring.
I know, but better in the spring when stuff is blooming than in autumn when most other things are going dormant! The only thing I know of to die in the spring around here is the pansy, which is a winter annual in subtropical regions (including here).
So does that mean they can grow in Tennessee, but only in those three "banana belts" and with seeds sourced from Virginia or Oklahoma? Yes, they are native to a few granite massifs in southwestern Oklahoma - a state which mostly has similar winters to Arkansas (excluding near the eastern and southern borders), Tennessee (excluding Memphis), Virginia (excluding the coast), southern Missouri, Maryland, Delaware and the coastal mid-Atlantic.
I've just found out about the Escarpment Live Oak/Texas Live Oak. It's hardy to USDA Zone 6a with minimal leaf burn. However, I'm not sure about the humidity here as well as the clay soil. Will the Escarpment Live Oak grow any better than Q. virginiana on Tennessean soils?
It’s not only the ability to withstand cold, but also the weight of snow and ice. Ice can build up on all of those leaves and cause the limbs to snap right off.
It’s not only the ability to withstand cold, but also the weight of snow and ice. Ice can build up on all of those leaves and cause the limbs to snap right off.
Good point. I doubt that'd be a big problem here, though; any snow we have is generally very light and brief, and our winters are not only not continental but even a bit too warm for "transient snow cover" (except on the highest peaks of the Blue Ridge).
It depends on which variety of live oak you’re referring to. I think that Texas live oak(Quercus Fusiformis) has a pretty good chance of being at least moderately reliable in most or all of Tennessee, but I don’t think that the coastal live oak(Quercus Virginiana) would grow very well in much of Tennessee outside the warmest zones; I’ve heard the coastal southern live oak is hardy to zone 7b at best, whereas the Texas variety of live oak can grow well through zone 6, just my two cents.
It depends on which variety of live oak you’re referring to. I think that Texas live oak(Quercus Fusiformis) has a pretty good chance of being at least moderately reliable in most or all of Tennessee, but I don’t think that the coastal live oak(Quercus Virginiana) would grow very well in much of Tennessee outside the warmest zones; I’ve heard the coastal southern live oak is hardy to zone 7b at best, whereas the Texas variety of live oak can grow well through zone 6, just my two cents.
Thanks! You're sure the Escarpment/Texas Live Oak will withstand our humidity? And clay soil?
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