Looks like I am answering another or your questions. I have a containerized Live Oak that I may plant out next Spring if I can find the space for it. (I have a rather large lot with adjacent parkland--with some native trees there dying off.) Keep in mind these want to be very BIG and WIDE trees at maturity but you can it containerized. I move mine into a sunny garage some time in December. Temps in the garage range from 30 to 60 and there is no hard frost. Keep in mind, that plants are MUCH more cold hardy IN THE GROUND compared to being in a container. What is the temp range of the garage? What is the coldest in the garage? If it's really cold, it might be better for you to bury the containerized Live Oak outside (in the ground) and just mulch it heavily. Some leaves might fall in either the ground or the garage but this is rather normal. Obviously, it'll lose more leaves the worse the winter is. I purchased mine on eBay a few years ago for a cheap price. They grow FAST so you might consider buying small and just growing it to size. Good luck!
P.S., I'll post a pic of mine later.

I did a little research, and see mixed data on cold hardiness for Live Oaks (everything from 7 to 9 as minimal). So it is a bit of an experiment outside (and also in the shed if temps are too cold for too long), but it sounds like you have some plans for added protection. Like I said, mine would be in the ground if I could find an appropriate space. Already have a number of trees in the landscape (Maples, Canadian Hemlock, Gingko biloba, Bald Cypress, Dawn Redwoods, about a half dozen cultivars of Southern Magnolia and a large, deciduous Oak.) Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful:

The live oaks around here easily survive 20's and 30's and remain evergreen. Once the temperatures dip into the low teens the trees begin to have problems. Of course each individual tree is different. Generally speaking, Z7 would be the limit for them.

njoasis:

For my money no tree beats the Magnolias for a pure, pristine flower show. Those flowers in the picture look like carved ivory... and, what a perfect frame of dark glossy leaves. Who could invent such a beautiful scene except the Author of All Life?

scotjute:

I figured I'd be pushing the limit for this Oak, but success with overwintering fig trees gives me some encouragement to experiment.

Only time will tell. I just ordered some trees.

scotjute, your oaks do fine in those temperatures because they're planted in native soil...not in containers.

I can't help but wonder why Quercus Virginiana is so appealing to Frank.

rhizo;

Thanks for the comments.

You're right container grown trees do have problems that in-ground trees will never have.

I find the small, thick-textured, oval leaves of Q. virginiana appealing, and also the refined overall look to the trees. I intend to keep this tree well pruned, and will be kept less than ten feet high. I think the small leaves will be in better scale than say, Q. bicolor/Q. prinus, etc. as these leaves are too big, and coarse, for up close viewing on a patio. It just boils down to personal preferences.

I must chime in. I haven't had success with QV in zone 6 Pa, but if you are zone 7, and try in ground who knows? My effort was with a 5 footer I brought back from Florida. It was not use to anything cooler than zone 8B, so it was probably doomed from the start. Acorns I tried were all duds from ebay, not a one of them sprouted. You may have a shot in zone 7. I am trying Quercus Fusiformis now, it is zone 6 hardy, it survived 2 months of last winter. I hadn't purchased it until Jan or Feb 2011. It took a while to get leaves this year but it may need some patience because it came from Arizona into my zone 6 yard midwinter. If you fail at QV try Q. Fusiformis. It is slightly shorter than QV until very old but stretches out like southern live eventually. The bad thing about live oaks is if you get lots of snow and the weight on branches. Shingle oak leaves are lance shaped but bigger and Willow oak has skinny lance shaped but longer leaves than QV. The Shingle and Willow oaks are fully hardy and deciduous oaks. I can relate about Q V being special and wanting one in your yard, when you see them down south in their element they are like no other tree. I had heard that there is one in Central park, NYC but it may be the hardier Q Fusiformis. I think someone posted that on this site but not sure. Anyhoo, I would try it if I were in zone 7 for sure, I may still try again here with more northern acorns in a sheltered spot.One discouraging thing though is that on the web site of champion trees for each state has no champion QV trees north of coastal Virginia. Even coastal Pa doesn't have any listed. Temps are warmer now than decades ago when the champs would have been planted though, so who knows. If I hit the lottery for millions I would build a giant green house just so I could have a southern live oak, yes I'm a bit nutty about trees, they have one of those in Germany for a special tree but I can't remember the details, wish I could, I saw it years ago on the web.

poaky1, et al.....

When I go on a quest for a certain plant, I always have a few other alternatives in mind, ... just in case I strike out. Right now, this minute, I need to have a Q.virg. as my next "patio tree". Two years ago, it was a Stewartia.

As another choice, I thought of a "Willow Oak". When grown as a "patio tree", in a container, it will probably be a fair substitute for Q. virg. ... and it almost has the leaf-type that I'm looking for, right now, this minute. Next year, I might have to have Quercus dentata, with its 10" X 8" leaves!

Growing plants and searching for new things to try is my "entertainment". Maybe I have a few loose screws, maybe I believe in the "man-made" global warming scam, and I'm just doing my part to cut down on my "carbon footprint" Anyway, I just like trying out different plants and pushing the limits, as most of you do, I suspect.

I'll let you know how the Q.virg. works out.

Thanks to all who shared.

effdeevee

PS. Does any know if there are Q.virg. hybrids that are hardy, have small, oval-shaped, flat, leathery-textured leaves with entire margins????? Does such a hybrid exist?, and, can it be bought?, and, where? Just asking.

The only hybrid I'm aware of has different leaves Quercus comptoni, I have 2. Quercus Fusiformis is the closest to QV you can get. The comptons oak is Q Lyrata/ Q Virg. but probably not what you want. I tried it hoping for shape similarities to QV, mine are still babies, so I have to wait to see the characteristics they show. I think Q Fusiformis is gonna be the closest match to QV. Leaves vary but don't get very big and texture should be the same but for a container plant I don't know, I would want this tree in ground, just my choice, it can live very long time. I'm experimenting in my yard with it in zone 6 but your zone 7 should be no sweat for it.