No, these appear to be individual little trees!! About 8 inches away or more. But I did just read that motts can come from roots of other oaks. I had no idea! I love to see them dancin in a group! BTW, my large Virginiana, maybe a 30 G a few years ago..releafed in the spring...thought we had dodged a bullet...and then just a couple weeks ago, started to brown out at the top. Huge splits in the trunk....and sprouting from the base. I considered letting it come back...but I bet it'll just be a scrubby little thing. It was an Empire, lollypop live oak I call them.

TXLO Quartz mountain park, Oklahoma. Acorns should be ripening now if you want to go that route.

THose are really nice! I'm needing a screen yesterday, so won't be starting from acorns. Did you grow thiese from acorns? I haven't been able to find wholesaler in Texas that sells any form of fusiformis.

I collected acorns from these trees and growing here in western Missouri.

I'd love to see how they do for you!

In zone 6a Missouri, I'm on the very cusp of their existence but I've managed to grow 10-13 foot trees with some die back. We've had 4 straight tough winters with some die back but usually they recover even with some gain.

You got a prediction for this years winter? We've been warned to expect a repeat of last year. Which plummeted Texas into zone 5, something I have NEVER experienced since i've walked this earth. and I've lived in the Hill Country Texas for more than 35 years. Scariest thing I ever saw....and we were NOT prepared, nor warned. Just hoping I'm ready this year.

A couple of my trees around June 1st recovering after the cold blast that shot from Canada to Mexico last February. I'll send current pics later showing the great recovery they made.

What kind of trees am I looking at?

Don't know but these trees survived -15 and the mother tree in Wichita survived -17!

Original tree from disjunct population in se New Mexico at about 3500 foot elevation.

I'm slow, Texas live oak.

Must be a fusiformis, not virginiana..which is what most people think a Texas live oak is. Is it a Quartz Mountain Live Oak, do you think?

Yes, definitely fusiformis but not Quartz mountain

How old is it? What size was it when you planted it, how long ago? Very interesting looking tree.

About 10 years old. It was a second year seedling.

I love how dense they are. Are these trees planted or indigenous and possibly 50 years old?

Native on granite mountainsides. Furthest north natural population.

That's the sort of thing they are clearing here...to replace with lollypop oaks. Heartbreaking, not to mention stupid. I would love to have that to look at!

My trees now after a summer of recovery.

The Natural Gardener and Barton Springs Nursery in Austin did not have them? I am surprised. I have them all over my land. They sucker up everywhere.

Right, but very difficult to transplant in my experience. I have them too, but not where I want them. Nope as to NG and BS. I'm bringing some in from out of state so end of my search.

I was at Barton Springs and they had 1 gallon Q. fusiformis in stock 2 days ago."ESCARPMENT" Live Oak.

Yup! Won't live that long!! But thank you for the informatin. I'll have 14 boxed beauties in about a week, and probably a few to sell on the side, if anybodies looking:)

If anyone is selling fusiformis, please let me know I want some, in north mississippi..

And I'll pay for them. Please contact me.

Ive been looking for an oklahoma escarpment live oak..aka fusiformis for 10 years now. I just dont understand why these are so hard to find!!

I don't know how far Mountain States Delivers, but I got in my 14, 4 of which died almost as soon as they got here. And that wasn't even the heat we have now. I'm sorry I can't be of more help.

Amanda, I could possibly send acorns from my trees when they ripen. They are originally from a disjunct population in se New Mexico. They can have some winter damage here in west central Missouri some years but should be fine anywhere in Mississippi. The trees are loaded but sometimes don't fully ripen, I'll know by the end of October. Been very dry here for 2 years now and they sometimes abort. Let me know.

Mike

BTW, I previously posted as HU 5252...

The posted pictures previously are of my trees and also the Quartz mountain LO in situ on the mountain.

Jaceymae, are yours the QMLO? How are they doing?

Hi Mike~Funny you should ask! We have been having insane amount of 107ish to more than that days for too long to remember when it started. My Quercus Fusiformis are doing really well, albeit they are still in the boxes they came in. I haven't lost any more from the originals that didn't survive the transport situation. Here in Texas I am witnessing a lot of torched looking and dying looking other species. I am in prayer everyday we get an end to the heat and some easy quenching rain. Not sure what QMLO is..but I haven't been on lately. Could you remind me?

Quartz mountain live oak from sw Oklahoma.

We were 108 Friday with a heat index of 113,106 Thursday. Monday it was only 99 but the heat index was 125!

Where are you located? Yeah, the humidity behind a little squall (not complaining!) didn't last two minutes...but I swear the heat index had to have shot thru the roof after that. Are those in the pictures Quartz Mountain? Do they get big or just bushy? I like them. I have heard they are tough as nails.

I'm in west central Missouri, about 25 miles south of Kansas city. The trees with granite boulders around them are on the south side of Quartz mountain. They form 8 to 12' tall mottes, sometimes single trunk trees. They grow on thin desert like soils and probably grow larger in better conditions. I have a few I grew from seed that I collected there. The other pics are the New Mexican form growing in my yard. The seed for those are from 30' tree growing in Wichita KS.

WOW, yeah sounds like the conditions dictate the size. I think they are bulletproof then, if they can take that sort of abuse. I'd love a few to fill in if I could find them. But I'd have to start with something about 3' or so.

That kind of heat in Missouri sounds crazy!! But that's what we had in 2011...they say this year will be worse. I believe it.

Nothing like 1980 when we had 22 straight 100 degree temps including a 111 degree day. Dallas had something like 60 straight 100 degree days.

That year we had 90 straight days over 100...and I shudder to think what it really was, bc we are typically a few degrees higher than surrounding area where they report. We are Central Texas, far south of Dallas.

I do have QMLO seedlings but most are already planted. Those still in pots are about 6" tall and are slower than typical TXLO. I have several seedlings from trees down in the park below the mountain but I don't think they are QMLO, just typical from who knows where. They are more vigorous and grow taller more like typical TXLO. They are in 1 gallon pots and about 2'. I don't think I want to ship though.

There is a slim possibility I'll clamber around Quartz mountain again this fall to collect more acorns, we'll see. Our plan may be to go to southern New Mexico for some of the oak species there and other seed.

Hi Mike. I live in Asheville, North Carolina. I would love to obtain some seedlings and/or acorns. Do you still have some available? Thanks, Ben Buley.

Benbuley, QMLO acorns ripen in late October on Quartz mountain, if I go I'll try to collect plenty to send. Acorns are usually scarce though, some trees have just 1 or 2, many have none. Lots of climbing and hiking just to find a few. Trees down in the park below are usually loaded but I don't think they are QMLO rather just typical TXLO. I can get you some of those if you would like. Again IF I go.

Let me know,

Mike

Curious what you are calling TXLO?? Do you know the botanical name?

Texas live oak...Quercus fusiformis.

Ahhh...we've come full circle then:) I have to say mine have done me proud this hot as hell summer.....:))))

Quartz mountain live oak is also a fusiformis but a hardier form. Apparently the live oak somewhere east of San Antonio are intermediate between fusiformis and virginiana. Probably these are not as cold hardy nor drought resistant as QMLO.

Thats true, but even my Virginiana survived the summer, dispite one turning brown al over. It releafed after relief of cooler temps and almost 4 inches of RAIN!! That surprised me alot...as they were both in 30G pots and 15' tall. Care will be needed tho. I think the Quartz mountain would be nice filler, but don't see them ever replacing my 40' tall ancient grandma fusiformous by the gate. She's seen ALOT of weather over the years...must have her feet in a spring tho. Lucky thing!

Jaceymae, those are still in pots? They probably wouldn't have gotten cooked so bad if they were planted. I had to bring many of my potted plants to the north side of my greenhouse during the worst of the heat and still cooked a couple. Plant them soon!! Lol

In a perfect world they would have been in the ground long ago...dont' get me started. I may bump them up to the wooden crates. That's a thought. Actually the reason the ONE (other one is fine and has been all summer, believe it or not) took a hit was a tear to it's bark I didn't notice from a break in the cattle pannel it was tied to. Once it healed it was back in business. I was very good with watering...and even left the weeds in front of them high to insulate some against the sun. I do think that helped.