PULSE The Magazine
of Mount Dora, Eustis and Tavares
The Majestic Live Oak
Keepers of a Vanishing Florida Legacy
by Richard Hussphotography by Marc Vaughn
"Man does not plant a tree for himself, he plants it for posterity."
— Alexander Smith
Scottish poet Alexander Smith had an answer to a problem many neighborhoods of our tri-cities currently face or may face in the near future
— the loss of our live oaks –
the huge oaks hanging over our lakes and walkways, providing shade in our parks, framing the porches of our older homes and creating those “tree tunnels” we love on our streets.
In addition to rolling hills and lakes, one of the most arresting features of our region is the beauty of the stately live oaks gracing our lawns, parks and fields. The natural beauty of the live oak as distinguished from other trees is its horizontal growth. Some of the oaks spread their massive arms so wide you could hold a small family reunion in the comfort of their shade.
One of the few trees in North America that grows more horizontally than vertically, it’s the “crown” of the live oak that catches your attention, with branches spreading thirty feet or more from the main trunk. The largest live oak in Florida is in Cellon Oak Park in Alachua County near La Crosse. Known as the Cellon Oak, this Bunyanesque tree weighs in with a circumference of 30 feet, a height of 85 feet and a crown that averages 160 feet.
Their deep roots, shorter stature and strong wood help live oaks withstand storms and high winds. According to Florida tree experts, during a hurricane you’re safer with a live oak near your house than any other tree. The USS Constitution, aka “Old Ironsides,” was constructed using live oak planking for the sides. To the dismay of the British tars, the super hard oak planks repeatedly repelled their cannon shots.
In our area, live oaks are threatened by the usual landscape nursery trees developers use, such as magnolia and laurel oak. Add sweet gum, laurel cherry and pine trees to that list also. According to a University of Florida study, when planted too close, these tall, straight-growing trees hinder the horizontal growth of the live oak. Unlike other trees, the live oak cannot switch its growth pattern and therefore simply dies from the resultant overcrowding.
You may have observed that every year several of our gorgeous live oaks must be removed because of disease and age. It seems many of our once tree-lined streets that created cooler, filtered shady spaces are now filled with Florida’s blazing sunshine heating the pavement and radiating back into our faces. Older area residents recall streets in town and in the outer neighborhoods that were completely lined with live oaks.
I talked with Mount Dora resident Andrea Burr Yatsuk, who told me that the Mount Dora Friends for the Environment, a local citizens’ group active in environmental issues, has been responsible for planting close to 200 trees over the past 20 years. Anyone who donates a tree to the city can have their name placed on a plaque in the city hall joining hundreds of others recognized for their ecological efforts.
An embryonic neighborhood group started by local photographer Marc Vaughn has initiated an effort to replant his neighborhood’s loss of live oak trees. The organizing group has already floated their plan past Mayor Melissa DeMarco and toured Overlook Drive with municipal workers, Dennis Huett and Gary Hammond, who pledged to review plans and assist the group. In an initial neighborhood canvass, 14 residents have indicated interest, and the group hopes to plant at least 20 live oaks in October.
“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”
— Warren Buffett
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