Live oak – Quercus virginiana to a botanist – grows naturally in the coastal plains from southeastern Virginia to Texas. It sheds its leaves once a year and only after new leaves have formed, hence it is always "live." The tough leathery leaves make the tree extremely resistant to salt spray, and the roots can withstand periodic saturation in salt water caused by storm surges or unusually high tides. These characteristics allow the tree to occupy the dominant position in coastal maritime forests, and makes it home for other animals and plants looking to survive in the inhospitable coastal environment. The tree’s large protective canopy provides shelter for numerous species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

Birds, bear, deer, and squirrels eat its nutritious acorns. In some respects, live oak is an ecosystem unto itself; without it, most maritime forests would simply disappear.

The grain in the Live Oak looks like a bowl of spaghetti with twists, turns and swirls. The twisted Live Oak grain is what made the sides of the USS Constitution so strong that British cannon balls bounced off ‘Old Ironsides’ in the revolutionary war. That grain allows the Live Oak to bend but not break when under high coastal winds.