Live Oak is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 8 through 10 and shrugs off deer.
Live Oak — the short answer
Live Oak: grown in zones 8–10, full sun, pH 5.5–7.5.
- USDA zones
- 8–10
- Hardy to zone 8a — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.5
- FAO ECOCROP
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Live Oak on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether live oak actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score live oak against your land's real conditions.
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What Live Oak is
Live Oak grows as a perennial and reaches around 50 feet at maturity. It blooms yellow in early spring. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Live Oak
Live Oak grows in USDA zones 8 through 10. Live Oak does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained to fast-draining ground.
USDA Zones
8-10
Rated hardy to zone 8a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (read 2026-10-05).
Soil pH
5.5 - 7.5
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells), excessive (dry/moderately dry)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Minimum Growing Temperature
44.6°F
Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.
FAO ECOCROP
Mature Height
50 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Plant it right
Set live oak in full sun with well-drained to fast-draining soil.
Match the soil
Live Oak prefers pH 5.5 to 7.5 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Shape it while it is young
Prune live oak only to remove dead, damaged or crossing branches while it is young; it is grown for its form, not a harvest, so little more is needed once it settles in.
Where Live Oak thrives
Live Oak is hardy across USDA zones 8 through 10. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 8–10 spans average winter lows from 10°F to 40°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 1 outright and splits 27 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 8–10·Where Live Oak growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Live Oak stands, state by state
Live Oak is rated for zones 8–10 — a cold floor USDA puts at 10 to 20°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 1 sits fully inside that band, the line runs through 27 more, and 23 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
27 states
- Alaska · zones 1a-9a
- Idaho · zones 3b-8a
- California · zones 4b-11a
3 of 27 shown
Live Oak’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Live Oak
Growing guides for live oak
Good to know
Live Oak isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data — pair it with high-value bloomers nearby to feed bees.
Your land is one point inside Live Oak's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Live Oak will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether live oak actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Live Oak
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Live Oak in my zone?
Live Oak grows in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 10 (Rated hardy to zone 8a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (read 2026-10-05).). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Live Oak?
Set live oak out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
How much sun does Live Oak need?
Live Oak needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Live Oak need?
Live Oak prefers soil pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained to fast-draining ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Live Oak attract pollinators?
Live Oak isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data. Pairing it with high-value bloomers nearby keeps bees and butterflies fed.
Keep exploring Live Oak
Live Oak state by state
Every state live oak's zone reaches — 18 link straight to that state's live oak growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.