Small town main streets across the southern US of A are where a lot of us call home. Even to those who are not from small towns still can look at picture or portrait of one and feel the love and homely feeling. Main streets all along the south are rippled gorgeous, picturesque, cathedral live oak trees. These trees as they grow seem to reach such great heights and then stretch out their branches as if they were holding hands. Like friends walking hand and hand down a country road. Live Oaks are some of the most weather resistant steadfast trees around. They really do stand up for the tests of time.
As many natural disasters’ have plagued the southern US, these beautiful trees withstand many of their warpaths. Like in 2004, Florida, the southern most state, had one of the worst hurricane seasons yet. Three major hurricanes hit the state almost back to back to back.
Author and landscape designer Pamela Crawford and researcher Barbara Hadsell researched and studied the damage state wide to see which tree/ s held up the best through the torturous weather conditions. The answer the came to was the Southern Live Oak tree. So many trees were either damaged or up rooted completely during the storms throughout the state that there was much information to be collected. Although thousands, if not more trees were damaged in the wake of the storms the live oak had stood strongest. Whether it be from there deeply rooted root systems, their well-balanced cathedral like branches and foliage or some other scientific fact, they stood this test of time, which Mother Nature had thrust upon them.
Live Oaks have always been known throughout history as a symbol of strength and longevity and during those storms, they said it louder. One might say these small town main streets scattered across the southern United States might have placed them along their streets and roadways as if to protect the small town charm held beneath. Maybe put there not only for their looks, their homely appeal, and inviting nature but as small a reminder that the south is strong. Since finding out all this information, I have started to wonder if these simple radiant trees are still standing tall today to almost mock at Mother Nature and tell her that they, the Southern Live Oak trees are way to strong for the wrath of even her.