This Live Oak tree, Quercus fusiformis, resides next to my apartment complex (not ironically called Tree). According to this rough age determination equation, and based on the tree’s approximate diameter, it’s estimated age could be anywhere from 150 – 235 years old. This is a VERY rough estimation as my method to measure the tree’s diameter was to literally hug it.
Texas live oaks are monoecious, with the male flowers forming catkins up to 3″ long and the female flowers forming a peduncle 1″ to 3″ long in the leaf axils (the upper angle where the leaf meets the stem). Once a female flower is fertilized it forms an acorn, which can be seen in the picture below. Very few acorns survive to grow into a young oak because they represent an important food source for rodents, birds, insects, and fungi. iNaturalist post found here.
