Live Oaks. Beautiful and dangerous and protected.
 

I have seen a lot of fallen oaks this past couple of days, both here and on TV. Yet they are protected.

What say you?

They were here first.

I'm in the pro-protection camp, gg.

I know they can be a danger during severe storms, but so can many things that we would never want to get rid of. They are very, very old when they are big enough to be a threat, and...imo...a majestic and beautiful part of Florida.

Ours is 13 years old (we have a pic of a 2" diameter by 6' tall sapling when we bought the house) and wife says it is damaged beyond repair by storm and had to be cut down. It's now about 3' Diameter x 30' tall and is the shady stop, on our lawn, at the tee in back of us.

(some twigs were blown off)

It's going!


.

They are not all "Live Oaks". Some are the weeds of the tree family. Laurel Oaks are weeds. I slept better this storm knowing my Oak was cut down. Big bucks well spent.:)

not problem, as long as they not over my house:ohdear:

Heh. Everybody is entitled to their opinion...whether it's based on fact or not. :)

:boxing2: My opinion was based on fact.... but I am no tree hugger.

:read:Quercus hemisphaerica

They're beautiful trees and when I think of them I see them in my mind planted in the middle of a large southern plantation or even a large golf course. They're just too large to be planted on our teeny tiny little lawns. And when they are terribly damaged by storms all I imagine is the poor roof that it ruined and how NOT pretty it is anymore. They have a history and they can be beautiful in the proper setting. Planting them on our postage stamp lawns just doesn't fit my picture. Just an opinion for whatever its worth.

1. I say they are NOT protected in Florida because I have researched this. If you can disprove me by reference to a state statute, I would like to see it. "They are protected" is simply and urban myth.

2. If you think they are protected, what can be done about an act of God?

I can agree a newly planted live oak doesn't belong anywhere near a house. Blame that on the landscapers though. They make many mistakes unfortunately...like planting trees and palms spaced such that they look good when they're young, and then miserably clash when they mature.

So was mine.

Doesn't look to me like live oaks are protected from the forces of nature such as lightning, high winds and heavy rains.

Lots of laws out there other than Florida statutes. Check city and county and other environmental permitting and development requirements before making such a claim.

And no...I'm not going to cite them. I enforced them for Pinellas County for 30 years. I don't feel any great need to do your homework for you.

I showed you my link.... show me yours.:)

Did you read any of it? Here's a small section of it::read:


Laurel oak is commonly planted as a street tree because it is tolerant of poor conditions, grows fast and doesn't get as large as some other oaks. It is a favorite shade tree for residential landscapes. However, laurel oak is prone to rotting from within and larger trees are nearly always at least partly hollow. Limbs are prone to break off. When a tree falls on a house or car in the southeastern U.S., it is, more often than not, a damn laurel oak. The wood is coarse grained, heavy and hard, and not good for lumber. It makes good firewood, though.

Your turn