How Long Do Oak Trees Live? Incredible Lifespan Explains How Long They Grow

Woman looking at an old Oak tree wonders how long do oak trees live and how long does it take an oak tree to grow, thinking are acorn trees oaks, and what makes live oaks different?

How long do Oak trees live?

Anyone who has ever stood beneath a massive White Oak tree in the woods, with it’s towering branches and ancient looking trunk might be curious about how long an Oak tree can live.

And, if you’re interested in growing an Oak tree, you might want to know how many years it will take before you can sit under the shady boughs.

Understanding the Oak tree’s incredible lifespan begins with an acorn, but it also includes the fact that the Oak genome has genes that specifically help it ward off disease.8

This Oak tree guide explains how long they grow and what conditions are better for their continued longevity and health.

So, how long do Oak trees live? It depends on the species of Oak, but some can span hundreds of years!

Life Cycle of an Oak Tree: How Long Does It Take an Oak Tree To Grow?

How long does it take for a tree to grow to maturity doesn’t necessarily reflect how long do Oak trees live.

But what can affect how long an Acorn tree lives is where it is planted and how it is nurtured.

Graphics showing the life cycle of an Oak tree from Oak tree seed, Oak tree seedlings, mature Oak tree, Oak tree flowering, Oak tree bearing fruits, Oak tree acorns, and back to Oak tree seed.

If considering planting an Oak tree so it can be appreciated for generations to come, first consider the type of environment and soil composition where it will be planted. Those two factors will narrow the list of Oak species that will flourish in your USDA hardiness zone.

Many Oak trees are hardy yet proper irrigation and early nutrient availability as a seedling are essential components to provide all the sustenance requirements that the tree will need for the decades or centuries to come.

How long does it take an Oak tree to mature and grow acorns will rely on this early preparation stage. It will install a proper nutritional foundation that will put the tree in a good position while it steadily matures to the stage where it will start to bear acorns.

It can generally take anywhere from 20 – 50 years for an Oak tree to fully mature and produce a bountiful crop. In that time and beyond, diseases and pests must be warded off with pruning and organic fertilizer applied as required.

After all of these have been taken into account, there are still certain types of Oak trees that are short-lived. Among them is the Laurel Oak with a lifespan of 50-70 years, and the Water Oak with a lifespan of between 60 to 80 years.

Oak Tree Identification

There are approximately 600 species of Oak trees that grow in the Northern Hemisphere in all shapes, sizes, and colors, all with varying degrees of lifespans that have made many people wonder how long do Oak trees live.

In the United States alone there are 90 different types, many individual species with their own unique identities, yet there are certain characteristics that they all have in common. Coined as the mighty Oak, this ornamental tree has been known to live for centuries standing tall and proud on a sturdy trunk that often measures up to 9 feet in width.

Graphics of identifying Oak tree parts showing Oak tree leaf, Oak tree flowers, Oak tree fruits, and Oak tree bark images in rectangle frames on a green background.

Some of the leaves are serrated on different types of Oak trees, while others are smooth and rounded, pointed, or have bristled lobes, and differ in the intensity of their green hue.1 Across the species in America alone, there are easily 10 different varieties of leaves.

The English Oak leaf has 3 -7 rounded lobes that are dark green on the upside and a paler shade of green underneath and is 13 cm long. The Engelmann Oak leaves are blue-green, broad, and only 3-6 cm long.2

The California Black Oak leaves have 7 lobes with 3 tooths on each end, and are between 10-20 cm long. This makes identifying specific types of Oak trees by leaf alone hardly a straightforward task, so it wouldn’t hurt to have an Oak tree leaf identification chart tucked into your back pocket, just in case.

 

Oak

(Quercus)

Oak tree in oval frame on green background.
  • Family: Fagaceae
  • Genus: Quercus
  • Leaf: Lobed or toothed
  • Bark: Smooth and silver-gray then becomes fissured and darker with age
  • Seed: Acorn
  • Blossoms: The Oak tree is monoecious, meaning it produces both male and female catkins in spring
  • Fruit: Acorns
  • Native Habitat: Northern Hemisphere - North Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas
  • Height: 30-100 Feet, with 50 feet the average height
  • Canopy: Up to 135 feet in width
  • Type: Deciduous
  • Other Fact: Most Oak trees are deciduous but there are some species that are evergreen.

Oak Tree Lifespan: How Long Can Oak Trees Live and How Tall Do Oak Trees Grow?

The question of how long do Oak trees live is one that can easily cause a headache.

In its natural habitat, under conditions where the soil is moist and well-drained and the exposure to sunlight is just right, an Oak tree has a fighting chance to live beyond 900 years, whereas others in similarly perfect conditions live from just 30 to 50 years.

Oak tree growth chart with Oak tree age on the x-axis and Oak tree height on the y-axis.

To gather a more accurate representation of the average life of an Oak tree, closer inspection would have to be done on just a few different types of Oak trees specifically in the United States.

Type of Oak TreeGrowing ConditionsHeightLifespanHardiness Zone
Chestnut Oak Tree (Quercus Montana) (Image: Ohio Department of Natural Resources9)Moist, well-drained soils50 – 60 feet300 – 400 years4-8
White Oak Tree (Quercus alba)Rich, moist, acidic soils60 – 100 feet500 – 600 years3b-8b
Southern Red Oak Tree (Quercus falcata) (Image: United States Geological Survey10)Full sun, moist, well-drained soils60 – 80 feetUp to 350 years6-9
Northern Red Oak Tree (Quercus rubra)Cooler climate, slightly acidic pH soil50 – 75 feet200 – 400 years4-8
Holm Oak Tree (Quercus ilex)Fertile soil, partial shade, and full sun40 – 70 feet200 – 400 years7-10
Bur Oak Tree (Quercus macrocarpa)Acidic, alkaline, well-drained, wet, and clay soils70 – 80 feet200 – 300 years2a-8a

 

Chestnut Oak Tree

Chestnut Oak Tree showing its trunk with fissures and wide and green foliage.

Southern Red Oak Tree

Southern Red Oak Tree showing its wide and green foliage with trees in the background.
Type of Oak TreeGrowing ConditionsHeightLifespanHardiness Zone
Scarlet Oak Tree (Quercus coccinea) (Image: Maine Department of Agriculture11)Full sun,  dry to medium soil50 – 80 feet80 – 150 years4-9
Gambel Oak Tree (Quercus gambelii)Full sun, drought tolerant30 – 50 feetUp to 100 years3-9
English Oak Tree (Quercus robur)3 (Image: WikimediaImages12)Moist, loamy soil65 – 130 feet1,000 years5-8
Cherrybark Oak Tree (Quercus pagoda)Humid climate, loamy soils100 – 130 feetUp to 300 years6-9
Post Oak Tree (Quercus stellata)Dry, sandy soil40 – 108 feet200 – 400 years5-9
Willow Oak Tree (Quercus phellos)Full sun, moist, acidic soil80 – 120 feet75 – 100 years5-9

 

Scarlet Oak Tree

Low-angle shot of Scarlet Oak tree showing its green leaves and branches.

English Oak Tree

English Oak tree in fall showing its trunk and branches with no leaves.

The oldest living Oak tree is called The Pechanga Great Oak Tree in the United States and is estimated to be between 850 to 1,500 years old, while other experts have stated that it is even older, at 2,000 years.

For an Oak tree, for any tree like Willow tree, to reach that age has to be attributed to a little bit of luck.

Why Do Some Oaks Live Longer? (How Long Do Oak Trees Live?)

So why do some Oak trees from the same species live longer than others?

Oak trees tend to be hardy, resistant in all types of soil, and nearly indestructible. Or that’s the tough tree image they like to represent.

Some grow in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9, while others flourish in zones 7 to 10, and this can play a role in how long do Oak trees live. What can reduce the life expectancy of an Oak tree, that can prevent one tree growing next to another from growing to a very ripe old age, are certain factors such as

  • Disease
  • Pests
  • Illness
  • Nature (Too much rain. Too little rain. Lightning strikes)
  • Change in the soil
  • Root rot
  • Mankind
  • Sudden Oak Death (SOD)

There are some pests and illnesses that are mere inconveniences, that cause solely cosmetic problems, while others can wreak havoc throughout an entire forest of Oak trees.

Sudden Oak Death was previously unknown before 1995, but then it made its presence felt in a devastating fashion in the West.4 The spread of the spores was indiscriminate and thousands of Oak trees died along with hundreds of other species in the surrounding area.

For an Oak tree to survive for 100s of years, it has to be incredibly resistant to all the trials and challenges that nature, and sometimes mankind, has to throw at it. But apart from dodging misfortune and unforeseen maladies, there are certain fundamentals that have to be aligned to increase its chances of long-term survival.

How Do Oak Trees Survive in Winter and How Long Do Oak Trees Live?

Trees are slow growers compared to humans and animals, and age differently. They have a highly developed cell regeneration system, called meristems, that keeps them looking young and spry. It is possible that it is this ability to replicate, reproduce, and regenerate, that is the key to the Oak tree’s longevity.

Environmental conditions still play a role in how long do Oak trees live, but if lucky, disease and pests are taken out of the equation,5 the meristematic cells which are present in all parts of the tree, can regrow and regenerate virtually all parts of if they become injured in any way.

This becomes noticeable when an Oak tree goes dormant in winter. In this scenario, it ceases to grow, sheds its leaves, hunkers down for the cold months protected by its thick bark, and becomes dormant.

Oak tree in winter showing branches and oak tree brown leaves with thin layer of snow.

(Image: _Alicja_13)

When spring breaks and the snow melts, the meristematic cells awaken and regrow damaged limbs, and twigs, make new leaves, fresh flowers, and acorns, and bring new life to an old tree.

This dormancy and regenerative cycle also occur if the Oak tree’s environmental conditions become unfavorable, and threaten the health of the tree. Sensing the change, the Oak tree will conserve its resources, and wait.

When the conditions improve, any damages will be repaired, whole branches regrown, wounds healed, and pests ejected.

There is no time limit for how long this Oak tree reproduction process can take to restore its equilibrium and no reason why the mighty Oak tree shouldn’t live for thousands of years with this ability to reinvigorate itself.

As long as these pests and diseases don’t severely incapacitate the tree beyond what it can regenerate, that is

  • Galls
  • Borers
  • Aphids
  • Oakworms
  • Anthracnose
  • Cankers
  • Root rot
  • Fungus
  • Bacterial leaf scorch

Live Oaks and the Live Oak Lifespan (Live Oak Tree Leaves)

Some of the types of oak trees in Texas are Live Oaks.

A Live Oak tree belongs to the same genus family but rather than being deciduous, they are evergreen, retaining its lush green leaves in winter whereas other Oak trees shed theirs.

These evergreen types of oak trees in Florida also exist and tend to grow to heights of up to 60 feet on average, with huge branches forming huge canopies that extend out twice as wide.

In fact, one of the widest live Oak trees is about 143 feet wide and 86 feet tall and is located in Mandeville, Louisiana, but the most famous live Oak tree has to be the Angel Oak in South Carolina. It has been dated as being 1,400 years old with no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Types of Oak Trees in California and Live Oak Tree, Texas

Just like in Florida and Texas, California has its fair share of live Oak trees as well as deciduous Oak trees.

Below is a table listing the different types of Oak trees in California. Let’s have a look at just a few of these ornamental behemoths.

Oak Trees in TexasDeciduous or EvergreenOak Trees in CaliforniaDeciduous or Evergreen
Monterrey Oak Tree (Quercus polymorpha)Semi-evergreenInterior Live Oak Tree (Quercus wislizenii)Evergreen
Post Oak Tree (Quercus stellata)DeciduousIsland Oak Tree (Quercus tomentella) (Image: SelecTree15)Evergreen
Laurel Oak Tree (Quercus laurifolia)Semi-evergreenCanyon Live Tree (Quercus chrysolepis)Evergreen
Gambel Oak Tree (Quercus gambelii) (Image: Suzanne Allman14)DeciduousValley Oak Tree (Quercus lobata)Deciduous

 

Gambel Oak Tree

Gambel Oak with no leaves and multi-trunks situated in a grassy soil.

Island Oak Tree

Island Oak tree with short gray trunk and dense foliage, situated in front lawn of a residential house.
Oak Trees in TexasDeciduous or EvergreenOak Trees in CaliforniaDeciduous or Evergreen
White Oak Tree (Quercus alba)Deciduous or evergreenBlack Oak Tree (Quercus kelloggii)Deciduous
Bur Oak Tree (Quercus macrocarpa) (Image: Karen Roussel16)DeciduousEngelmann Oak Tree (Quercus engelmannii)Evergreen
Swamp Spanish Oak Tree (Quercus palustris)DeciduousScrub Oak Tree (Quercus berberidifolia) (Image: Oregon State University17)Evergreen
Black Oak Tree (Quercus kelloggii)6DeciduousBlue Oak Tree (Quercus douglasii)Deciduous

 

Bur Oak Tree

Bur Oak tree with huge trunk, long branches with leaves, situated next to a dirt pathway.

Scrub Oak Tree

Scrub Oak plant showing its thin branches and dense foliage, situated next to a road.

Facts About Oak Trees (How Long Do Oak Trees Live? Incredible Lifespan Explains How Long They Grow)

As a satus symbol, the impressive and ever-present Oak trees are hard to beat, perhaps because of how long do Oak trees live.

In 2004, they were declared to be the national tree of the United States of America and a few other countries have done the same, England, France, Poland, and Germany among them.

Having been around for centuries, all parts of the Oak tree have been used and honored in one form or another. Here are just 12 reasons why this extraordinary tree has contributed so much to American culture.

  1. The lumber from Live Oak trees becomes incredibly dense and strong when dried. It is classed as one of the heaviest in North America.
  2. Old Ironsides, as the USS Constitution was nicknamed, was built from lumber from Live Oak trees because of its strength. It was because of that sheer density that Old Ironsides was able to crush the hull of HMS Laurant in the war of 1812.
  3. Resistance to decay and disease has increased its value, uses, and versatility.
  4. Barrels for wine, beer, whisky, and brandy are made from Oak as the wood incorporates various flavor compounds and improves the taste of the alcohol stored within.
  5. One Oak tree can produce up to 2,000 acorns a year, but very few get the opportunity to make new trees as they are quickly eaten by squirrels, deer, mice, pigs, and birds.
  6. The Red Oak is the fastest growing of the Oak trees, adding about 2 feet every year, and can exceed 100 feet when it reaches full maturity in 30 to 35 years.
  7. Oak trees are considered to be critically endangered as they are being cleared for grazing land at an alarming rate in some South American countries. A total of 78 species are in danger of going extinct.
  8. In a lightning storm, out of all the trees likely to be struck, the Oak tree is the most likely to be hit.
  9. Oak trees have been used in medicinal treatments for fevers, swelling, poisons, to treat malaria, and antiseptic treatments.
  10. Native Americans ground down the acorns for flour to make bread and as ingredients for numerous recipes.7
  11. An Oak tree is finally considered to have reached a ripe old age on its 700th birthday.
  12. The ink in the Magna Carta was made from Oak Gall Ink.

How long do Oak trees live, are affected by temperatures as well as other environmental situations? Those temperatures can fluctuate across the hardiness zones from as low as 7°C to 70°C in Texas, and such a wide temperature range can reflect in the same species of Oak trees growing at different rates and to different heights.

An old Oak tree in fall showing its massive trunk and branches with hues of orange and yellow leaves, situated next to a road.

(Image: Peggychoucair18)

Soil and weather conditions will also decide lifespan, no matter how hard the cells regenerate themselves, so how long do Oak trees live will depend on a number of factors and if they’ll be breaking any records in the next 1000 years or so.8

Frequently Asked Questions About How Long Do Oak Trees Live

 

Is There an Acorn Tree?

There is no Acorn tree. However an acorn is what grows on an Oak tree.

 

How Long Do Acorns Fall From Live Oak Trees?

Between August to October, the acorns will start to drop from a live Oak tree, and this period can last from 3 weeks to 3 months.

 

How Long Do Live Oak Trees Live Compared to the Laurel Oak Tree?

How long do Oak trees live, and can vary between decades and centuries. Live Oak trees, for example, can live beyond 150 years, whereas Laurel Oak trees have a lifespan between 50 to 150 years.

 

What Is the Largest Live Oak Tree?

The Seven Sisters Oak tree is the largest Live Oak with a height of only 57 feet, but it has an enormous canopy with a width of 153 feet.

 

Where Do Oak Trees Grow Best?

Oak trees are incredibly adaptable, with species growing perfectly well in sandy soil, rocky ridges, and loamy soils. As long as the ground isn’t devoid of any water and isn’t too shallow, the Oak tree will thrive and survive.

 


References

1NC State Extension. (2023). Quercus. NC State Extension. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from   <https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/quercus/>

2Wikipedia. (2022, November 26). Quercus engelmannii. Wikipedia. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from   <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quercus_engelmannii>

3Ohio Department of Natural Resources (2023). English Oak. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from   <https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/broad-leaf-trees/English-oak-Quercus-robur>

4Daugherty, M., & Hung, K. (2023). Sudden Oak Death. UC Riverside. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from   <https://cisr.ucr.edu/invasive-species/sudden-oak-death>

5Kluepfel, M., Scott, J. M., Blake, J. H., & Gorsuch, C. S. (2021, February 18). Oak Diseases & Inspect Pests. Home & Garden Information Center. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from   <https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/oak-diseases-insect-pests/>

6Oregon Wood Innovation Center. (2023). California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii). Oregon Wood Innovation Center. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from   <https://owic.oregonstate.edu/california-black-oak-quercus-kelloggii>

7Parker, M. M. (2021, October 22). How to Identify Oak Trees Using Acorns. Mississippi State University Extension. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from   <https://extension.msstate.edu/blog/how-identify-oak-trees-using-acorns>

8Daugherty, J. (2021, December 2). UF|IFAS. How Long Do Live Oaks Live? Retrieved March 19, 2023, from   <https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/lakeco/2021/12/02/how-long-do-like-oaks-live/>

9Ohio Department of Natural Resources (2023). Chestnut Oak. Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from   <https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/broad-leaf-trees/chestnut-oak-quercus-prinus>

10USGS. (2023). Quercus falcata. USGS. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from   <https://warcapps.usgs.gov/PlantID/Species/Details/1026>

11Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry. (2021). Quercus coccinea Muenchh. Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from   <https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/quecoc.htm>

12WikimediaImages. Pixabay. Retrieved from,   <https://pixabay.com/photos/quercus-robur-english-oak-850724/>

13_Alicja_. Pixabay. Retrieved from,   <https://pixabay.com/photos/tree-oak-winter-january-frost-3954131/>

14Suzanne Allman. National Interagency Fire Center. Flickr. Retrieved from,   <https://flic.kr/p/2nsic1z>

15SelecTree. (2023). Island Oak. SelecTree. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from   <https://selectree.calpoly.edu/tree-detail/1484>

16Karen Roussel. Flickr. Retrieved from,   <https://flic.kr/p/2crfK6S>

17OSU. (2023). Quercus berberidifolia. OSU. Retrieved March 19, 2023, from   <https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/quercus-berberidifolia>

18Peggychoucair. Pixabay. Retrieved from,   <https://pixabay.com/photos/oak-old-trees-deciduous-trees-3899335/>

19Species Information Image: Uralsk, kazakhstan, green, and tree in Uralsk Photo by Azimbek Assarov. (2020, May 23) / Unsplash License. Cropped and added text, shape, and background elements. Unsplash. Retrieved January 11, 2024, from <https://unsplash.com/photos/green-maple-leaf-in-close-up-photography-uOJ4WHg92iI>