At first glance, as you enter the second boardwalk, the trees look the same. If you are from up north, these oaks look very different from the ones you see there. Many of them do not loose their leaves in the fall. The leaves drop off in the spring as new growth sprouts.
The oaks on the right are Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana). This is the iconic tree of the south with wide sprawling branches. When the branches were properly curved the trees were prized and carefully guarded for use as ribs for the hulls of ships. The Southern Live Oak has tough oval leaves that are shiny on top but covered in a short, dense gray fur on the underside. In the picture of the underside of the Southern Live Oak leaf there is a tiny spider, the Magnolia Green Jumping Spider (Lyssomanes viridis) who lives on the undersides of leaves.
Now look behind you to the left and you will see Laurel Oaks (Quercus laurifolia). Note these oaks are growing at a slightly lower elevation that will be a bit wetter. The picture shows the branches faning upward from the trunk. The leaves are longer, wider at the end and have a yellow central vein. The picture of the Laurel Oak leaf has a shiny underside with just a few hairs confined to the intersections of the veins. I have heard this referred to as "armpit hair".
The last picture shows how the acorns grow differently on the two trees. Laurel Oak acorns grow right on the branch while the Southern Live Oak acorns grow on their own stem. Acorns from both species are very nutricious food for wildlife. Watch the acorns develop through the Fall into Winter when they drop.
Hammocks form where oak trees have been able to grow large because fire has not occurred for many years. They provide animals a cool refuge where they can get away from the daytime heat or rest until their activity periods at dusk or night.
