If a big oak in your yard keeps shedding limbs, it helps to know which oak it is. UF/IFAS describes laurel oak and live oak very differently, and the difference shows up in storms.
What UF/IFAS says about the species
- Life span: 50 to 70 years.
- Decay: trunks and big branches often become hollow. A small trunk injury or a poor pruning cut can start a decay column 10, 20 or more feet long.
- Breakage: listed as susceptible.
- Roots: shoestring root rot attacks roots, moves upward and kills the cambium, with no practical control.
- Compared with live oak: live oak and other oaks resist decay better and live longer.
How they fare in hurricanes
The University of Florida's storm damage pages say older laurel and water oaks fell more often than other trees in hurricanes, and many arborists consider aged specimens especially prone to toppling. A UF/IFAS fact sheet drawing on Florida Panhandle hurricane surveys counted trees with half or more of their branches lost as dead: by that measure, live oak survival after Ivan was 81 percent and laurel oak's 66 percent.
| Laurel oak | Live oak | |
|---|---|---|
| Life span (UF/IFAS) | 50 to 70 years | longer; resists decay better |
| Recalculated survival after Ivan | 66% | 81% |
Telling them apart
We'd rather not guess from a photo. If you're unsure which oak you have, a county extension office or an ISA certified arborist can identify it. The UF/IFAS fact sheet on laurel oak (linked below) includes descriptions and images.
What to do with an old one
- Have it looked at by an ISA certified arborist before a storm season, not after.
- If removal is recommended, the same signed risk assessment can matter under Florida Statutes 163.045 on a single-family lot. See permits.
- If it stays, avoid cuts that leave stubs or wounds near the trunk; see pruning.
- When replanting, think about mature size and wind resistance.
Sources
- UF/IFAS Extension: Quercus laurifolia: Laurel Oak (ENH-707, revised December 2018)
- University of Florida, storm damage prevention, trees of special concern: Laurel oak
- UF/IFAS Extension: Selecting Coastal Plain Species for Wind Resistance (FOR119, revised August 2026)
- Florida Statutes 163.045 (2025): Tree pruning, trimming, or removal on residential property
- Marion County Land Development Code, Article 6, Divisions 7 to 9: tree protection and landscaping (6/3/2013)
Checked October 27, 2026. Fees, rules and price surveys change, so treat the linked original as the final word.