BHI Oaks in a Nutshell

By Larah Gonzalez, Summer 2024 Intern

Live Oak on Sabal Palm Trail

A walk through Bald Head Island’s maritime forest grants each visitor an awe- inspiring view of oak trees, towering above and stretching their branches towards the sky. Oak trees are an integral species within the maritime forest. Their canopies cast a welcome reprieve from the sun and provide habitat for the island’s community of unique wildlife. Let’s take a closer look at the various kinds of oaks around BHI.

The Live Oak, also known as the Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana), is considered a “plant of special concern” by the Village of BHI. A prominent example of this species, the Timmons Oak, is over 300 years old and can be found in the Bald Head Woods Coastal Reserve. Live Oaks can be identified by their short, sturdy trunks. Their thick branches grow almost horizontally, sometimes even veering downwards before stretching up to join the forest canopy. Live Oak leaves are mostly flat, with edges that curl under slightly. The leaves have a shiny surface and a light green, fuzzy underside.

Bush containing Sand Live Oaks on South Bald Head Wynd

Sand Live Oaks (Quercus geminata) can be found along the edges of the maritime forest, as well as the dunes. They form round thickets low to the ground, with leaves that curl under more noticeably and have visible veins along their surface.

The Laurel Oak (Quercus laurifolia) is also found in the maritime forest. Saplings have smooth brown or gray bark, which matures into darker ridged bark in adulthood. Their leaves have rounded tips and a shiny surface with a smooth, light green underside. Laurel Oaks are semi-evergreen, meaning that the leaves turn brown and shed in early spring, just in time for new leaves to take their place. They can be spotted on the side of Federal Road with visibly straighter trunks than the Live Oaks.

Laurel Oak on Federal Road

Differences between oak trees can be tricky to spot at the acorn stage, but there are a few key distinctions. Live Oak acorns are chestnut brown, about 1 inch long and half as wide, with the cap covering up to half of the acorn. These acorns take 1 year to mature and germinate very shortly after falling from the tree. On the other hand, Sand Live Oak acorns that are produced in the fall germinate the following spring. Laurel Oak acorns appear green, taking almost a full two years to mature. 

Sand Live Oak leaves

A unique challenge presented to BHI flora is salt spray from the surrounding ocean, resulting in an environment that selects for plant species with a higher salt tolerance. Damage via salt aerosols is highest in the spring when the buds of flowering trees break open and thin leaves are exposed. Salt enters young leaves through epidermal cracks caused by the leaves rubbing together, which can cause tissue damage and even death. Oak leaves are waxy, so they don’t take in as much of the harmful chloride ions as less tolerant species do. The dense, asymmetrical canopy caused by salt exposure reduces the amount of salt that is able to reach the interior of the forest. Oak seedlings are also under pressure from herbivory via squirrels, white-tailed deer, and other island wildlife. As interns in the conservation department, Lauren Collver and I are examining the influence of these abiotic and biotic factors on the oak distribution on Bald Head Island for our respective intern projects.

You can see each of these oaks and other amazing flora and fauna on the BHI Conservancy’s Island Nature Tour, which takes you through the maritime forest and other incredible wildlife hotspots across the island!