The Texas Live Oak, also known as the Southern Live Oak, is an evergreen tree native to the Southeastern United States. Although live oaks retain their leaves nearly year-round, they are not technically considered evergreens. Live oaks drop their stiff, leathery leaves immediately before new leaves emerge each spring.

Depending on the growing conditions, live oaks can vary from shrub-size to large spreading tree-size. Open-grown trees can reach as large as 66 feet in height with a limb spread of nearly 90 feet. Their lower limbs often sweep downward, sometimes even resting on the ground, before curving up again. Live oaks thrive in the sun and have a high heat tolerance, making them a common piece of the TCU landscape.