Rockport Texas - The History, Legends & Lore 1st Printing | Page 50

Rockport Plants THE BIG TREE of Lamar, Texas It may be the largest & oldest Live Oak in the World an estimated 2,000 years old! LIVE OAK TREE (sp. Quericus virginiana) TOP: Live Oak Flowers & BOTTOM: Acorns The Southern Live Oak is an Evergreen tree, like a Pine - stays green all year long. They can grow as tall as 80 feet. Many or our more prized Live Oak Trees here in Rockport are over 600 years old, and they make the best shade trees. LORE: In early Colonial America, timber from the Live Oak was used for the structural and curved wood that was needed for Sailing Ships because of its hardness and resistance to rot. LORE: Our very own, ‘Big Tree’ of Lamar is 45 feet tall and spreads out at its crown for around 90 feet. 49