Magnolia Ave, east side, near Creekside Drive

At first glance, the row of trees on the east side of Magnolia Ave. south of Creekside Drive look like coast live oaks, but a closer look at their leaves will tell another story. These are southern live oaks (live meaning evergreen)...the famously huge old oaks of the south often pictured with Spanish moss hanging from pendulous branches. Size and longevity are yet to be tested in California, but if growing conditions are optimum, they could, in time, get to 80 ft tall, spreading twice as wide.

Compare the leaves of the southern live oak above (flat, narrowly elliptical shape with smooth margins) with those of the coast live oak below (convex, oval shape with spiny margins).