Dewees History Tour Station 8: Live Oak

The Live Oak is one of the dominant species of the Maritime forest.  Curved pieces cut from the junction of the limb and trunk were used for ribs in wooden ships.  Acorns can be eaten from the tree due to the small amount of tannin. The Live Oak can tolerate short term flooding by salt water and can withstand high winds. 

More about Live Oaks

Look around for the entrance to freshwater wetlands

This oak stands on high ground at the edge of one of the rarest biomes on the planet: the maritime forest freshwater wetland.  On many islands this gets filled and used for development, but on Dewees it’s protected for wildlife use.