While I was hiking the Barton Creek Wilderness Trail yesterday, I came across a very interesting tree growing alongside the path. The tree in question is an Evergreen Oak or Live Oak.  The Southern live oak or simply “Live Oak” (Quercus virginiana) is an evergreen (or nearly so) oak tree native to the southeastern United States.

I must have passed this tree several times in my hikes and it wasn’t until yesterday that I noticed how strangely it had grown. The original branches had not grown straight but had intertwined with the other branches and as the tree grew, the branches quite literally have grown into each other giving the tree this very unusual effect. It could be one tree or two or even three different trees that have grown together

Front view of the Live Oak tree

Back view of the Live Oak tree

I thought it interesting enough to share with my readers.
The tree is located about a mile in along the trail going West from the Loop 360 entrance. Look for it the next time you are on the trail.