Live oak wood is hard, heavy, and difficult to work with, but very strong.
 In the days of wooden ships, live oaks were the preferred source of the framework timbers of the ship, using the natural trunk and branch angles for their strength.
The frame of USS Constitution was constructed from Southern live oak wood harvested from St. Simons Island, Georgia, and the density of the wood grain allowed it to survive cannon fire, thus earning her the nickname "Old Ironsides".
 Even today, the U.S. Navy continues to own extensive live oak tracts.

The primary uses for Southern live oaks today are providing food and shelter for wildlife.
Among the animals for which live oak acorns are an important food source are the bobwhite quail, the threatened Florida scrub jay, the wood duck, yellow-bellied sapsucker, wild turkey, black bear, various species of squirrel, and the white-tailed deer.
The tree crown is very dense, making it valuable for shade, and the species provides nest sites for many mammal species.
Native Americans extracted a cooking oil from the acorns, used all parts of live oak for medicinal purposes, leaves for making rugs, and bark for dyes.
 The roots of seedlings sometimes form starchy, edible tubers.
 People in past centuries harvested and fried these tubers for human consumption much as one might use a potato.
Live oak wood is hard, heavy, and difficult to work with, but very strong.  In the days of wooden ships, live oaks were the preferred source of the framework timbers of the ship, using the natural trunk and branch angles for their strength. The frame of USS Constitution was constructed from Southern live oak wood harvested from St. Simons Island, Georgia, and the density of the wood grain allowed it to survive cannon fire, thus earning her the nickname "Old Ironsides".  Even today, the U.S. Navy continues to own extensive live oak tracts.
The primary uses for Southern live oaks today are providing food and shelter for wildlife. Among the animals for which live oak acorns are an important food source are the bobwhite quail, the threatened Florida scrub jay, the wood duck, yellow-bellied sapsucker, wild turkey, black bear, various species of squirrel, and the white-tailed deer. The tree crown is very dense, making it valuable for shade, and the species provides nest sites for many mammal species. Native Americans extracted a cooking oil from the acorns, used all parts of live oak for medicinal purposes, leaves for making rugs, and bark for dyes.  The roots of seedlings sometimes form starchy, edible tubers.  People in past centuries harvested and fried these tubers for human consumption much as one might use a potato.
Quercus virginiana