Live Oaks

Live Oaks flourish on Cumberland Island.  Those oaks near the middle of the island are draped in moss keeping the area beneath shady.  The oaks closer to the ocean and beach have less moss but the limbs which grow more horizontally than vertically.  These limbs form a canopy of sorts over the boardwalk from the beach to the camp.  Live Oaks are so dominant on the island because they are able to withstand the wind and salt spray than many other trees.  The live oak is considered an evergreen because it does not lose its leaves in the fall, but rather loses it leaves in the spring when  new leaves are starting to form. The trees have a shallow root system which spreads out the same distance as the limbs overhead.  The formation of the roots and limbs stabilizes the tree against the harsh winds that can come through barrier islands. Live oaks can live for  300 years--there is one tree on Cumberland at the Greyfield Inn which is thought to be 350 years old. 

After walking around the island for about 4 hours we found our way back to the dinghy dock--

Joy