Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Joan Lionetti Texas Live Oak
Joan Lionetti is an evergreen live oak selected in Tucson for desert gardens, with leathery dark green leaves that are soft underneath. It grows upright with a straight trunk and a dense, symmetrical canopy, reaching about 20 to 30 feet tall and wide. It handles heat, drought, alkaline soil and freezing nights better than its parents. It gives dense shade all year.
Best for: dense year-round shade, a manageable 20 to 30 foot oak for yards and streets, and wildlife that eat the acorns.
Its dense, symmetrical canopy of dark green leaves shades a yard or street in every season. It stays evergreen through cold winters.
It stays about 20 to 30 feet tall and wide, much smaller than a southern live oak. Space trees about 20 feet apart for a shaded row.
It was bred in Tucson and handles desert heat, long dry spells and alkaline soil better than its parents. After its second year, it needs deep summer soaks and little else.
It sheds its old leaves in spring as new ones emerge, which means a round of raking. Acorns drop in fall and draw birds and wildlife, and they take time to clean up.
- Trees in a row20 ft apart
- Single shade tree20 ft from other trees
For the first two weeks, water a new tree every 1 to 2 days in summer, or every 3 to 4 days in cooler months. Ease to about weekly by the second month, and keep up deep, regular soaks for its first 3 years. Once rooted, soak it at the drip line every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 2 to 4 weeks in winter. After its second year, deep summer soaks and little water the rest of the year are enough.
Take off the nursery stake at planting, and stake only if the tree cannot stand on its own or sits in a windy spot. Use two stakes outside the root ball and soft, wide ties that let the trunk sway. Remove them after about a year.
It needs very little pruning once its shape is set. Remove dead or crossing branches, and never take more than a quarter of the canopy in a year.
It stays evergreen through winter, then sheds older leaves in spring as new ones come in. Rake them up and keep watering as usual.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Joan Lionetti oak get?
It grows about 20 to 30 feet tall and wide. Give it about 20 feet from other trees.
How fast does it grow?
It grows faster than most live oaks, with an upright form and straight trunk. Regular water in its first years speeds it up.
Is it evergreen?
Yes, it stays evergreen through cold winters. It briefly sheds its older leaves in spring as new ones emerge, so plan a spring cleanup.
How much water does it need?
Water regularly for the first two years. After that, deep summer soaks are enough, with little water the rest of the year.
How cold hardy is it?
It is hardy to about 0°F, so cold is not a concern in the Valley.
Does it drop acorns?
Yes. Elongated acorns ripen and fall in autumn and feed birds and other wildlife. Rake them up if you do not want them.
Does it need pruning?
It needs very little pruning once its shape is set. Remove only dead or crossing branches.
How is it different from a southern live oak?
It is a cross bred in Tucson that stays around 20 to 30 feet, and it handles desert heat, drought and alkaline soil better. Southern live oak grows far larger.
Can Joan Lionetti oak bother allergies?
It can. Its pollen can bother people with allergies.
Joan Lionetti Texas Live Oak for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Joan Lionetti is the first oak bred specifically for the desert Southwest. It stays a manageable size and keeps its leaves all year. Below: size, water, leaf drop, acorns, cold and care.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Joan Lionetti oak size
About 20 to 30 feet tall and wide, with an upright form and a dense, symmetrical canopy.
Best oak for Phoenix yards
Joan Lionetti was bred in Tucson for desert heat, drought and alkaline soil, and it stays a manageable size.
Does Joan Lionetti oak lose its leaves?
It stays evergreen through winter but sheds older leaves in spring as new ones emerge.
Watering a live oak in the desert
Water regularly the first two years, then give deep summer soaks and little water the rest of the year.
Joan Lionetti oak acorns
Acorns ripen and fall in autumn and feed birds and wildlife. Rake them if you want a clean patio.
How cold hardy is Joan Lionetti oak?
It is hardy to about 0°F, well below Valley winters.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.