One of the country’s more whimsical-looking trees, the live oak is also one of the strongest. Indeed, it has saved the lives of thousands of people who have clung to its limbs during hurricanes.

A mature Englemann oak in Escondido’s Daley Ranch. The trees can eventually reach 60 feet tall and just as wide, but they don’t grow as fast as coast live oaks. / Photo by Robert Krier But Crouch ...