Louisiana Live Oaks

Way back in 1768, 35 years before the Louisiana Purchase, British botanist Philip Miller gave the southern live oak the botanical name of Quercus virginiana. William Guion, in his recently published book Quercus Louisiana, playfully suggests that Miller chose the wrong name all those years ago. After reading his book, subtitled "The Splendid Live Oaks of Louisiana", and reveling in the superb photos of magnificent trees—which include the US (and world!) champion for the species, the Seven Sisters Oak—you will go along with Bill’s suggestion! Like French artist Claude Monet, Bill returns to the same scene under various weather conditions and at different times of day, producing atmospheric photos which are works of art rather than plain tree records and which evoke an antebellum aura which has not yet gone with the wind. Although this is supremely a photographic book, there is an informative text with each image.

For over thirty years Bill has pursued and photographed the live oaks of Louisiana: long may he continue in order that we may share his passion!

Quercus Louisiana is a rare and remarkable book that follows one artist’s journey to document Louisiana’s oldest live oak trees, before they are lost and forgotten.

This book reveals, through photos and text, the magic and mystery of Louisiana’s old live oaks—its oldest historic oaks, which pre-date European settlement; the historic allées, how the live oak became a cultural icon of Louisiana. And it shares some of the human stories connected with the oaks—anecdotes and accounts of the generations of diverse people who settled and built their homes near the oaks’ sheltering limbs.

To learn more or to order a copy, visit the book’s website at www.quercuslouisiana.com

And click on link below to read a feature on Bill Guion's work with oaks, published on this website in 2016:

Quercus Quest – My Ongoing Journey With Louisiana Live Oaks