The live oak is just one of about 90 species of oak trees native to the U.S. The live oak holds on to its foliage for most of the year, while many other oak varieties shed their leaves in the fall. Oak wood is already known as a strong hardwood, but live oak wood is even tougher. Live oak is related to the white oak family of trees, including the Hinckley oak, the Gregg oak, and the sandpaper oak.