Question
I LIVE IN MAURICEVILLE, TX. BETWEEN ORANGE AND BEAUMONT, 12 MILES FROM THE BORDER IN DEWEYVILLE ON HWY 12. I GREW UP W/LIVE OAKS BUT IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LA LIVE OAKS AND TX LIVE OAKS? THE ONES THAT GROW HERE DON'T HAVE THE BRANCHES THAT BOW TO THE GROUND BEFORE AGAIN RISING UP TO HEAVEN. OURS ARE BEAUTIFUL BUT THE BRANCHES FOR THE MOST PART STAY HORIZONTAL NO MATTER HOW BIG OR OLD THEY ARE. THE ONE IN FRONT OF BAPTIST HOSPITAL IN ORANGE LOOKS MORE LIKE THE ONES I LOVE TO WATCH BETWEEN VINTON AND SULFUR ON I-10. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE, IF ANY, AND HOW CAN I GET MY HANDS ON SOME OF YOURS, OF WHICH I AM MOST JEALOUS OF?

Answer
What you have is Quercus fusiformis  the one in La. is Quercus virginiana. Both have the common name live oak. Check with your local nursery and ask for Quercus virginiana and check the tag it should have the scientific name as well as the common name. Common names can be confusing so go by the scientific name.

Escarpment Live Oak, Plateau Live Oak, Scrub Live Oak, West Texas Live Oak, Live Oak
Quercus fusiformis
Fagaceae (white oak group)

Escarpment Live Oak can be thought of as a smaller version of Live Oak (Q. virginiana). It grows on well-drained soils from alkaline to slightly acid, although it is rare in the heavy clay of the true Blackland Prairies. It is thicket-forming, spreading from root sprouts to form "mottes." Escarpment Live Oak is more drought- and cold-tolerant than Coastal Live Oak (Q. virginiana), and can grow in more alkaline soil. In large portions of Central Texas, the live oak populations are hybrids between Q. fusiformis and Q. virginiana. Both species are susceptible to the oak wilt fungus.