Dendrology

OACN 2017 Year in Review

By Audrey Denvir | February 16, 2018

The Oaks of the Americas Conservation Network (OACN) is an interdisciplinary consortium of oak experts from universities, botanic gardens, arboreta, conservation NGOs, and industry and government agencies aiming to address the research and conservation needs for oaks in the Western Hemisphere. In the short time since its founding in 2016, OACN has been able to make important progress on a number of projects and initiatives focused on oaks in the Americas. Here is a review of some of the work OACN has completed in 2017:

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American Oaks Share a Common Northern Ancestor

By Website Editor | October 12, 2017

North American oaks have a northern temperate origin and only later colonized Mexico and Central America, according to a new study.

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Workshop on Taxonomy of Rare Mexican Oaks Held in Puebla

By Audrey Denvir | October 8, 2017

The Morton Arboretum and the Botanic Garden at the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla hosted a Rare Mexican Oak Taxonomy Workshop, which brought together key stakeholders and experts on Mexican oaks to discuss taxonomy and conservation.

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Red List of US Oaks Published by The Morton Arboretum

By Diana Jerome | October 3, 2017

One-fourth of the United States’ oak species are now considered of conservation concern, according to data compiled by researchers at The Morton Arboretum for the latest update of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species™. Sixteen species of oaks, all in the southern and western U.S., are now classified as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with another four species deemed Near Threatened.

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First Time Ex-Situ Reproduction of Quercus insignis

By Roderick Cameron | August 19, 2017

An acorn from a specimen of Quercus insignis growing in Hackfalls Arboretum in New Zealand germinated earlier this year.

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New Gap Analyses of Ex-Situ Collections and In-Situ Conservation Needs for US Oak Species

By ebeckman | February 22, 2017

We are currently requesting accessions data, including provenance information, from all gardens that maintain oak species.

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A Neophyte Revisits the Florida Oaks

By Dirk Giseburt | February 17, 2017

In January 2011, I made a quick visit to several natural areas in Palm Beach County, Florida while on a business trip and had my first experience with the varied oak habitats of the South Florida coast. In January 2017, I had the chance to relive the experience and revisit three of those spots – the High Ridge Scrub, Juno Dunes, and Frenchman’s Forest Natural Areas.

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Hybridization in Quercus (as Seen through the Eyes of an Enthusiast)

By Jeroen Braakman | February 17, 2017

Ever since the genus Quercus grabbed my attention, I have been amazed by the ability of oaks to hybridize easily (sometimes too easily), even when the species involved don't share habitat in the wild.

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The Hills Are Alive with Oaks

By Rebecca Dellinger | February 17, 2017

Copenhagen Hills Preserve is an ecological gem. With its unique calcium-rich soils, it hosts a plethora of plant communities, ranging from pine forests and prairies to bottomlands and swamps. This cornucopia of habitats is home to many rare and indigenous plants, such as purple cone flower (Echinacea purpurea), three-flowered hawthorn (Crataegus triflora), and, of course, a variety of uncommon oak species.