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Tour of Southeast USA

Event Date: 
Thursday, 15 October 2026 to Thursday, 22 October 2026

The Tour will focus on Georgia and Alabama, with incursions into South Carolina and northern Florida. Beginning and ending in Atlanta, Georgia, we will visit one of the most oak-diverse regions of the USA, and we plan to see a huge variety of oak species, including: Quercus alba, Q. arkansana, Q. austrina, Q. boyntonii, Q. chapmanii, Q. durandii/sinuata, Q. geminata, Q. georgiana, Q. hemisphaerica, Q. incana, Q. inopina, Q. laevis, Q. laurifolia, Q. lyrata, Q. margaretta, Q. michauxii, Q. minima, Q. montana, Q. muehlenbergii, Q. myrtifolia, Q. nigra, Q. oglethorpensis, Q. pagoda, Q. phellos, Q. pumila, Q. similis, Q. stellata, and Q. virginiana, among others.

Quercus oglethorpensis at Lexingon Courthouse
The large Quercus oglethorpensis in the courthouse lawn in Lexington, Georgia, one of the stops planned on the Tour. It is approx. 60 years old, and measures 89 inches (226 cm) in trunk circumference and 60-65 ft (18-20 m) tall.

© Ronald Lance

The Tour will be led by IOS members Ron Lance and Patrick Thompson. 

Quercus austrina along the Altamaha River, GA
Quercus austrina along the Altamaha River, Georgia; a low bluff bordering the river harbors the most extensive population of Quercus austrina known in the state.

© Ronald Lance

Ron is a renowned botanist, naturalist, horticulturist, and author known for his expertise in the woody flora of the eastern United States, especially oaks (Quercus) and hawthorns (Crataegus). He serves as a botanist with the North American Land Trust, where he contributes to conservation initiatives, including fieldwork aimed at preserving rare species such as the bluff oak (Q. austrina) across the southeastern United States.

National Champion Quercus virginiana in Waycross, Georgia
The National Champion Quercus virginiana in Waycross, Georgia, which we will visit during the Tour, was featured in the July 2026 issue of National Geographic
Spooner Oak
The Spooner Oak: Perhaps the largest Q. virginiana known that has a single trunk. It grows on the Spooner Farm near Iron City, GA. Its trunk is at least 32 feet (9.8 m) in circumference, the crown nearly 90 feet (27.5 m) tall and 140 feet (42.7 m) wide.  It has an unusual shape, with a tall trunk and a vase-shaped, high crown.

© Ron Lance

Patrick is a botanist, conservationist, and horticulturist best known for his leadership in the preservation of Alabama’s native flora, especially deciduous azaleas (Rhododendron sp.) and rare southeastern oaks (in particular, Q. boyntonii). He is curator of Auburn University’s Donald E Davis Arboretum, which we will visit during the Tour.

Quercus boyntonii acorns
Acorns of Quercus boyntonii (or, as it is known to its friends, "Q-Boy") 

© Patrick Thompson

You can view the itinerary in the map below:

 

Overnight stops are planned at the following locations (subject to change):

  • Wednesday, October 14: Arrival in Atlanta, Georgia (Tour begins the following day)
  • Thursday, October 15: Aiken, South Carolina
  • Friday, October 16: Statesboro, Georgia
  • Saturday, October 17: Jacksonville, Florida
  • Sunday, October 18: Bainbridge, Georgia
  • Monday, October 19: Andalusia, Alabama
  • Tuesday, October 20: Auburn, Alabama
  • Wednesday, October 21: Pelham, Alabama
  • Thursday, October 22: Return to Atlanta

You can register for the event here. Please write to the Tours and Events Committee with any questions.

 

 

 

 

Event Category: 
IOS Tours