Oak Origins: From Acorns to Species and the Tree of Life

In 2004, Congress designated the oak (genus Quercus) as our national tree following a four-month open-voting process sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation. At The Huntington, these iconic trees are a core botanical collection and the focus of important research and conservation efforts. Join Andrew Hipp, the Morton Arboretum’s director of the herbarium and senior scientist in plant systematics, for an exploration of how oaks become such important and beloved trees across the Northern Hemisphere.

This presentation touches on the natural history and biology of reproduction in oaks, the origins of oak species and their hybrids, and the estimated 56 million years of oak evolutionary history. A book signing will follow the lecture.