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Editor's Picks

Past IOS President Allen Coombes, Curator of Scientific Collections at Puebla University Botanic Garden, discusses leaf variability in Quercus ceirpes (still image from the documentary)
"Oaks: the Backbone of Mexico" – New Documentary Film
A new documentary by Maricela Rodríguez Acosta
Website Editor | Feb 17, 2026
Quercus miyagii acorn and dried leaves
In Search of Quercus miyagii: A Field Report from Okinawa
A rare oak endemic to the Ryukyu Islands of Japan
Elion Jam | Feb 16, 2026
A moss-covered oak (Quercus orocantabrica) in Mata de Albergaria, Peneda-Gerês National Park, Portugal © Amit Zoran
Amit Zohran's "Oakollective"
Steve Potter reviews a new book that features oaks
Steve Potter | Feb 11, 2026

Plant Focus

Quercus canariensis in Cornwall Park, Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand, the champion specimen in New Zealand, planted in the 1920s, 27.2 m tall with a trunk diameter of 209 cm (G. Collett pers. comm. 2026) © Gerald Collett
Species Spotlight: Quercus canariensis Willd.
Antonio Lambe shares his views on this threatened oak native to Iberia and North Africa
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American Plant Hardiness Map 2012

By Charles Snyers ... | September 16, 2012

In January 2012, the USDA Agricultural Research Service released a new edition of the American Plant Hardiness Map.  The previous edition was released in 1990.  Two new zones 12 and 13 have been added to this 2012 edition.  The zones are based on 1976-2055 weather data, that is 30 years of data.  The 1990 edition was based on 13 years of data.  See the What's new section of the USDA ARS Web site for details here. 

For the first time, the map is available as an interactive GIS-based map.