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Plant Focus
IOS Tour of the Carolinas
North and South Carolina offer an outstanding combination of native species and top-of-their-class oak collections. Renowned plantsman and plant hunter Adam Black will show us the oak delights these states offer—plus a brief dip into Georgia. The IOS is grateful to Bartlett Tree Experrts for generously supporting this Tour.
Deadline for registration: August 31, 2024
Highlights of the itinerary include:
Gardens
- Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories and Arboretum, Charlotte, North Carolina
- citywide arboretum at Aiken, South Carolina
- campus-wide arboretum at Georgia Southern University at Armstrong, Georgia
- JC Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Juniper Level Botanical Garden/Plant Delights Nursery
- Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Durham, North Carolina
Oaks in natural habitat
- various ecoregions in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Piedmont, and the Coastal Plain of the Carolinas
- Francis Marion National Forest, South Carolina
- some of the oak species we expect to see: Quercus alba, Q. austrina, Q. falcata, Q. geminata, Q. ilicifolia, Q. incana, Q. laevis, Q. laurifolia, Q. lyrata, Q. margaretta, Q. marilandica, Q. michauxii, Q. montana, Q. nigra, Q. pagoda, Q. pumila, Q. rubra, Q. shumardii, Q. similis, Q. stellata, Q. velutina, Q. virginiana
Notable oak trees
- the Centennial Oak (Q. macrocarpa), Clemson University Campus
- the Angel Oak (Q. virginiana), Charleston, South Carolina
The Tour has been scheduled to start following the International Oak Symposium at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (October 7 - 10) so that those interested can participate in both events.
For further information and to reserve a place on the Tour please write to tours@internationaloaksociety.org.
Itinerary
Day 0: Friday, October 11
Arrive in Charlotte, North Carolina. Evening reception at Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories and Arboretum.
Accommodation: Charlotte
Day 1: Saturday, October 12
Travel: Crowders Mountain and return to Charlotte
Activities: Tour Bartlett’s oak collections. Afternoon trip to nearby Crowders Mountain for an easy hike to see the southernmost disjunct Quercus ilicifolia, among all the typical oaks of the Piedmont region.
Accommodation: Charlotte
Day 2: Sunday, October 13
Travel: south to Clemson, South Carolina
Activities: Driving tour through North Carolina/South Carolina mountains to see the representative oaks. Descent back into the Piedmont towards Clemson for the night; see the impressive Centennial Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) on the Clemson University campus.
Accommodation: Clemson, South Carolina
Day 3: Monday, October 14
Travel: to Aiken, South Carolina
Activities: Head to Aiken, briefly stopping to see Quercus oglethorpensis population. Spend the day with Bob McCartney and Aaron Campbell touring the rare oaks in the citywide arboretum.
Accommodation: Aiken, South Carolina
Day 4: Tuesday, October 15
Travel: Aiken to Savannah, Georgia, the continue to Charleston, South Carolina
Activities: Tour the campus-wide arboretum at Georgia Southern University at Armstrong with Philip Schretter, see noteworthy oaks such as the biggest Quercus insignis in the southeastern US, Castanopsis fissa, and other rare oaks. Head to Charleston and visit the Angel Oak (massive Quercus virginiana) and see native coastal plain oaks in the region (Q. geminata, etc).
Accommodation: Charleston, South Carolina
Day 5: Wednesday, October 16e
Travel: Charleston to Raleigh, North Carolina
Activities: Francis Marion National Forest and surrounding area. Head to Raleigh. Oak species to see: Q. similis, Q. geminata, Q. margaretta, Q. michauxii, Q. laurifolia, etc.
Accommodation: Raleigh, North Carolina
Day 6: Thursday, October 17
Activities: Visit JC Raulston Arboretum and Juniper Level Botanical Garden/Plant Delights Nursery.
Oak species to see: oak collections in the gardens
Accommodation: Raleigh, North Carolina
Day 7: Friday, October 18
Travel: to Durham (return to Charlotte)
Activities: Visit Sarah P. Duke Gardens
Oak species to see: oak collection at the Gardens
End of tour (participants travel to Raleigh/Durham airport for flights or return to Charlotte with the van).