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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
Read more

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 laevis at Davis Arboretum
Quercus laevis at the Donald E. Davis Arboretum at Auburn University

© Roderick Cameron

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

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.

Quercus incana, Pike Co., Alabama
Quercus incana, Pike Co., Alabama

© Roderick Cameron

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

The Tour is still being designed, and Tour leaders will be taking further reconnaissance trips before finalizing the itinerary. You can view a provisional 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