Welcome to Oaks of the Americas

The genus Quercus (Fagaceae) is an ecologically important component of forest and perennial ecosystems throughout the northern hemisphere, with approximately 415 species worldwide and approximately 255 in the New World alone. All of the oaks of the western hemisphere form a single clade comprised of three distinct lineages, sections Lobatae (red or black oaks), Quercus (white oaks, which also includes the small Eurasian white oak clade), and Protobalanus (golden-cup oaks). The Oaks of the Americas Scratchpad is focused on the diversity of these three clades, with additional information on Quercus outside of these clades included opportunistically. If you have questions about this site, please contact Andrew Hipp (The Morton Arboretum).

This work is support in part by National Science Foundation (Awards DEB 1146488 to The Morton Arboretum, 1146432 to Notre Dame University, 1146380 to University of Minnesota, and 1146102 to Duke University).