National Collection Spotlight: Havard’s Oak

To thrive in the harsh conditions of the Great Plains of America is no small feat. For flora and fauna alike, the extreme weather creates an unforgiving environment. With so little coverage for protection, and scarce food sources, it’s no wonder that Harvard’s oak (Quercus havardii), also commonly known as shinnery oak, provides shelter to so many small creatures. Found across Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah, Havard’s oak has seen a recent decline due to industrial agriculture coming into conflict. Due to this threat, our institutional partners have taken steps to protect the future of Havard’s Oak.

As exceptional species that cannot be conserved long-term via conventional seed banking methods, the threatened oaks of the United States, including Quercus havardii, are at the forefront of the conservation efforts of many of CPC’s Conservation Partners. The Morton Arboretum and the The Huntington have taken steps to preserve Havard’s oak.

We encourage you to learn more about Havard’s oak on its National Collection Plant Profile and help support critical conservation work with a Plant Sponsorship. In celebration of our 40 years of saving plants from extinction, CPC’s 40th Anniversary Campaign is raising funds to sponsor 40 National Collection species, including Havard’s oak. For every $5K raised per plant species, our Board of Trustees will provide $5K in matching funds to bring the species to the full sponsorship level of $10K–doubling the impact of your gift in support of rare and endangered plants!