Quercus × rudkinii Britton

Quercus × rudkinii was first found by William Rudkin, one of the oldest members of the Torrey Botanical Club, and William Bower, while botanising in New Jersey. In the original publication, the parent was said to be Q. nigra, which was confused in the past with Q. marilandica. Britton named the hybrid after Rudkin, whom he credited with its discovery, but not without adding that it was ‘probably the plainest [hybrid oak] of them all’ (Britton 1882).

Some grafted plants distributed recently derive from scions collected in Virginia, USA.

Two plants are at Cherry Tree Arboretum, Shropshire, UK, one 2.5 m × 5 cm (The Tree Register 2025). Grafted trees were sold from the short-lived Cherry Tree Nursery during the 2010s, one of which was planted at the Yorkshire Arboretum, where it survives though it has not prospered (J. Grimshaw, pers. comm. 2026).

A small tree at Arboretum du Passadou, France, seen in 2019 had leathery leaves to 16 × 6 cm that were glossy dark green above, and entire or some shallowly lobed towards the apex, base rounded and slightly cordate, apex with a bristle tip (pers. obs. AJC).