The Virtual Trees of the Oval Walking Tour is currently unavailable.
A self-guided, walking tour brochure and app are available that highlight the significant trees of The Ohio State University Oval in Columbus. Trees were selected based on their historic significance, diversity, and ecological and economic values.
Click Trees of the Oval: A Walking Tour brochure to view or print a pdf of the brochure written by staff and students of Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens.
Trees of The Ohio State University Oval
Whatever your reason for coming to the Oval, a leisurely stroll, enjoying a beautiful day, or having a picnic, you might be surprised to discover an English oak (Quercus robur) thought to be one of the oaks Jesse Owens received from Adolph Hitler after Jesse won four gold medals in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. You might learn the difference between the horsechestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), a European native, and our native Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra). Or you might find the chinkapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) that was planted to honor The Ohio State University alumni who served our country during World War I.
The 32 trees highlighted in our Oval walk are described below. Click Trees of the Oval: A Walking Tour to view or print the pdf version of our brochure.
1. Overcup Oak – Quercus lyrata: This is a rare tree in Ohio. It is one of the species that best survived the floods of the Mississippi River. It is capable of surviving floods for up to 4 months even when its roots are underwater.
2. Black walnut – Juglans nigra: Noted for its valuable wood, large fruit, natural dyes, abrasive cleaner from shell & distinctive flavorful nutmeats, it also releases an antagonistic compound inhibiting the growth of some plants.
3. Hedge Maple – Acer campestre: This tree received its common name because of its association with hedgerows noticed by U.S. soldiers in Europe during World War II.
4. Dawn Redwood – Metasequoia glyptostroboides: This tree had been thought to be a living fossil when it was introduced to the U.S. in 1945. However, fossils of it have been found in Pennsylvania coal deposits.
5. European Beech – Fagus sylvatica: As its name suggests, this tree is native to Europe but is used extensively as an ornamental in the U.S. It can be pruned and a row of them can form an attractive hedge, or it can grow into a large tree when left unpruned.
6. Sawtooth Oak – Quercus acutissima: An Asian native, this tree is used for its benefit to wildlife. Unlike other oaks, it produces acorns consistently, and so is not invasive.
7. Oriental Oak – Quercus variabilis: This tree was planted in April 2010 and dedicated on Arbor Day 2010 to honor those Ohio State University scholars who have received Rhodes scholarships.
8. Ginkgo (maidenhair tree) – Ginkgo biloba: Famous for its potent smell, the edible “nut” of a Ginkgo is considered a delicacy in China and is believed to have health benefits. It has been suggested that it may be effective in treating dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
9. Chinkapin oak – Quercus muehlenbergii: This Chinkapin Oak was planted to honor the Ohio State University alumni who served our country in World War I.
10. Tuliptree – Liriodendron tulipifera: The tuliptree is the only known species to be planted by both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. They can be some of the tallest trees in the forest; the National Champion resides in VA and is 139' tall!
11. London planetree – Platanus x acerifolia: This species is a cross of American sycamore and oriental planetrees. It was named “London” because it was first identified at the Kew Gardens in London.
12. Paperbark maple – Acer griseum: This small, Chinese native is a wonderful addition to a small yard. The fall color can rival any Ohio State University red, and the cinnamon-colored, exfoliating (peeling) bark is an outstanding winter feature.
13. American sycamore – Platanus occidentalis: On OSU’s campus, the American sycamore is the only tree species capable of having been here before the creation of the university.
14. Chestnut oak – Quercus prinus: Chestnut Oak, a slow growing ridge top tree with the thickest ridged, dark brown bark of eastern oaks. The fire-resistant bark protects the tree from secondary trunk decay wounds.
15. Bald cypress – Taxodium distichum: Bald cypress is a deciduous conifer. Meaning it has cones but also drops all of its leaves in the fall. They can grow in wet or dry locations; though, in wet locations they will form 'knees' with their roots sticking out of the ground.
16. Common thornless honeylocust – Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis: Thornless honeylocust was the first plant patented by Ohio nurseries in 1949. It has since been widely planted as street tree, although it can damage sidewalks with is rooting system.
17. Callery pear – Pyrus calleryana: Once touted as 'the solution' to a variety of landscapes, these tough trees have become invasive and are now illegal to sell in Ohio.
18. European ash – Fraxinus excelsior ‘Golden Desert’: This cultivar was selected for its slower growth and bright yellow stems. Look for the "glow-in-the-dark" fall color in autumn.
19. Norway spruce – Picea abies: Conifers are uncommon to central Ohio, yet this spruce is the best adapted exotic, coming from Northern Europe. It is very invasive in the Adirondack Mountains, wiping out native White spruce.
20. Crimean linden – Tilia x euchlora: This is a European hybrid, very similar to the little-leaf linden. It is widely planted as a street tree and usually grows to a height of 60 feet.
21. White fir – Abies concolor: White fir is a tough evergreen with soft blue-green needles that tend to all point upwards. When crushed they smell like tangerines.
22. Turkish filbert – Corylus colurna: These medium-sized trees produce edible nuts. They often have a symmetrical, pyramidal habit when younger.
23. European hornbean – Carpinus betlulus: This species was used to create the hedgerows of Europe during World War II. Today they are often planted as windbreaks for crops.
24. Eastern white pine – Pinus strobus: A native conifer that is very site specific. It does not survive well on grass, so it must be grown on pine needles or mulch under it. It is the state tree of both Maine and Michigan.
25. American sweetgum – Liquidambar styraciflua: The most popular cultivar is the Moraine sweetgum, named for the Moraine Farm, which was located on a moraine. It is one of few plants with a split range, one in Southeast US, but also found in Central America.
26. Red oak – Quercus rubra: Red oaks are common landscape plants. They grow relatively quickly (for an oak), provide lots of shade, and host a wide variety of insect and animal life. The National Champion resides in Ohio and is 92' tall, but the trunk circumference is 337 inches!
27. Horsechestnut – Aesculus hippocastanum: A European native, it is often mistaken for the Ohio buckeye, yet it is much more arboreal, slower to grow but will become massive, and is said to be a better ornamental.
28. River birch – Betula nigra: River Birch is native to Ohio, north up to Dayton, and commonly found on sandbars. It is very sensitive to iron/manganese, and its color is reacting to the high pH of campus soil.
29. English oak – Quercus robur: A European native, it is often mistaken for the Ohio buckeye. It is more arboreal, slower to grow but will become massive, and is said to be a better ornamental.