Quercus × deamii
Deam Oak

The Deam Oak is a rare hybrid between the White Oak (Quercus alba) and the Chinquapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) that can be found in mature forests. Quercus x deamii was first discovered in Wells County, Indiana, about 4 miles outside the town of Bluffton in 1904 by Bruce Williamson, a zoologist, and his father. Not sure what they had found, they took the specimen to Charles C. Deam who later sent the sample to his contacts at Missouri Botanical Garden for council. After some deliberation, studying the morphology of the specimen, and observing the surrounding trees in the area, they deemed it a hybrid of the White and Chinquapin Oaks. Charles C. Deam (1865-1953), a drugstore owner and self-taught botanist, was the author of Trees of Indiana, which was published in 1912. He was also vital in identifying the native shrubs, grasses, and flora of Indiana, recording native populations by location and creating herbariums for preservation. Deam also played an important role in preserving this oak, orchestrating the purchase of the 1/5 acre for seventy-five dollars and deeded the land to the state of Indiana to protect. Today, the Deam Oak still stands in good health on the 1/5 acre property, now called the Deam Oak Monument Forest.