Grant Memorial Bur Oak

One of the oldest trees on the U.S. Capitol Grounds is this this bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa). It has been growing in this location since the establishment of the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG) collections around 1850.

This tree was inventoried in 1917 by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., and preserved in its original location during the construction of the Grant Memorial in the 1920s, the redesign of Union Square in the 1930s and the installation of the Capitol Reflecting Pool in the 1970s.

This bur oak provides a link with Olmsted's vision for Union Square as a transition between the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall, and the original site of the USBG.