KQED's Forum ‘When Trees Testify’ They Tell the Story of Black American History
Jan 20, 2026
Beronda L. Montgomery, a plant biologist and author of "When Trees Testify," explores the rich intersections of botany and Black American history. She shares her emotional encounter with a centuries-old oak tree that connected her to enslaved ancestors. Beronda discusses how the legacy of enslaved expertise shaped the pecan industry and delves into the significance of memorial trees. The conversation highlights the importance of trees as living memorials, symbolizing resilience, while also emphasizing the need for integrating indigenous knowledge in modern plant science.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Oak At Charleston As A Living Witness
- Montgomery describes visiting a 400–600 year old oak on a Charleston plantation and realizing enslaved people had stood beneath it.
- Standing there made her feel connected to those ancestors and started her project of reading trees as historical witnesses.
Anton: The Enslaved Pecan Innovator
- Montgomery tells the story of Anton, an enslaved man whose grafting and horticultural work led to the first commercial pecan.
- She highlights how his expertise underpins a major American agricultural industry yet remains little known.
Grafting Roots May Precede Formal Science
- Grafting knowledge may derive from observed natural grafting or curiosity-driven experimentation rather than formal schooling.
- Montgomery wonders whether such techniques were part of botanical knowledge carried from Africa before enslavement.
