One of the most memorable aspects of any journey is the things that the adventurer picks up along the way, be they new mindsets, possible traumas, or simply little keepsakes that remind them of what they experienced on their trip. The same can be said for The Hobbit's Bilbo Baggins on his quest to reclaim the Kingdom of Erebor under the Lonely Mountain. Bilbo returns home with a lot more than he had, both in terms of wealth in gold and rich experiences, but also in loss and grief. His adventure changes him, and also changes the course of the future of Middle Earth, as he brings home with him one very dangerous possession: the ring of power.
But there is another place, far closer to his heart, that is also largely impacted by his journey: his beloved home, The Shire. This is definitely not canonical within the original works of Tolkien, but many fans loved Peter Jackson’s movie addition of the acorn that Bilbo picks up in Beorn's garden, and carries with him all the way back to be planted in his own garden. This small token is beautifully symbolic of Bilbo himself: one tiny piece of a much grander adventure, but a piece that brings so much hope and joy to those who need it. The acorn also serves as a reminder that out of all the trauma and suffering Bilbo experiences after losing his friends, reminding him that something beautiful can still grow from what they shared together.
The acorn is originally seen in the movies at a moment of extreme tension and turmoil for Bilbo. He is sat in the tunnels below Erebor, having confronted Smaug the terrible dragon, and also having found the Arkenstone that Thorin sent him down into the tunnels to retrieve. But during his confrontation with the beast, Smaug warned him that the jewel could drive people mad, as it did his grandfather. Bilbo then has to make the terrible decision of whether to reveal that he has the stone, and risk his dear friend’s sanity, or to keep it hidden, and watch Thorin become increasingly more desperate to find it, and increasingly more suspicious of those he holds closest to him.
When Thorin catches Bilbo twiddling something in between his fingers, he immediately jumps to thinking that Bilbo has stolen the Arkenstone, and demands “What is that in your hands? Show it to me!” At this point reveals the acorn that he has been carrying, and tells Thorin (who, in this one fleeting moment, returns to being his genuine, caring, honorable self) that he plans to plant it in Bag End when he gets home.
There are several theories about exactly what famous tree in The Shire this small acorn may grow to become. The two most obvious choices are the Party Tree, under which Bilbo stages his 111th birthday 60 years after the quest for Erebor, or the iconic oak tree that grows on the top of Bag End itself. Both of these trees are strong and tall by the time Frodo and Sam leave on their own quest, which seems as though it has happened too quickly for the acorn to have grown so fast — but it is, after all, an acorn from Beorn’s garden, and there are many magical properties in Middle Earth that could affect how quickly the seed flourished. However, there is a scene that was filmed for Peter Jackson’s movie adaptations that is not very well known, because it was cut out of the story altogether, including even in the extended edition scenes of the DVDs.
In this scene, the ruins of Dale have been over-run by orcs, there are bodies everywhere, and still the onslaught continues. Bard and Gandalf are walking through the streets, witnessing the carnage, and they begin to despair about the lives that have been lost, and the future that could have been rebuilt in the once marvelous city. At this point, Bilbo convinces them not to give up, and says that he can show them that future is still possible. He trudges towards a mound of soil, soaked in blood from the evil events of the day, and places inside his acorn, burying it deep into the earth. When asked what it is, he replies “It’s a promise. That beneath all that blood and dirt, there is a chance of new life. It may sound hopeless, it may sound foolish, but really what else can you do when you’re faced with death? What can anyone do? You go on living.”
This is one of those inspiring moments in The Hobbit films that gives it all the sentimentality and heart-felt reminiscence that people loved about the Lord of the Rings films. Many think it was a strange choice to cut this scene completely, both because it is such a heroic moment for Bilbo, and because it ties in so well with the wider themes of the story and what is going on during the battle at the time. However, Peter Jackson ultimately wanted Bilbo to take the acorn back to The Shire with him as he has said to Thorin. He wanted him to be able to watch it grow, and to remember all that he has loved and lost as it does. If this scene had stayed in the movies as planned, the Party Tree, or the old oak tree above Bag End, may never have existed at all.