Arboretum Wespelaar is an

arboretum An arboretum (: arboreta) is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees and shrubs of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, many modern arbor ...

in Wespelaar,

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

History

The grounds used to be private property of Elisabeth Willems, Viscountess de Spoelberch. their descendants kept the castle as private residence. The

was started in 1984, as an extension of the dendrological collections of Philippe de Spoelberch, (great grandson of Elisabeth Willems) to the north of his estate of Herkenrode. In 2007, the

and its collections were donated to the Foundation Arboretum Wespelaar which was set up to guarantee the future of the collections and arrange for their opening to the public in 2011. Some 2000 different taxa can be seen on the 20 hectare grounds.

Collection

The arboretum brings together trees and shrubs from around the world which can survive in the temperate Belgian climate. Arboretum Wespelaar houses many woody species large and small, including common and rare species, especially those that are threatened in the wild. Some genera are particularly well represented: ''Acer'', ''

Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...

'', ''

Rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; : ''rhododendra'') is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the Ericaceae, heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan ...

'' and ''

Stewartia :Stewartia'' as described by Philibert Commerçon is a synonym of ''Dombeya. ''Stewartia'' (sometimes spelled ''Stuartia''Sprague, T.A. (1928). The correct spelling of certain generic names. III. ''Kew Bulletin'' 1928: 337-365.Royal Botanic Gar ...

''. In addition to these, you will find good collections of other genera such as: ''

Betula A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...

'', ''

Carpinus Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the plant genus ''Carpinus'' in the family Betulaceae. Its species occur across much of the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Common names The common English name ''hornbeam'' derives from the hard ...

'', ''

Euonymus ''Euonymus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine family Celastraceae. Common names vary widely among different species and between different English-speaking countries, but include spindle (or spindle tree), burning-bush, strawb ...

'', '' Ilex'', ''

Tilia ''Tilia'' is a genus of about 30 species of trees or bushes, native throughout most of the temperateness, temperate Northern Hemisphere. The tree is known as linden for the European species, and basswood for North American species. In Great Bri ...

'', ''

Viburnum ''Viburnum'' is a genus of about 150–175 species of flowering plants in the moschatel family, Adoxaceae. Its current classification is based on molecular phylogeny. It was previously included in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae. The memb ...

'', ''

Quercus An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

'', '' Styrax'' etc. The Arboretum is also known for its yellow flowering Magnolias. Many Magnolias have been selected and named at the Arboretum, with the yellow ''Magnolia'' 'Daphne' being the most famous. Many of Arboretum Wespelaar's trees and shrubs are to be found on the Red List of the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

(International Union for Conservation of Nature). By giving priority to wild collected plants, identified as endangered or critically endangered on these lists, the Arboretum hopes to contribute to the conservation of such plants. Arboretum Wespelaar is a member of

Botanic Gardens Conservation International Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is a plant conservation biology, conservation Charitable organization, charity based in Kew, Surrey, England. It is a membership organisation, working with 800 botanic gardens in 118 countries, wh ...

, an international non-profit organisation that exists to ensure the worldwide conservation of threatened plants. Arboretum Wespelaar is a part of

ArbNet ArbNet is an international arboretum accreditation and networking program. The ArbNet program is supported and coordinated through The Morton Arboretum, with partners American Public Gardens Association and Botanic Gardens Conservation Internati ...

,Arboretum Wespelaar
on www.arbnet.org an interactive, collaborative, international community of arboreta. Through ArbNet, arboreta around the world collaborate to conserve trees and tree collections. The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta based on a set of professional standards. There are 4 levels of accreditations, within which Level 4 is the highest level. Since 2016, Arboretum Wespelaar has been awarded a Level 4 Accreditation.

Visits

The Arboretum can be visited on Wednesdays and Sundays from April 1 to November 15.

References

External links

Arboretum Wespelaar
Wespelaar Geography of Flemish Brabant Tourist attractions in Flemish Brabant Gardens in Flanders 1984 establishments in Belgium Botanical gardens in Belgium {{arboretum-stub