The Arnold Arboretum is a botanical research institution and free public park affiliated with

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

and located in the

Jamaica Plain Jamaica Plain is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood of in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Settled by Puritans seeking farmland to the south, it was originally part of Roxbury, Massachusetts, Roxbury. The community seceded from Roxbur ...

and

Roslindale Roslindale is a primarily residential neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, bordered by Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park, West Roxbury and Mattapan. It is served by an MBTA Commuter Rail line, several MBTA bus lines and the MBTA Oran ...

neighborhoods of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. Established in 1872, it is the oldest public

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 North America. The landscape was designed by

Charles Sprague Sargent Charles Sprague Sargent (April 24, 1841March 22, 1927) was an American botanist. He was appointed in 1872 as the first director of Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum in Boston, Massachusetts, and held the post until his death. He published se ...

and

Frederick Law Olmsted Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822 – August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, Social criticism, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the U ...

and is the second largest "link" in the

Emerald Necklace The Emerald Necklace consists of a chain of parks linked by parkways and waterways in Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts. It was designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, and gets its name from the way the planned chain appears ...

. The Arnold Arboretum's collection of temperate trees, shrubs, and vines has an emphasis on the plants of the eastern North America and eastern Asia, where Arboretum staff and colleagues are sourcing new material on plant collecting expeditions. The Arboretum supports research in its landscape and in its Weld Hill Research Building.

History

Arnold Arboretum - DPLA - 3e14533697d8523144f80412cb71f92f

The Arboretum was founded in 1872. It was established through land and financial gifts from Benjamin Bussey and James Arnold, with trustee

George Barrell Emerson George Barrell Emerson (September 12, 1797 – March 14, 1881) was an American educator and pioneer of women's education. Biography He was born in Kennebunk, Massachusetts (since 1820 in Maine). He graduated from Harvard College in 1817, and so ...

facilitating its creation. Harvard appointed

as the first director, who partnered with landscape architect

to design the grounds. A unique agreement with the City of Boston ensured public access through a 1,000-year lease. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Arboretum became a center for botanical research, with Sargent publishing ''The Silva of North America'' and launching ''Garden and Forest''. Inspired by his travels to Japan, the Arboretum began decades of plant collection in East Asia, led by botanists like

Ernest Henry Wilson Ernest Henry "Chinese" Wilson (15 February 1876 – 15 October 1930), better known as E. H. Wilson, was a British plant collector and explorer who introduced a large range of about 2,000 Asian plant species to the Western culture, West; some si ...

. The

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

paused international collecting, shifting focus to landscape preservation and public education. The mid-20th century brought innovations in plant cultivation, with the 1962 construction of the Dana Greenhouses supporting horticultural research. Plant exploration resumed in the 1970s, particularly in China, with partnerships like the Sino-American Botanical Expedition. In 2011, the Weld Hill Research Building opened, advancing scientific study. During the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the Arboretum remained open as a vital public refuge. In 2022, the Arboretum celebrated its 150th anniversary, reaffirming its mission of research, conservation, and free public access. Today, it continues to serve as a leading institution in botanical science and education.

Location

The Arboretum occupies 281 acres in the Jamaica Plain and Roslindale sections of Boston. The Visitor Center is located at the Hunnewell Administration Building at 125 Arborway. The Arboretum contains four notable hills: Bussey Hill, Peters Hill, Hemlock Hill, and Weld Hill. Of these, Peters Hill is the tallest at .

Climate

The Arboretum is located in USDA hardiness zone 6b ().

Collections

The Arnold Arboretum maintains over 17,000 plants across roughly 10,000 accessions, emphasizing North American and East Asian ligneous species. Historic collections include plant introductions by

William Purdom William Purdom (10 April 1880 – 7 November 1921) was a British plant explorer. After being apprenticed as a gardener aBrathay Hallin the English Lake district, he traveled to London to work at the Hugh Low, Enfield Nursery, then onto the Veitch ...

, Joseph Hers, and

Joseph Rock Joseph Francis Charles Rock (1884 – 1962) was an Austrian-American botanist, List of explorers, explorer, geographer, linguistics, linguist, ethnographer and photographer. Life Josef Franz Karl Rock was born in Vienna, Austria, the son of a s ...

, with recent expeditions to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, and

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

contributing to its diversity. Key plant collections focus on Acer,

Fagus Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of Mesophyte, mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted ...

Carya Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes 19 species accepted by ''Plants of the World Online''. Seven species are native to southeast Asia in China, Indochina, and northeastern India (Assam), and twelve ...

Forsythia ''Forsythia'' , is a genus of flowering plants in the olive family Oleaceae. There are about 11 species, mostly native to Eastern Asia, but one native to Southeastern Europe. ''Forsythia'' – also one of the plant's common names – is named ...

Pinus A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as c ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Syringa ''Syringa'' is a genus of 12 currently recognized species of flowering plant, flowering woody plants in the olive family or Oleaceae called lilacs. These lilacs are native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and wid ...

, and

Tsuga ''Tsuga'' (, from Japanese (), the name of '' Tsuga sieboldii'') is a genus of conifers in the subfamily Abietoideae of Pinaceae, the pine family. The English-language common name "hemlock" arose from a perceived similarity in the smell of it ...

, along with specialized collections such as the Bradley Collection of Rosaceous Plants, conifers, and Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection. Around 500 new accessions are processed annually. The Index Herbarioum code "A" is assigned to the Arboretum. Its research mission centers on woody plant evolution and biogeography, with studies in molecular genetics, plant-water relations, and environmental change. ArnoldArboretumBirch20040415-01s

Plant records

Plant records are maintained on a computerized database, ''BG-BASE''
''BG-BASE'' Inc.
, which was initiated in 1985 at the request of the Arnold Arboretum and the Threatened Plants Unit (TPU) of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre
WCMC
. Currently the Arboretum uses a suite o
ESRI
Desktop and Mobil
GIS
software applications to manage, analyze, query, capture, manipulate, and display geographic information. A computer-driven embosser generates records labels. All accessioned plants in the collections are labeled with accession number, botanical name, source information, common name, and map location.

Nursery and greenhouse

Th
Dana Greenhouses
located at 1050 Centre Street (with a mailing address of 125 Arborway), were completed in 1962. Also located in the greenhouse complex is the bonsai and penjing pavilion, where the Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection is displayed from the middle of April to the end of October.

Associated collections

The Arboretum's herbarium holds specimens of cultivated plants that relate to the living collections. The herbarium, horticultural library, archives, and photographs are maintained in the Hunnewell building at 125 Arborway; however, the main portions of the herbarium and library collections are housed in Cambridge on the campus of

Activities

Research

The Arboretum offers various programs to support scholars at different stages, including fellowships and awards for students, postdoctoral researchers, and professionals. Notably, the DaRin Butz Foundation Research Internship Program provides undergraduates with hands-on research experience, while the Deland Award and Cunin/Sigal Research Award offer financial support for student research projects. Additionally, the Arboretum'
library and archives
serve as valuable resources for botanical studies.

Education

The Arboretum offers a variety o
education programs
for students, educators, professionals, and the public. School programs include guided field trips and a summer science program for middle schoolers, while professional development opportunities support educators in outdoor learning. Horticultural training includes internships and fellowships for students and early-career professionals. Family and community programs encourage nature exploration, and adult education offers lectures, workshops, and tours on plant science and conservation.

Horticulture

A team of

horticulturists Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

arborists An arborist, or (less commonly) arboriculturist, is a professional in the practice of arboriculture, which is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants in dendrology and horticu ...

, gardeners, seasonal employees, and summer interns maintain the grounds. A wide array of vehicles and modern equipment, are used in grounds maintenance.

Lilac Sunday

The second Sunday in May every year is "

Lilac ''Syringa'' is a genus of 12 currently recognized species of flowering woody plants in the olive family or Oleaceae called lilacs. These lilacs are native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and widely and commonly ...

Sunday"—a celebration with tours, hands-on children's programming, arts programming, and picnicking. In 2008, on the 100th anniversary o
Lilac Sunday
the Arboretum website touted:

Publications

'' Arnoldia'' is the quarterly member magazine of the Arboretum, dedicated to exploring the nature of trees. Established in 1911 as the Bulletin of Popular Information, it has evolved into a forum for discussions on temperate woody plants and their landscapes. The magazine features stories of plant exploration, insights into botanical research, and explorations of the history of gardens, landscapes, and science. In 2022, as part of the Arboretum's sesquicentennial celebration, ''Arnoldia'' relaunched with a new approach, expanding its scope to include poetry, visual art, and literary essays. Readers can access digitized back issues dating back to its inception.

Institutional collaborations

The Arboretum maintains an institutional membership in the American Public Garden Association,

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 ...

, and the International Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta. Additionally, members of the staff are associated with many national and international botanical and horticultural organizations. The Arboretum also works with the

Center for Plant Conservation The Center for Plant Conservation (also known as CPC) is a non-profit organization that includes a network of over 81 participating institutions. Its primary mission is the conservation and restoration of rare native plants of the United States, ...

, the

Plant Collections Network The Plant Collections Network (PCN) (formerly the North American Plant Collections Consortium) is a group of North American botanical gardens and arboretum, arboreta that coordinates a continent-wide approach to plant germplasm preservation, and pr ...

, and the North America-China Plant Exploration Consortium on domestic and international plant conservation initiatives.

References

External links

Arnold Arboretum
Official Website
Arnold Arboretum Visitor InformationHarvard University HerbariaAmerican Public Gardens Association (APGA)Flora of ChinaVirtual Information Access (VIA)
Catalog of visual resources at Harvard University.

A Journal of Horticulture, Landscape Art, and Forestry (1888–1897)

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080514161210/http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/TwHP/wwwlps/lessons/86bostonparks/86bostonparks.htm ''The Emerald Necklace: Boston's Green Connection,'' a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan]
Arnoldia / Arnold Arboretum
at JSTOR Digital Library
Arnoldia / Arnold Arboretum
at

HathiTrust HathiTrust Digital Library is a large-scale collaborative repository of digital content from research libraries. Its holdings include content digitized via Google Books and the Internet Archive digitization initiatives, as well as content digit ...

Digital Library
Arnoldia / Arnold Arboretum
at Botanical Scientific Journals {{Authority control Arboreta in Massachusetts Botanical gardens in Massachusetts Emerald Necklace Frederick Law Olmsted works National Historic Landmarks in Boston Parks in Boston 1872 establishments in Massachusetts Landmarks in Boston National Register of Historic Places in Boston