Arboretum in the Harvard Gazette
Pamela Thompson, manager of adult education for the Arnold Arboretum and a breast cancer survivor, has been training since January to summit California’s 14,000-foot Mount Shasta, a climb through ice and snow that will require crampons and ice axes, to raise money and awareness for breast cancer prevention. more »
Harvard President Drew Faust’s coming trip to South Korea and Hong Kong is framed against a long history of Harvard’s engagement with Asia’s many nations. more »
The world we live in was made possible by the precursors to plants, which crossed two evolutionary hurdles that transformed not only plant life, but also the Earth’s atmosphere and its once-barren continents, Arnold Arboretum Director William Friedman said in a recent lecture. more »
The trees of Harvard Yard are in the midst of managed change as the once-ubiquitous elms continue their decades-long decline. Mixed species, dominated by American trees, replace them. more »
Arnold Arboretum Director William “Ned” Friedman and freshmen from his “Getting to Know Darwin” seminar went to the home of a pigeon fancier. “Darwin not only wrote about pigeons, he bred them himself,” Friedman said. more »
While new species naturally expand to other places and sometimes disrupt the scene when they arrive, the pace of introduction of invasive species has picked up enormously over the past century and a half, stressing and transforming New England forests. more »
It was a busy summer of Harvard-supported learning on campus and in the neighboring communities. more »
Scientists from the Arnold Arboretum and the University of Colorado are working to define for the first time the complete microbiome of a tree. more »
Arboretum Putnam Fellow announced
The Arnold Arboretum is pleased to announce that Dr. Stacey Young was awarded a Putnam Fellowship to conduct independent research utilizing the Arboretum’s living collection. more »
Spring school programs flower at the Arboretum
For three decades, the Arboretum has reached out to students from Boston Schools to participate in structured explorations of the collections, life science instruction, and engaging interactions with the natural world. This season the Arboretum welcomes hundreds of science students from pre-school through primary grades with new programs. more »
Lilac Sunday launch for Arboretum Explorer
Following a year of rigorous testing and evaluation, the Arboretum has combined the best attributes of both in a single application, Arboretum Explorer. Set for launch on May 12 as part of this year's Lilac Sunday celebrations, Arboretum Explorer represents the latest advance in the Arboretum’s historical commitment to expanding access to its collections for science, learning, and recreation. more »
Arnold Arboretum to host botanical symposium on Ginkgo biloba
A living fossil with an ancestry dating back some 270 million years, Ginkgo biloba stands out in the plant world as an object of fascination. To celebrate this relict species three eminent ginkgo researchers will share their expertise as part of a full-day symposium—Ginkgo Fest—at the Arnold Arboretum on Saturday, May 11. more »
Spring planting underway in the Arboretum landscape
Though spring seemed to get a bit of a late start in Boston this year, spring planting is already well underway at the Arnold Arboretum. Staff horticulturists are adding many trees, shrubs, and vines from our nurseries to their new locations in the landscape. more »
Spring Events Highlight “Collections Up Close”
The Arnold Arboretum is launching a new series of free public events this spring, each highlighting outstanding plant collections at their peak. Collections Up Close events delve into the diversity of the Arboretum’s Living Collection and celebrate thoughtful observations of the natural world. more »
Peter Del Tredici to receive Veitch Memorial Medal
The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is pleased to announce that Senior Research Scientist Peter Del Tredici will be awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal in London this spring. The Royal Horticultural Society presents this prestigious, international award to “persons of any nationality who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement and improvement of the science and practice of horticulture.” more »
Happy Birthday, Charles Darwin
February 12 is Charles Darwin's 204th birthday, cause for celebration here at the Arnold Arboretum. For twenty-four hours beginning after midnight, our homepage will feature a rotating set of Darwin's quotations on trees and plant biodiversity. Refresh your browser to see each of the featured quotations, or link to a special page to read them all. more »
100th year celebration for Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection
The Larz Anderson Collection of Dwarfed Japanese Trees at the Arnold Arboretum is celebrating its hundredth anniversary this year. The plants were originally imported into the United States in 1913 by the Honorable Larz Anderson, upon his return from serving as ambassador to Japan. more »
Visitor Center improvements begin this winter
Plans are underway in the Visitor Center for new display cases, a reading area, and and interactive technologies to be installed over the winter. According to Manager of Visitor Education Julie Warsowe, “our goal is for you to experience enhanced learning opportunities in the renewed space, and to give you new reasons to come back again and again—whether it’s to see a new exhibit with treasures from the Arboretum’s archives, browse new books on rotation from our library, or talk to a knowledgeable, friendly Arboretum representative.” more »
Sometimes spring flowers occur in fall
Although there are notable exceptions, the majority of flowering plants in the Arnold Arboretum's Living Collection bloom over the course of spring and early summer. While it is normal for some plants like the Franklin tree (Franklinia alatamaha) to flower in early fall, the autumn or winter occurence of flowers on plants that normally bloom in spring can be a surprising sight in the landscape. Why do some plants flower again during the off season? Is it a sign of climate change? more »
Visitor Center changes mark enhanced educational focus
A number of changes are currently underway in the Hunnewell Building Visitor Center, with additional displays and improved use of technology planned to improve and enhance how visitors experience our landscape and plant collections. more »