Propagation & Distribution
This tradition continues today and during the past two decades, the Arboretum has been growing seed from expeditions to the Caucus region of the former Soviet Union, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Europe, and North Africa.
The Arboretum receives, on an average, 200 accessions of seed a year which represent our primary means of collections development. In addition, plant material from around the world arrives in the form of plants or propagules—softwood and hardwood cuttings, grafts, and seed being the most common. The plants are held in the nursery until they reach an appropriate size for planting in the main collections, a process that on average takes five to seven years.
The greenhouse staff also repropagates plants whose health is threatened by age, storm injury, or damage by insects or disease, thereby ensuring genetic continuity within our collections. Thus, research in applied horticulture and propagation is ongoing.
Plants grown in the greenhouses are also used in horticultural trials and other research at botanical gardens and institutions of higher learning. Greenhouse staff also grows the plants that are distributed to members each year.
In addition to growing plants, the greenhouse staff participates in the educational work of the Arboretum by teaching, by advising members of the education department, and by lecturing to and in other ways interacting with other professional groups.
Availability of propagation materials
The living collections of the Arnold Arboretum comprise a valuable genetic resource that represents a large subset of the combined ligneous floras of the North Temperate Zone. Many of the taxa included in the collections are rare and endangered in their native habitats, both in North America and Eurasia, and repeated collection of propagating material from naturally occurring populations could further jeopardize the continuance of these plants in nature. As a consequence, the Arnold Arboretum views its collections as an alternative source of limited amounts of propagating material of these taxa as well as more widespread but little-known plants. However, the Arboretum does not normally supply propagation materials of plants that are known to us to be available from commercial sources in North America. Moreover, we retain the right to refuse distribution of propagation material that represents species and/or clones that are planned for introduction on a commercial basis by the Arnold Arboretum.
It should also be kept in mind that seeds collected from Arboretum plants are frequently the result of open pollination, and no guarantee can be made that they will grow true to name. This fact is particularly true for large genera that are represented by many species in our collections.
Written requests for propagation material, listing the botanical name and the approximate amount of plant material desired, will be collected and processed by the staff as time and weather permits. Requests should be addressed to:
Greenhouse Manager
The Arnold Arboretum
125 The Arborway
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
No telephone requests will be accepted, and requests for material originating in foreign countries must be accompanied by the proper import permits and/or mailing labels for importation purposes. Every effort will be made to supply the requested material, but the number of plants held within our collection and their condition will be limiting factors. Requests held to a reasonable number, twelve or fewer, will be filled at a greater speed.
Except for requests from sister botanical institutions (determined based on current listings of institutions in the International Directory of Botanical Gardens, V (Koltz Scientific Books, 1990) and Index Herbariorum (New York Botanical Garden, 1990 ed. 8)) and departments of botany and biology in academic institutions, a fee is charged for propagation materials to offset the costs involved in providing these materials.
Fee Schedule
Plant Materials
| Seeds | gratis |
| Cuttings and scions | $.50 ea |
| Cuttings and scions of dwarf conifers | $1.00 ea |
| Cuttings and scions of special rare plants | $2.00 ea |
Labor
| Collecting, packaging and shipping (minimum of 1 hour) | $50.00 |
| Aerial lift (necessary for collecting scions and seeds from larger trees) | $150.00/hr |
| Phytosanitary Certificates | $20.00 |
A fee of $20.00 will be added to cover inspection by agents of the United States Department of Agriculture for phytosanitary certificates for all foreign orders.
Postage will be added to all orders.
All shipments will include an invoice; and payment by check in US dollars should be sent upon receipt of the plant material. Prepayment is discouraged inasmuch as cuttings, scions, or seeds of requested plants may not be available. If the cost of the order is expected to be high, notification will be made before a request is processed.
We strongly encourage individuals and corporations to become members of the Friends of the Arnold Arboretum. When propagation material is limited, members' requests are given priority. We are pleased to be able to share our resources with botanists and horticulturists throughout the world.