The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is a museum of trees teaching the world about plants.

  • Wilson Spirea 20493*B
  • Felty Lilac 446-28*A
  • Vilmorin Dove Tree 5159*A
  • Elepidote Rhododendron 573-62*A
  • Korean Paulownia 1703-77*E
  • Caucasian Spruce 17639*B
  • Wilson Pearlbush 11626*C
  • Close-up of small white flowers and unopened buds clustered on green stems, with green leaves and a blurred natural background.
    Wilson Spirea 20493*B
  • Cluster of pale pink, star-shaped flowers blooming on a branch with green leaves in the background, likely photographed in natural sunlight.
    Felty Lilac 446-28*A
  • A close-up of a white dove tree flower with a dark center, surrounded by green leaves and sunlight filtering through the foliage.
    Vilmorin Dove Tree 5159*A
  • Rhododendron Scintillation Elepidote
    Elepidote Rhododendron 573-62*A
  • Close-up of pale purple flowers with delicate, ruffled petals and subtle purple veins, blooming in clusters under sunlight. Green foliage and a hint of blue sky are visible in the blurred background.
    Korean Paulownia 1703-77*E
  • Evergreen tree branches with clusters of small, bright pink buds among green needle-like leaves, creating a vivid contrast against the dark foliage background.
    Caucasian Spruce 17639*B
  • Close-up of delicate white flowers with green centers blooming on a bush, surrounded by green leaves and branches, with a blurred blue sky and trees in the background.
    Wilson Pearlbush 11626*C
Jun 20
Portrait of Frederick Law Olmsted.

Olmsted and the Arnold Arboretum

Frederick Law Olmsted, considered the father of landscape architecture, designed some 500 public spaces in North America. The Arnold Arboretum is the only arboretum he designed, a National Historic Landmark, and a model for others around the world. Docent Bill Beizer, will identify the elements of the Arboretum that best reflect Olmsted’s philosophy and approach to landscape design.

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What’s New

dawn redwood on the cover of Summer 2026 program guide

Learn, Grow, Explore

Summer Program Guide

Discover a free and enriching summer of guided walks, hands-on art, nature exploration, and wellness experiences at the Arnold Arboretum—inviting you to connect with plants in fresh, inspiring ways.

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Three people hug a large tree trunk

Plants and People

Get To Know a Tree

Arnold Arboretum Director and Arnold Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology William (Ned) Friedman teaches an innovative first-year Harvard seminar titled Tree that invites students to form meaningful, firsthand connections with individual trees to transform their relationship with the natural world. See the course syllabus and development a new friendship in our landscape.

Tree Seminar Syllabus
Hu Xiansu

Legacies in the Landscape

Celebrating Hu Xiansu

Hu Xiansu (H. H. Hu), a pioneering botanist who laid the foundation for modern plant taxonomy in China, earned his doctorate at Harvard 100 years ago. His groundbreaking identification of the “living fossil” dawn redwood and leadership in creating China’s botanical institutions cemented his legacy as one of the most influential figures in 20th-century botany.

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View of the Washington Street entrance

An Entrance Revitalized

Washington Street Gate Renewal

With completion of donor-funded renovations to the Washington Street entrance nearing, the gate into Bussey Brook Meadow and Blackwell Footpath have reopened to visitors and green transit commuters. Additional landscape work at Washington Street will continue this fall.

Washington Street Gate
Michael Dosmann points out the parts of a forsythia flower for a member at a Tree Mob

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Stories

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Today’s Virtual Walks

Director’s Tour

Director’s Tour

Experience the Arnold Arboretum’s world-class living collections from Director Ned Friedman’s perspective. Take this tour online or use the page for self-guided exploration while visiting the Arboretum in person.
120 mins Medium 2.5 miles
A Walk Through Time, Part 2

A Walk Through Time, Part 2

Walk with Landscape Architect Rosetta S. Elkin and Arboretum Archivist Lisa E. Pearson.
30 mins An easy walk with a hill, accessible for mobility impaired visitors. .25 miles
Keeper’s Tour

Keeper’s Tour

Take a virtual walk with Michael Dosmann, the Keeper of the Arboretum’s living collections. Take this tour online or use the page for self-guided exploration while visiting the Arboretum in person.
90 mins Medium 1.5 miles
Explorers Garden Tour

Explorers Garden Tour

This quarter-mile tour through the Explorers Garden features stories from the Arboretum’s century and a half of collecting plants around the world. If you’re at the Arboretum, click here to take a version of this tour with Expeditions, our mobile web app.
45 mins Easy .25 miles

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Plants & Collections

1067-87*AMap it ↗

‘Crimson Gem’ Bracted Viburnum

Scientific Name
Viburnum bracteatum ‘Crimson Gem’

This one-of-a-kind viburnum was collected as a result of the Arboretum’s commitment to plant conservation. Its exceptional single red floret was noted 18 years after planting.

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299-2001*AMap it ↗

Bigleaf Magnolia

Scientific Name
Magnolia macrophylla ssp. macrophylla

Bearing the largest simple leaves and flowers of any temperate species in North America, bigleaf magnolia is a striking native of the Southeastern United States. Its exotic foliage, fragrant flowers, and showy fruit make it a popular specimen tree in gardens and arboreta.

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Explorers Garden

Bradley Rosaceous Collection

Leventritt Shrub & Vine Garden

Cosmopolitan Meadow at Weld Hill

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