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

  • Elepidote Rhododendron 573-62*A
  • Felty Lilac 446-28*A
  • Wilson Spirea 20493*B
  • Vilmorin Dove Tree 5159*A
  • Korean Paulownia 1703-77*E
  • Caucasian Spruce 17639*B
  • Wilson Pearlbush 11626*C
  • Rhododendron Scintillation Elepidote
    Elepidote Rhododendron 573-62*A
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
May 29
A group of five people stand outdoors, listening to a person in a blue shirt and cap who is gesturing toward a tall tree. The scene is set on a sunny day with a blue sky and greenery in the background.

Arboretum Highlights Tour: Flora Way Loop

Explore part of the Arboretum’s 281 acre landscape, hear stories of the Arboretum’s history, get an introduction to some of the many woody plant collections, and enjoy what’s in bloom during this 90-minute, docent-led tour. This tour highlights areas near the Flora Way Gate including the Conifer Collection, Hemlock Hill, Rhododendron Dell and Valley Road.

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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.

See More and Register
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

Stay Connected

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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
Introductory Tour

Introductory Tour

This half-mile Introductory Tour features stories about the Arboretum’s history, mission, and research endeavors. If you’re at the Arboretum, click here to take a version of this tour with Expeditions, our mobile web app.
40 mins Easy 0.5 miles
A Walk Through Time, Part 1

A Walk Through Time, Part 1

Walk with Landscape Architect Rosetta S. Elkin and Arboretum Archivist Lisa E. Pearson.
20 mins An easy walk with several hills, accessible for mobility impaired visitors .25 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

12488*BMap it ↗

Paperbark Maple

Scientific Name
Acer griseum

A remarkable and rare species native to central China, this maple is most known for its striking copper-colored papery bark. Plant collector Ernest Henry Wilson introduced it to North America in 1907. The Arboretum is home to some of the oldest paperbark maples outside of China.

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1171-89-AMap it ↗

Florida Yew

Scientific Name
Taxus floridana

The Florida yew is a critically endangered species, native to the Florida Panhandle. This specimen, wild-collected in 1989, endures the cold Boston climate.

View plant bio

Explorers Garden

Conifer Collection

Maple Collection

Bussey Brook Meadow

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Community

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