The Arnold Arboretum witnessed significant change in 2011, from the arrival of a new director to the opening of the Weld Hill Research and Administration Building. Read highlights of the Arboretum's current work in the 2011 Annual Report, now available in print and online. Learn more about current research initiatives, conservation and exploration efforts both at home and abroad, and our expanding education opportunities for people of all ages.

The Arboretum's collection of plants is truly international in character, and this diversity is celebrated in June with free tours in ten different languages. A fresh way to explore the landscape, International Month also presents a great opportunity for non-English speakers and foreign language students to learn more about the Arboretum. Hear engaging stories about our history, design, mission, and activities while enjoying plant highlights of late spring.

Arboretum members, mark your calendars for the 2012 Members' Plant Giveaway: Saturday, September 15 at the Arboretum. The event offers members the opportunity to select a number of free plants based on membership level, as part of our mission to promote and exchange exceptional trees, shrubs, and vines for New England gardens. Staff experts will help you with your selections and offer advice on planting and care, and the event will conclude with a free drawing for exceptional specimens from the Arboretum nursery.

The Arboretum offers some compelling programs this month to enhance your knowledge of woody plants and forge new connections with the natural world. On Tuesday, June 19, join Arboretum Horticultural Technologist Jen Kettell to explore an array of woody vines to accentuate vertical space in the garden. On Tuesday, June 26, UMass Extension Weed Specialist Randy Prostak presents a workshop focused on identifying and eradicating broadleaf weeds in New England landscapes. And for a unique and enthralling journey through the Arboretum, join storyteller Diane Edgecomb and Celtic harpist Margot Chamberlain on Friday, June 15 or Saturday, June 16 for a summer solstice evening of stories and songs shared "In the Groves."

This month the Arboretum launches free Discovery Packs for family fun in the landscape, supported by a gift from the Arnold Arboretum Committee. Be part of the Explorer's Club and go on an adventure in the Arboretum. Living Museum or Science Lab backpacks can be borrowed from the Visitor Center in the Hunnewell Building and are suitable for families with kids over the age of three.

The Arboretum's extensive collection of rose family plants grow near the Forest Hill Gate in the recently renovated Bradley Rosaceous Collection. In addition to the variety of species and ornamental roses that flower at this time of year, several species of Spiraea shrubs are quite showy with panicles of white- or pink-petaled flowers. Valued for centuries by gardeners for their hardiness and ornamental qualities, Spiraea was also used as a medicinal herbal tea by Native Americans. The Arboretum's collection includes nearly 200 plants from throughout the temperate world, including species named for Founding Director Charles Sprague Sargent (S. sargentiana) and Arboretum plant explorer Ernest Henry Wilson (S. wilsonii). See multiple accessions of S. virginiana, a native and endangered plant conserved at the Arboretum in collaboration with the Center for Plant Conservation.

All images from the Arnold Arboretum Archives except botanical artwork by Gordon Morrison.

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