Andrew Gapinski, Director of Horticulture

As the Arnold Arboretum’s Director of Horticulture, I care for the plant collections and landscapes of North America’s oldest public arboretum. I lead a talented team of nineteen full-time employees and seasonal gardeners responsible for all aspects of horticulture, arboriculture, and natural areas management; grounds operations and infrastructure; as well as grounds security and vehicle fleet management. I work closely with the Arboretum’s Director and other senior leaders in strategic planning and fundraising initiatives, and serve as project lead for grounds capital projects, including entrance improvements and comprehensive irrigation planning across the 281-acres.
In collaboration with the other living collections department heads, I undertake collections development projects, such as leadership of domestic and international plant collecting expeditions and act as Chair of the North America-China Plant Exploration Consortium. I direct the Arboretum’s Landscape Management System initiative, which is aimed at development of new technologies to further the ability to collect, store, access, and use horticultural and curatorial data to make more informed collections management decisions. Additionally, the horticulture team leads training programs through high school practicums, college internships, and graduate student fellowships and supports public programming and special events. I am a founding member of the institution’s Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in horticulture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and I began my career in public horticulture as a horticulturist at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL. In 2010, I obtained a master’s degree in public horticulture from the University of Delaware as part of The Longwood Graduate Program. Thereafter, I served as Director of Horticulture and Curator at The Arboretum at Penn State in University Park, PA. I have worked at the Arnold Arboretum since 2013.