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Arnold Arboretum

Bradley Rosaceous Collection


Bradley Rosaceous Collection
Download a map for printing [pdf]

About
This five acre (two hectare) garden showcases 810 plants representing 397 taxa (kinds), 56 genera and 26 families. Approximately 85% of the plants in the garden are members of the rose family (Rosaceae). Taken together, the collections provide rich learning opportunities and seasonal interest.

In June 2011, the Arboretum installed and dedicated a new rose arbor in the Bradley Rosaceous Collection. The arbor honors Elizabeth Cabot Sluder, a longtime friend and supporter of the Arboretum and daughter of the collection’s benefactor and namesake, Eleanor Cabot Bradley. The installation of the arbor capped off a four-year renovation of the collection and its garden landscape, a collaboration between Arboretum staff and landscape designer Julie Moir Messervy. With a graceful design inspired by Messervy and developed by metal artist Peter Andruchow and his company WovenSteel, the arbor supports new accessions of Rosa ‘New Dawn’ and R. ‘Sombreuil’.

Read more about garden renovations under the More » tab above.

Historic views of the ponds are made available by the Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library.

Highlights

  • The Prunus (cherry) promenade, along the eastern end of the garden, is in peak bloom from late April to mid May.
  • Amelanchier nantucketensis (Nantucket juneberry or shadbush) is one of many threatened plants grown by the Arboretum. Cream-colored flowers inconspicuously jewel the banks of Dawson Pond from May to early June.
  • Species and cultivar roses grace the beds and arbor of the rose roundabout. Sit on the Bradley Bench above the western end of the garden for a bird’s-eye view.
  • Sorbus yuana and Malus baccata are two of many outstanding specimens from the 1980 Sino-American Botanical Expedition growing in the garden. [pdf]
  • The North American native Hibiscus moscheutos ssp. palustris (swamp mallow), around Dawson Pond feature large pink flowers between July and September. [pdf]

Search our inventory for additional accessions information or access our collections using your mobile device via Arboretum Explorer!

Visit

Directions:
The Bradley Rosaceous Collection is located at the intersection of Meadow Road, Bussey Hill Road, and Forest Hills Road. Look for a metal arbor marking the entrance on Meadow Road.

Accessibility:
The Bradley Rosaceous Collection consists of open grass lawns and grass paths between large planting beds. It is not wheelchair accessible. There are three ponds in the Bradley Rosaceous Collection. Dawson Pond has a stone ramp that allows visitors to safely observe the pond while protecting its edges from erosion; please use caution.

Interpretation:
Map tables at Forest Hills Gate and Dawson Pond provide Arboretum wayfinding information.

How long should I explore?
Plan to spend from twenty minutes to one hour exploring this five acre collection.

Plan your visit to the Arboretum.

Arnoldia

  • Shaw, J. 1983. Gardening with Species Roses. Arnoldia 43(3): 3-16. [pdf]

Search for related articles in Arnoldia, the magazine of the Arnold Arboretum.

More »

  • Schneider, S. A Garden Reimagined: Renovations Underway in the Bradley Rosaceous Collection. Silva, Spring 2010: 5-6. [pdf]
  • Read more about rose arbor metal artist Peter Andruchow on Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio’s website.
  • Learn more about roses from the American Rose Society.
  • The Arboretum sits on the Emerald Necklace Conservancy’s Rose Garden advisory committee. In July of 2013, restoration of Arthur Shurcliff’s fountain (circa 1930) will begin at the Kelleher Rose Garden. In advance of construction, participate in the annual Rose Garden Party on Thursday, June 13.
  • Visit the Eleanor Cabot Bradley Estate, the residence of the late Eleanor Cabot Bradley; benefactor of the Bradley Rosaceous Collection.
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