Hosted by the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, this inaugural event for the Young Friends of the Arnold Arboretum features an enchanting evening of food, drinks, and activities in the landscape after dark—a time when the Arboretum is usually closed to the visiting public. Designed to appeal to those 21-40 or who are young at heart, this event is a premier opportunity to immerse yourself in the plants, purpose, and peacefulness of the Arnold Arboretum with other metropolitan nature enthusiasts.
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.
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.
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.
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.
‘Schlesingeri’ showcases the earliest fall color of all red maples. It was also one of the first cultivars that the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University introduced in the late 19th century.
In the early 20th century, American and European botanists believed that the ginkgo, while common in cultivation, was extinct in the wild. This ginkgo was collected from one of the few presumed wild populations of this species in China.
I love connecting members and donors with the landscape and the Arboretum’s mission. Together, we can ensure the Arboretum’s dynamic landscape grows in perpetuity.
There are not many other places where I could study such a diverse group of species. I love having such an exceptional collection next door to the lab, and despite spending so much time in the landscape, I still keep finding wonderful new spots with plants from around the world.
I am so grateful to come to work every day in a place where so many people come to find joy, relaxation, healing, and learning. Working with seeds and plants in the beginning stages of their lives is a constant reminder of the miraculous and complex life cycles that plants carry out all around us.
The Arnold has an incredible history of plant-loving people that I really relate to. I feel lucky to work here and look forward to it every day.
I love creating programs that get people excited about plants and the Arboretum and seeing the participants’ reactions first-hand. When someone feels really inspired, or excited, or awestruck because of a program I planned, there’s no better feeling.
