Experience the springtime bloom of our renowned lilac collection with Lilac Sunday, offering fun, free explorations for the entire family. The event features ongoing tours of the Arboretum’s lilacs as well as guided meditations, art, family activities, and picnicking on this day only. Visitors may also enjoy a host of self-guided tours, including a lilac tour, via the Arboretum website and its Expeditions app.
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.
Walk with Landscape Architect Rosetta S. Elkin and Arboretum Archivist Lisa E. Pearson.
Walk with Landscape Architect Rosetta S. Elkin and Arboretum Archivist Lisa E. Pearson.
An alumna of Arnold Arboretum propagator Jack Alexander’s lilac breeding program, this sterile hybrid was introduced in 2005. Its abundant, pale purple flowers kiss the sky early in the lilac blooming season.
The Arnold Arboretum introduced a lilac called ‘Lilac Sunday’ in 1997. This garden favorite can produce clusters of flowers that are more than two feet long.
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.
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.
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.
