Hemlock Hill, the largest Arboretum woodland, occupies 22 acres. It has had a complex history of disturbance, including the 1938 hurricane and arrival of the hemlock woolly adelgid. This woodland is home to a number of unique birds, amphibians, ferns, and herbaceous perennials that prefer the shady understory of dense forestland. Prominent non-native plants include glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus), castor aralia (Kalopanax septemlobus), mountain ash (Sorbus spp.), and hawthorn (Crataegus spp.). Hemlock Hill collections inform research and feature prominently in ecosystem studies for Boston Public School fifth grade students.
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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.
A botanist at the Arnold Arboretum officially named and described the seven son flower in 1916. But the species would not be grown in the United States until 1980. This plant was among the first.
| Plant ID | Accession Date | Received As | Origin | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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.
