Exhibits
Guided Tours
Plan Your Visit
As a lead-up to our Haunted Botany performance piece about the colonial histories of Eastern White Pine, join Materials Science Professor Lorna Gibson for a Tree Mob on tree species that were used to build colonial ships. From dense oak hulls designed to withstand cannonballs, to tall, straight masts made out of towering pine trees, each tree species was selected for its own unique strengths– both in the forest and at sea.
Long before this landscape had ever dreamed of becoming an Arboretum, a white oak grew quietly on the slopes of Peters Hill. Years passed and Arboretum staff eventually incorporated this very old tree into our official collections, making it possibly the oldest accessioned tree in the landscape. Join Assistant Curator Miles Sax for a Tree Mob to learn about this oak, what the landscape looked like before it was an Arboretum, the science of tree age, and how the Arboretum manages those trees that we never chose to plant but which are a treasured part of our collections nonetheless.
The pussy willows on Meadow Road are blooming, with brilliant red and yellow flowers emerging from the classic fuzzy buds. Join Manager of Horticulture Rachel Brinkman for a Tree Mob celebrating this unique plant.
The Arboretum’s Forsythia collection is not only a beautiful display of yellow every spring, but it is also one of the most significant of its kind on the planet. Such is its importance that it is one of the eight Nationally Accredited Collections at the Arnold Arboretum. Some of these accessions were collected from the wild in Asia (including North Korea) while others are cultivars introduced by Arboretum scientists and others to improve the ornamental merits of the genus. Join Keeper of the Living Collections Michael Dosmann on a stroll to learn more about Forsythia and some the storied plants that grow here.
The cherry trees are blooming at the Arboretum! Join Horticulturist Rachel Lawlor to learn about cherry trees’ history and cultural ties, the cultivars the Arboretum has introduced, how to identify cherry species and how to care for them in your own yard.
*Cancelled due to air quality concerns.* Zoo New England is partnering with the Arboretum to run its annual turtle survey! For the past six summers, ZNE conservation biologists have ventured into the ponds of the Arboretum to survey the turtles, minnows, and other biodiversity present there. Join Zoo New England staff for a Tree Mob to meet and learn about the fascinating species that call the Arboretum ponds home.
In the heat of summer, lightning strikes represent a threat to the tallest trees of our collections. Join arborist AJ Tataronis for a Tree Mob to learn how the Arboretum’s Horticulture team works to protect our trees from lightning strikes during summer storms.
The linden trees are fruiting at the Arboretum! Join Horticulturist Ryan Devlin to learn about these unique trees, the many species and cultivars here, and how Arboretum staff manage this beautiful collection. We will meet in front of Hunnewell and then walk a few minutes down the road to the linden collection.
Have you ever noticed the small tufts of hair found at the intersection of veins on a maple leaf? These structures, called mite domatia, provide shelter and protection for predatory mites, which defend the plant against herbivores and pathogens in return. Join University of Michigan Postdoc and 2026 Carvão Awardee Marianne Azevedo Silva to learn about this mutualistic relationship and the research she is conducting on the mites themselves.