Hardwood cuttings are one of the many techniques the Arboretum uses to propagate its plants: propagators take cuttings from the mature stems of woody plants, carefully trim and coat the ends in rooting hormone, then plant them in specially designed growing media. Join Arboretum Propagator Sarah Shank for a hands-on workshop to learn this specialized form of propagation: the class will begin with a presentation on the biology of hardwood cuttings, then head outside to collect our own cuttings from nearby woody plants, and finally return inside to prepare and root the cuttings in growing media. Participants will bring home a small tray of cuttings to grow into their own small trees and shrubs.

Many of us assume that growing plants from seed is as simple as opening a seed packet and sticking them in the dirt, but many of the trees and shrubs in the Arboretum’s collections require a complicated process of stratification, maceration, and dormancy breaking before they will sprout. Join Arboretum Propagator Sarah Shank for a workshop on growing these plants from seed and get a chance to try your own hand at germinating seed from Arboretum trees and shrubs.