• The Cosmic Tree: A Universal Symbol of Life: Flowering Trees

    During this tour we will discuss angiosperms, the largest and most diverse group in the plant kingdom. All flowering trees are angiosperms, but not all angiosperms reproduce in the same way, so you may not see blooms and flowers but plenty of leaves. Docent Katrina Scott will lead this interactive tour with stops for moments to reflect on specific trees and the stories associated with them. Were they revered or feared?  A home for deities or tricksters?  We will begin at the Center Street Gate starting at Jack Dawson’s shagbark hickory (1883) then head up Oak Path to Beech Path ending at Bussey Hill Road after visiting the ash trees of Norse mythology (Yggdrasil.).

    Centre Street Gate

      Hydrangea Happiness by C.L. Fornari

      As the Arboretum’s hydrangea collection begins to bloom in shades of blue, white, pink, and purple, stop in the Hunnewell Lecture Hall for a book talk on ‘Hydrangea Happiness: Planting, Pruning, and Blooming.’ This beautifully illustrated guide by author C.L. Fornari is a boon for beginner gardeners and experienced horticulturists alike. Learn about the most popular hydrangea varieties, how to manage planting and ongoing maintenance, and surprising myths and misinformation about these beautiful shrubs.

      Hunnewell Lecture Hall
      Subject Matter:

        Arboretum Highlights Tour: Flora Way Loop

        Explore part of the Arboretum’s 281 acre landscape, hear stories of the Arboretum’s history, get an introduction to some of the many woody plant collections, and enjoy what’s in bloom during this 90-minute, docent-led tour. This tour highlights areas near the Flora Way Gate including the Conifer Collection, Hemlock Hill, Rhododendron Dell and Valley Road.

        Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)

          Living Trees, Living Traditions: Cultural Perspectives on Plant Use

          Trees have long played an important role in cultures around the world. On this tour, we delve into the ethnobotany of trees – how people of different cultures and regions made use of woody plants for food, medicine, everyday wooden objects, dyes, fibers, oils, resins, gums, soaps, waxes, tannins.  Join docent Vicki Amalfitano to explore how groups from many regions and traditions have historically used bark, roots, and leaves from native and exotic trees we have growing at the Arnold Arboretum for a variety of uses.

          in front of the Hunnewell Building

            Rose Collection Up Close

            The Bradley Rosaceous Collection has beautiful roses on display in a stunning rainbow of colors–but roses are not the only thing you will find in this garden. There are many other plants in the rose family, from crabapples and cherries to hawthorn and medlar. Join Horticulturist Rachel Lawlor for a tour of the Bradley Rosaceous Collection and learn about the wide variety of Rosaceae species, the susceptibility of this family to pests and disease, how the Arboretum is handling these challenges, and how this unique garden came to be.

            Bradley Rosaceous Collection
              Little Explorers

              Little Explorers

              Join us at the Arboretum as we read and discover new things about the natural world. During this one-hour program for our youngest guests and their grownups, we will read a nature inspired story, do a craft/activity, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme.

              Hunnewell Lecture Hall
              Subject Matter:
              • Canceled Arboretum Highlights Tour: Flora Way Loop

                Explore part of the Arboretum’s 281 acre landscape, hear stories of the Arboretum’s history, get an introduction to some of the many woody plant collections, and enjoy what’s in bloom during this 90-minute, docent-led tour. This tour highlights areas near the Flora Way Gate including the Conifer Collection, Hemlock Hill, Rhododendron Dell and Valley Road.

                Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)
                • Canceled

                Arboretum Highlights Tour: Flora Way Loop

                Explore part of the Arboretum’s 281 acre landscape, hear stories of the Arboretum’s history, get an introduction to some of the many woody plant collections, and enjoy what’s in bloom during this 90-minute, docent-led tour. This tour highlights areas near the Flora Way Gate including the Conifer Collection, Hemlock Hill, Rhododendron Dell and Valley Road.

                Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)

                  Finding Fireflies

                  When the sun sets and darkness settles on the Arboretum for the night, every now and then the dark is interrupted by the flash of a firefly. Join Professor Adam South of Tufts University for an evening Firefly Walk to learn about the lives of the fireflies that live here, the mechanics of how they light up, and how these unique insects are being impacted by pesticides and light pollution.

                  Peters Hill Gate
                  Subject Matter:

                    Birding Walk

                    Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders.

                    in front of the Hunnewell Building

                      Make Your Own Cyanotypes: A Drop-In Program

                      Stop by the Hunnewell Lawn while supplies last to create beautiful nature-based cyanotype prints. Participants will arrange flowers, leaves, and seeds and expose them in sunlight to create a deep blue print with bright, ghost-white silhouettes.

                      Hunnewell Lawn
                      Subject Matter:

                        Birding at the Arboretum

                        Have you ever wanted to learn more about the feathered friends you see and hear on a walk through the Arnold Arboretum? If so, please join birders and volunteers TJ and Allison for a leisurely 90-minute bird watching walk.

                        in front of the Hunnewell Building

                          Mushroom Hunt

                          Hundreds of mushrooms hide beneath the Arboretum’s canopies, silently blossoming into unique forms then withering away again just as quickly. Join local mushroom enthusiast Maria Pinto to search for these fascinating organisms on the Arboretum grounds, both edible and poisonous alike. Along the way you will learn what mushrooms to look for in different habitats and seasons, how they move through ecosystems, and what the Arboretum’s unique collections affect what mushrooms you might find here.

                          Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)
                            Little Explorers

                            Little Explorers

                            Join us at the Arboretum as we read and discover new things about the natural world. During this one-hour program for our youngest guests and their grownups, we will read a nature inspired story, do a craft/activity, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme.

                            Hunnewell Lecture Hall
                            Subject Matter:

                              Rescheduled Finding Fireflies

                              *Rescheduled from June 23* When the sun sets and darkness settles on the Arboretum for the night, every now and then the dark is interrupted by the flash of a firefly. Join Professor Adam South of Tufts University for an evening Firefly Walk to learn about the lives of the fireflies that live here, the mechanics of how they light up, and how these unique insects are being impacted by pesticides and light pollution.

                              Peters Hill Gate
                              Subject Matter:
                              Get Tickets 1 ticket left
                              • Rescheduled

                              Forest Bathing

                              Slow down and awaken your senses on a guided sensory experience in the Arnold Arboretum. Forest Bathing, inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, is a restorative sensory exploration that supports health and healing for all beings. From increased cerebral blood flow to stronger immune defenses, come discover for yourself what happens when we unplug, slow down and open our senses to notice more of our natural surroundings. All the prompts, invitations, sharing and ways of participating are optional and open to interpretation.

                              Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)

                                Oak Collection Tour

                                Oaks have been more closely associated with the development of human civilizations across the northern hemisphere than any other genus of tree. From the Royal Oak to the Charter Oak to the Emancipation Oak, from wine and whisky barrels to tall ships to the roof of Notre Dame, from King John to Shakespeare to Leonardo da Vinci, oaks have been inextricably entwined with the human experience. Join docent Paul Eldrenkamp as we learn more about the cultural history of oaks and explore what it is that makes them so useful, so distinct — and so essential.

                                Centre Street Gate

                                  The Cosmic Tree: A Universal Symbol of Life: Flowering Trees

                                  During this tour we will discuss angiosperms, the largest and most diverse group in the plant kingdom. All flowering trees are angiosperms, but not all angiosperms reproduce in the same way, so you may not see blooms and flowers but plenty of leaves. Docent Katrina Scott will lead this interactive tour with stops for moments to reflect on specific trees and the stories associated with them. Were they revered or feared?  A home for deities or tricksters?  We will begin at the Center Street Gate starting at Jack Dawson’s shagbark hickory (1883) then head up Oak Path to Beech Path ending at Bussey Hill Road after visiting the ash trees of Norse mythology (Yggdrasil.).

                                  Centre Street Gate

                                    Terapia de Bosque en Español: El Corazón del Bosque

                                    La terapia de bosque, también conocida como baño de bosque o shinrin-yoku, es una práctica basada en evidencia que te conecta con la naturaleza de manera amable, curiosa y consciente. En el ritmo acelerado del mundo de hoy, esta experiencia cuidadosamente diseñada te invita a tomar una pausa, despertar tus sentidos y disfrutar de lo que nos ofrece la naturaleza.

                                    Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)

                                      Ask a Horticulturist – Bradley Rosaceous Collection

                                      Stop by the Bradley Rosaceous Collection to chat with the Horticulturist who manages the rose garden. Horticulturist Rachel Lawlor will be there from 10:00am to noon, answering questions about caring for roses, the Arboretum’s rosaceous collection, and what it’s like to be a horticulturist here. No registration is required, just stop by!

                                      Bradley Rosaceous Collection
                                        Little Explorers

                                        Little Explorers

                                        Join us at the Arboretum as we read and discover new things about the natural world. During this one-hour program for our youngest guests and their grownups, we will read a nature inspired story, do a craft/activity, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme.

                                        Hunnewell Lecture Hall
                                        Subject Matter:

                                          Living Trees, Living Traditions: Cultural Perspectives on Plant Use

                                          Trees have long played an important role in cultures around the world. On this tour, we delve into the ethnobotany of trees – how people of different cultures and regions made use of woody plants for food, medicine, everyday wooden objects, dyes, fibers, oils, resins, gums, soaps, waxes, tannins.  Join docent Vicki Amalfitano to explore how groups from many regions and traditions have historically used bark, roots, and leaves from native and exotic trees we have growing at the Arnold Arboretum for a variety of uses.

                                          in front of the Hunnewell Building

                                            Arboretum Highlights Tour: Flora Way Loop

                                            Explore part of the Arboretum’s 281 acre landscape, hear stories of the Arboretum’s history, get an introduction to some of the many woody plant collections, and enjoy what’s in bloom during this 90-minute, docent-led tour. This tour highlights areas near the Flora Way Gate including the Conifer Collection, Hemlock Hill, Rhododendron Dell and Valley Road.

                                            Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)
                                            • Bees and Beyond: Pollinators at the Arboretum

                                              Join pollinator expert Nicole Bell for a walk through the Arboretum’s meadows to find bees and other pollinators in their natural habitat. Bell will use a sweep net to find and catch bees in the landscape so participants can see them up close, while we talk about the most common bees found in Massachusetts, where they live and what they eat, and the importance of places like the Arboretum for pollinator conservation.

                                              Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)
                                              Subject Matter:

                                                Trees that Shaped Civilization

                                                Join docent Paul Eldrenkamp for a visit to four groups of trees that each played a particularly significant role in shaping very different civilizations: Eastern White Pine, Cedar of Lebanon, Western Red Cedar, and the five sacred trees of the Kiso Forest in Japan.

                                                Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)

                                                  Birding at the Arboretum

                                                  Have you ever wanted to learn more about the feathered friends you see and hear on a walk through the Arnold Arboretum? If so, please join birders and volunteers TJ and Allison for a leisurely 90-minute bird watching walk.

                                                  in front of the Hunnewell Building
                                                    Little Explorers

                                                    Little Explorers

                                                    Join us at the Arboretum as we read and discover new things about the natural world. During this one-hour program for our youngest guests and their grownups, we will read a nature inspired story, do a craft/activity, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme.

                                                    Hunnewell Lecture Hall
                                                    Subject Matter:

                                                      Arboretum Highlights Tour: Flora Way Loop

                                                      Explore part of the Arboretum’s 281 acre landscape, hear stories of the Arboretum’s history, get an introduction to some of the many woody plant collections, and enjoy what’s in bloom during this 90-minute, docent-led tour. This tour highlights areas near the Flora Way Gate including the Conifer Collection, Hemlock Hill, Rhododendron Dell and Valley Road.

                                                      Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)

                                                        Birding Walk

                                                        Embark on a birdwatching tour in the Arboretum’s landscape with docent and birder Donna Sullivan. This two-hour tour is suitable for adult beginners as well as more experienced birders.

                                                        in front of the Hunnewell Building

                                                          All-Ages Insect Safari

                                                          Join us for an interactive look at all the tiny critters that crawl, fly, or slither through the Arboretum landscape. We will have sweep nets and bug boxes to catch bugs in Kent Field, digital microscopes to get a closer look, and entomologists to help us identify everything we find. This is an all-ages, interactive program: come prepared to move around and get up close with some bugs and insects!

                                                          Conifer Collection

                                                            Rescheduled All About Bats

                                                            *Rescheduled from August 14* As the sun sets, the bats come out! Join Arboretum Horticulturist Brendan Keegan and Matt Kamm, Associate Director of Field Conservation at Zoo New England, for a Bat Walk in the Conifer Collection, using specialized microphones to listen for and identify bat species in the landscape.

                                                            Flora Way Gate (Formerly Bussey St Gate)
                                                            Subject Matter:
                                                            Get Tickets 1 ticket left
                                                            • Rescheduled

                                                            The Cosmic Tree: A Universal Symbol of Life: Flowering Trees

                                                            During this tour we will discuss angiosperms, the largest and most diverse group in the plant kingdom. All flowering trees are angiosperms, but not all angiosperms reproduce in the same way, so you may not see blooms and flowers but plenty of leaves. Docent Katrina Scott will lead this interactive tour with stops for moments to reflect on specific trees and the stories associated with them. Were they revered or feared?  A home for deities or tricksters?  We will begin at the Center Street Gate starting at Jack Dawson’s shagbark hickory (1883) then head up Oak Path to Beech Path ending at Bussey Hill Road after visiting the ash trees of Norse mythology (Yggdrasil.).

                                                            Centre Street Gate
                                                              Little Explorers

                                                              Little Explorers

                                                              Join us at the Arboretum as we read and discover new things about the natural world. During this one-hour program for our youngest guests and their grownups, we will read a nature inspired story, do a craft/activity, and go for a nature walk to continue exploring the theme.

                                                              Hunnewell Lecture Hall
                                                              Subject Matter:

                                                                Tree Mob: Beneficial Mites

                                                                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.

                                                                in front of the Hunnewell Building
                                                                Subject Matter:

                                                                  Sketch Your Way to Tree ID

                                                                  Use the power of art to hone your tree ID skills in this interactive class. The group will walk through the landscape, learning to identify common trees and shrubs and sketching out key identification characteristics. By the end of the program, participants will have a packet of identification tips and drawings for various plants, and a deeper understanding of the characteristics that make each tree species unique. No prior art skills necessary—this class focuses on seeing shapes, patterns, and details that make each species identifiable. Join us for a creative and hands-on approach to tree identification!

                                                                  in front of the Hunnewell Building

                                                                    Rescheduled Plant-Based Fabric Dyeing: A Drop-In Event

                                                                    *Rescheduled to August 30 due to rain* Many of the plants grown at the Arboretum have been used as natural dyes for centuries: goldenrod for yellow, stinging nettle for green, madder or bloodroot for pink. Join fiber artist Maggie Ruth Haaland on the Hunnewell Lawn to learn about some of these natural dyeing methods and get a chance to try some of your own.

                                                                    Hunnewell Lawn
                                                                    Subject Matter:
                                                                    • Rescheduled