Rachel Lawlor, Arboretum Horticulturist

I was first introduced to horticulture while attending Norfolk County Agricultural High School in Walpole, Massachusetts. I decided to become a “plant” major there. I was lucky enough to be chosen for the Aggie internship, a six-week program at the Arnold Arboretum, my junior year. From there, it was clear horticulture was my calling in life. I quickly found my first industry job at a local florist and garden center.

After high school, I attended UMass Amherst for my Bachelor’s in Horticultural Science. There I gained interest in more specific topics such as plant identification, plant pathology, nematology, plant physiology, and entomology. During my freshman year, I started to work in the Nematology lab. This led to a project that allowed me to visit the Arboretum once again. I conducted a survey of the nematode populations found in the Lilac collection. In the summer of 2017, I became an Isabella Welles Hunnewell Horticulture Intern at the Arnold Arboretum, and during this time I truly fell in love with public horticulture. Throughout my time in college, I also worked as an assistant manager of a garden center, and as a teaching assistant for the Plant Pathology course.

I graduated from UMass in 2019, and started working as a seasonal term employee at the Arnold Arboretum alongside horticulture staff. In 2020, I became a full-time Gardener at the Arnold Arboretum, and in March 2023 I was promoted to Horticulturist, taking over the Bradley Rosaceous Collection, maples, and the ponds. I’ve also been a member of our Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee since it was formed in 2021. Every day, I learn something new while caring for the collections. I get to appreciate, and contribute to, the astounding beauty of a place I’ve grown up in, and has inspired my life’s path. It is an absolute dream come true to work here, and I feel truly honored to serve this institution every day.