Plants

The Arnold Arboretum’s living collections are celebrated as some of the most comprehensive and best documented of their kind. Its rich holdings include temperate ligneous plants from around the world. Many of the plants originate from collecting expeditions, others derive from horticultural experimentation, and some were existing vegetation when the Arboretum was founded in 1872. Each of these plants—over 15,000 in all—has a story to tell, and they are preserved as both scientific and horticultural specimens to enrich our understanding of biodiversity through the institution’s research, education, and outreach efforts.

Sections

11440*A

Japanese Stewartia

Scientific Name: Stewartia pseudocamellia

This Japanese stewartia—and its nearby sibling—was collected in Korea in 1917. Its taxonomic status has inspired the curiosity of generations of botanists.

324*B

Kentucky Coffeetree

Scientific Name: Gymnocladus dioicus

Nearly a century and a half old, this Kentucky coffeetree was one of the first plants grown from seed at the Arnold Arboretum. It was collected in Virginia by an amateur botanist named Allen Curtiss.

Ripening seedpods of Kentucky coffeetree.

Illustration of Syringa chinensis by Charles Faxon

Lilac Collection

Crabapple Collection

Our self-guided walks are a great way to learn more about our trees and plants from home or as you stroll through the landscape. Forge a deeper connection with the Arnold Arboretum's collections as well as the plants you encounter in your daily life. Explore further with the Expeditions mobile app to hear stories about botany, horticulture, conservation, and Arboretum history through photos, text, and audio segments.