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1927 Map of the Arboretum

Plants

Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana var. australis) 1275-80*A in flower. Ned Friedman

Background

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—some 16,000 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.

Plant Bios

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396-69*A Map it ↗

‘Arnold Promise’ Witch-hazel

Scientific Name
Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Arnold Promise’

This winter-blooming showstopper was born at the Arboretum almost a century ago.

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Illustration of paperbark maple by Charles Faxon
12488*B Map it ↗

Paperbark Maple

Scientific Name
Acer griseum

A remarkable and rare species native to central China, this maple is most known for its striking copper-colored papery bark. Plant collector Ernest Henry Wilson introduced it to North America in 1907. The Arboretum is home to some of the oldest paperbark maples outside of China.

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Paperbark maple

Collections

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Today's Walks

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Expeditions Unveiled

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Exploring the botanical diversity of Appalachia with international collaborators

Kang Wang uses an extendable utility pole with a Japanese harvest blade attached to the end to collect acorns from a Quercus coccinea in southern Ohio. Photo by Jared Rubinstein.