Blog

Our staff shared their favorite hidden gems that visitors might miss on an average visit.

For the last several decades, our majestic cedar of Lebanon trees (Cedrus libani) have struggled to survive our changing weather. In 1887, when John and Lydia started their Compton Estate, Lebanon cedar was considered a well-adapted plant for the Philadelphia region and was often planted as a featured specimen. We have had several Lebanon cedars in our collection, but only two remain from the original garden.

In 2024, the Morris Urban Forestry Consultant team began removing stem girdling roots (SGRs) that were hindering the growth of trees on Penn’s campus. SGRs are a threat to urban tree health, and by using Arc GIS mapping software they are able to track and prune these trees, saving them from decline. 

Exuberant Blooms, the Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ annual display featuring eight paisley-shaped beds inspired by Victorian flower bedding, is currently in bloom with tulips that sprawl across the landscape in loops and curls. But there’s more than meets the eye.

The program is geared toward avid home gardeners and landscape professionals looking to develop a deep understanding of sustainable landscape design and management.

The John J. Willaman Director of Plant Science Dr. Timothy A. Block and Jason Lubar, associate director of Urban Forestry, have retired after serving for decades at Morris Arboretum & Gardens.  

Every year, we eagerly await the arrival of winter aconites; however, it can be a bit confusing identifying these flowers from their lookalike relatives in the buttercup family.

The Garden Railway train shed "tent" to be replaced with a design inspired by historic Chestnut Hill train station.