Plants in the Age of Dinosaurs Plants in the Age of Dinosaurs Image Image In  Plants in the Age of Dinosaurs —a new self-guided exhibition that runs from Saturday, May 25, 2024 through Monday, September 30, 2024—visitors will learn more about the plants in our collection with roots that go back to prehistoric times.  Ever wonder what you might have in common with a dinosaur?    If you answered that you both need plants to survive, you’d be right! Vegetation powered the dinosaurs that roamed the earth millions of years ago. Plants have evolved quite a bit since then, but their all-important role supporting life on earth remains the same.    Join Morris Arboretum & Gardens as we travel back to the Mesozoic era, a time 252 to 66 million years ago (MYA) that saw the dominance of reptiles and conifers, the rise of dinosaurs, and the emergence of flowering plants.    EQUIP yourself with a themed map and scavenger hunt from the Gift Shop—can you spot the dinosaurs hiding among the plants?    ADVENTURE to 10 special garden sites that uncover the wonders of prehistory.   EXPLORE our website for dino-themed events happening all year!    Exhibition Highlights When Conifers Were King The major plant in the early Mesozoic landscape, conifers (cone bearing plants like pine or spruce) dominated the landscape millions of years before flowering plants came on the scene. Palms in the Fossil Record Palm fossils date back to 145 million years ago. Some fossil beds contain palm fossils alongside baby dinosaur fossils which help scientists understand how they may have lived. The Rise of Flowers About 140 million years ago, flowering plants evolved during the last Jurassic period. They dramatically changed the Earth's landscape and became part of the HUGE boom in number and types of dinosaurs.  Poop Paleontology Fossilized dino poop (coprolites) and gut content (cololites) help tell the story of what plants dinosaurs ate and how they ate them. Ginkgo Biloba: A “Living Fossil” Ginkgo …

Two Longtime Morris Staff Members Retire 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.   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.  Dr. Block was hired at the Morris as a post-doctoral candidate to help write the first edition of The Plants of Pennsylvania: An Illustrated Manual, along with botanist Dr. Ann Fowler Rhoads. He is a co-founder with Rhoads of the Pennsylvania Flora Project of Morris Arboretum. He became director of botany in 2002.  Block’s interest in plants was cultivated as a child growing up in Ohio.  Image Dr. Timothy Block “I didn’t know what everything was that I was looking at, but there was sort of a magic to being out in the woods and communing with nature,” he said.  At the Morris, Block focused on floristic botany, the study and the science of how vegetation and species are distributed across landscapes and through time. He also taught field botany and other classes at the University of Pennsylvania.  “I love teaching,” he said. “I always have. It’s the most rewarding piece of my career. I think I’ve touched a lot of people’s lives in a positive way.”  Block said there are botanical projects he will continue to work on because he likes to do them. He’s learning more about the slender rock-brake ( Crytogramma stelleri ) and he’ll continue the vegetation inventory and plant community mapping of Nescopeck State Park in Luzerne County, PA.  “I’ve been really fortunate to be able to get paid to do something that I would have happily done for free,” he said. “I'm not retiring so that I don't have to be a botanist anymore. It’s not a job. It’s what my life has become. And I wouldn't have it any other way.”                                                    …

NEW! Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture The program is geared toward avid home gardeners and landscape professionals looking to develop a deep understanding of sustainable landscape design and management. We are thrilled to announce the launch of a new learning opportunity here at the Morris: The Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture will offer the opportunity to gain proficiency in creating and maintaining landscapes that are grounded in ecological principles and practice. Geared toward avid home gardeners and landscape professionals looking to develop a deep understanding of sustainable landscape design and management, this classroom and field-based program is a series of 12 courses that are open to the public. The program is self-paced and can be completed in one year of intensive learning or up to several years at a slower pace. The first four courses in the series will be offered in fall 2025.       Image The Plants of Pennsylvania by Ann Fowler Rhoads and Timothy Block. What makes this certificate program unique?    The Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture is unique in our ecological systems-based approach to landscape design and maintenance. Our program approaches each garden as a complex living system, where plants, soil, water, animals, climate, human activity, and other elements interact with and influence each other. In hands-on and classroom instruction, our program teaches design and stewardship strategies that address these relationships holistically rather than focusing on individual components in isolation.   The program will focus on our region here in Southeast Pennsylvania. Drawing from our deep expertise in this region’s ecology, all instruction will speak to our local ecosystems. Here at the Morris we have a long history in the native plants of Pennsylvania—we have literally written THE book on this topic! Instructors in the certificate program will …

Travel Abroad Travel Abroad Image Upcoming Trips Travel abroad with the Morris Arboretum & Gardens! Image Gardens, Wine, & Wilderness: A Tour of New Zealand January 10 – 28, 2026 Take the trip of a lifetime by traveling to New Zealand with friends from the Morris Arboretum & Gardens. Leave winter behind and head to the Southern Hemisphere for long summer days to experience stunning gardens and some of nature’s most spectacular scenery. For 30 years, local landscape architect Richard Lyon of Garden Adventures, LLC has been leading groups to experience his native New Zealand. Highlights of the trip include more than ten private garden visits, Auckland Botanical Gardens, Mount Cook, Doubtful Sound, and Mount Aspiring National Park, as well as opportunities to enjoy locally produced world-famous sauvignon blanc and pinot noir. Due to its popularity and reputation as an exceptional experience, this is the tenth time Morris is partnering with Garden Adventures. See Brochure Past Trips Image Lake Takepo, New Zealand, 2024. Image Dart River Tour, Queenstown, New Zealand, 2024. Image Government House, Wellington, New Zealand, 2024. Image Hooker Valley Track with Mt. Cook in the distance, New Zealand, 2024. Image Fisherman’s Bay, Long Bay, New Zealand, 2024. Image Fisherman’s Bay, Long Bay, New Zealand, 2024. Image Mt. Cook, New Zealand, 2024.  Image Travelers dining at Mincher, Auckland, New Zealand, 2024. Image Cook Strait, New Zealand, 2024.  Image Giant’s House, Akaroa, New Zealand, 2024.  Image Welton House, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2024.  1 / PREV …

Exuberant Tulips: Designing Beds in Shapes of Ferns and Mosses 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. 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: When viewed from above, these plantings depict the shapes of ferns, liverworts, and other plants. The European aristocracy of the Victorian era was enamored with unique plants including ferns, which were often the object of collectors’ desire. Now, I could tell you more about how the Victorians inspired me to plant the tulips in these shapes that they would’ve found fashionable in 2025, but really, I just wanted an excuse to show off some underappreciated and often unnoticed Image Exuberant Blooms tulips planted in shapes of other plants: 1 silver moss ( Bryum argenteum ), 2 bug-on-a-stick moss ( Buxbaumia viridis ), 3 resurrection plant ( Selaginella lepidophylla ), 4 umbrella liverwort ( Marchantia polymorpha ), 5 curly grass fern ( Schizaea pusilla ), 6 general fern fronds, 7 handbell moss ( Gemmabryum caespiticium ), 8 stairstep moss ( Hylocomium splendens ). Image Tulipa ‘Lalibela’ in bed 6. Image Tulipa ‘Big Apricot’ in bed 3   In bed 3 (see photo above) you can find a trio of curls representing the unfurling stems of the resurrection plant ( Selaginella lepidophylla ). These fascinating plants can survive near-complete desiccation, going months or even years without any water, only to uncurl after just a few hours of rehydrating. In bed 5, tulips fashion possibly the largest-ever artistic rendering of a curly grass fern ( Schizaea pusilla ). You can search for this rare little …

Saving Campus Trees 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.  Image Stem girdling roots can cut off the sap flow to the tree and eventually cause the tree to decline. Shown here is a campus Zelkova ( Zelkova Serrata ).  The Morris Arboretum & Gardens'  Urban Forestry Consultant team (MAUF) works closely with the Office of the University Architect and Operations & Maintenance departments in Facilities and Real Estate Services at the University of Pennsylvania to manage the 6,800 trees on campus. This includes assessing the condition of trees every year, improving management practices, and updating standards to ensure high quality tree care at all life stages.  In 2024, the Morris 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 we are able to track trees with SGRs and monitor them over time.  A tree may be girdled when a root grows in a position that crosses or wraps around the trunk. As the tree trunk grows and enlarges annually, the offending roots can gradually girdle or choke the flow of water and nutrients. This makes SGRs a primary cause of tree decline in built landscapes.  Image A map of girdling root remediation on campus. 110 trees received treatment this year.  Pruning girdling roots is a specialized task performed by arborists. It involves understanding the complex root systems of trees and how they interact with the surrounding environment. It also requires a keen eye and delicate touch to identify where the cut should take place, how deep a cut is necessary, and how many roots should be removed at one time. The objective is to remove as many as feasible without …

Elegy for the Lebanon Cedar 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. Image Cedar of Lebanon ( Cedrus libani ) that was once located in between Exuberant Blooms and the Springhouse in the Azalea Meadow. For the last several decades, our majestic cedar of Lebanon trees ( Cedrus libani ) have struggled to survive our changing weather. This evergreen conifer is native to  the  mountainous regions of Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey. Young trees grow as strong, upright sentinels. As they age, they develop massive trunks, broad spreading crowns, and distinctive horizontal branching, making them magnificent specimens for parks and arboreta. 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. Lebanon cedars, like many higher elevation conifers, have evolved a survival strategy of markedly slowing their growth and respiration rates during cool nights. This ability allows them to make maximum use of warm daylight temperatures to produce sugars and essentially go dormant during cool nights to conserve energy. This mechanism allows the trees to build up a surplus of stored energy over time. This energy, in the form of sugars, is then used to produce vigorous growth in what would normally be inhospitable environments. This strategy works in a high elevation environment where there are reliable cold nights, but it also predisposes this species to heat stress. When nighttime temperatures are …

A Fresh Vision for the Pennock Flower Walk Compton Horticulturist Jen Monico brings back sunset color theme for historic  Alice & J. Liddon Pennock Flower Walk . If you have visited the Alice & J. Liddon Pennock Flower Walk in the past year or so, you may have noticed a slight difference in the treatment of the center beds. In fall 2023 we decided we wanted to present four seasons of color in this garden, with the vision to increase off-season interest as well as saturate the summer with blooms. We removed all existing plant material and added about 2 inches of compost that was hand-turned into the soil. Into that newly augmented soil we planted over 6,000 pansies in a gradient from deep blue around the center to bright yellow along the outer path. The pop of color looked great throughout the quieter winter months and stepped up in the spring with the arrival of light-yellow narcissus, apricot tulips, and creamy yellow hyacinths.  Image  Pennock Flower Walk transformation from summer to fall. Jen Monico and staff removed the summer display and soil, added compost, turned and smoothed the beds, and planted pansies. Top left: summer display. Top right: removal of the summer display. Bottom left: pansies planted in the refreshed beds. Bottom right: pansies beginning to fill in Image Bright flowers and plants fill the Pennock Flower Walk in the summer. Historically, the Pennock Flower Walk was created with the intention of being filled with a sunset color theme. With the opportunity to design on a fresh planting canvas this year, I brought back that theme and created a cohesive design throughout all four beds. In May we began the daunting task of taking out all of those pansies and installing this new summer sunset planting—full and vibrant with an array of peach, apricot, orange, and a few bright reds, with a foil of purple shades. The show-stopping Aechmea blanchetiana ‘Hawaii’ glows against the airy inflorescence of Calamintha nepeta spp. nepeta and the purples of …