What's in Bloom: August Welcome to the Morris Arboretum’s first  What’s in Bloom  blog! As this year’s John J. Willaman & Martha Haas Valentine Curatorial Intern, I spend a lot of time in the gardens checking on and appreciating the many plants in our living collection throughout the seasons. Welcome to the Morris Arboretum’s first  What’s in Bloom  blog! As this year’s John J. Willaman & Martha Haas Valentine Curatorial Intern, I spend a lot of time in the gardens checking on and appreciating the many plants in our living collection throughout the seasons. We want to share some of these with all of you, so we’ve curated a monthly blog that highlights current flowering plants and seasonal interest so you can know what to expect and what to look for during your next visit to the Arboretum. We hope this series complements the stunning, expansive views of the Arboretum and encourages you to find the beauty that comes from taking a closer look. Image Surprise lily ( Lycoris squamigera ) You’ll find this lovely late summer bloom dotted throughout the Arboretum, providing some welcome color in the gardens. Native to southern Japan, surprise lilies produce foliage in late spring that dies back in early summer before suddenly sending out a single flowering stalk in August—hence the surprise! You will see lots of these lilies along the paved path towards  Out on a Limb , where clusters of pink under the shade of great trees lead you into the beauty of the Arboretum in late summer.  Image Hollow Joe-Pye weed ( Eutrochium fistulosum ) It’s pollinator season here at the Arboretum, and our butterflies, moths, and bees are swarming around these tall, colorful native plants throughout our gardens. There’s an established cluster of Joe-Pye weed at the Swan Pond, whose seven-foot-tall stalks are topped with clouds of pink flowers. I’d recommend taking a moment to observe all of the beautiful pollinators that flock to these flowers, such as monarch and eastern tiger swallowtail …

Birds as Artistic Muse Longtime members and frequent birders Ken Januski and Jerene Schroeder say the Morris is inspiration for art. Image Since 1998, Ken Januski and Jerene Schroeder have been members and frequent birders at the Morris. Their birding journey has strong roots here, offering them  some of their first major sightings as well as inspiration for Ken’s nature-based artwork. Now, twenty-six years later, Ken is ranked as Morris’s top birder on eBird , having seen 160 species in the Gardens so far. But Ken and Jerene aren’t in it for the numbers. The married couple realized the potential of birding at the Morris when, during a visit to the now defunct plant sale, they heard the call of yellow-throated vireos in the trees. They soon started birding at the Morris twice a week, and years later they even volunteered to monitor the bluebird boxes at Bloomfield Farm. One reason the couple enjoys birding at the Morris is the variety and vastness of the Natural Areas . Ken often brings his spotting scope, which needs a lot of space, and he found he could comfortably set up in the Wetland . The scope not only offers a more magnified view than binoculars, but it also enables an artist to watch birds with two free hands to draw. “A lot of my education about birds occurred from drawing them at the Morris,” says Ken. “Most people don’t work that way—they work from photographs, but you miss so much in photographs. Plus, there’s not the thrill.” Image American Goldfinch Eating Thistle, Multi-block Woodcut, 2014. By Ken Januski. Image Green Heron with Twelve-spotted Skimmer, Reduction Linocut, 2013. By Ken Januski.                     Ken started his art career as an abstract painter, receiving an MA from Berkeley and an MFA from Cornell in Studio Art. He got disenchanted with the contemporary art world in the early 1990s, when too much verbiage began accompanying artwork. He began looking toward nature, and when him and Jerene joined as Morris members, the world of birds …

Snowflakes vs. Snowdrops: Pendulous Beauties of Early Spring Two similar plant species caught my attention at the Morris this week because of their attractive and early season blooms: Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop) and Leucojum vernum (spring snowflake). ). Often called “harbingers of spring,” both are bulb plants and have nodding flowers, sometimes spotted peeking through snow (hence the common names). Dr. Cynthia Skema is a Botanical Scientist at the Morris Arboretum.  Two similar plant species caught my attention at the Morris this week because of their attractive and early season blooms: Galanthus nivalis (snowdrop) and Leucojum vernum (spring snowflake). Often called “harbingers of spring,” both are bulb plants and have nodding flowers, sometimes spotted peeking through snow (hence the common names). Their mostly white flowers explain their generic names: Galanthus means “milk flower” and Leucojum “white violet,” both from (ancient) Greek. Their physical similarities are no mere coincidence, but instead the products of evolution as the two are related. Leucojum and Galanthus are sister genera in the tribe Galantheae, along with a third genus Acis (Larsen et al., 2010) and they all belong in the plant family Amaryllidaceae, also home to commonly cultivated amaryllis and daffodils. Image Galanthus nivalis flowering at the Morris Arboretum. Image Leucojum vernum flowering at the Morris Arboretum.                           Let’s consider the form of the three genera in tribe Galantheae. The easiest way to tell Galanthus apart from the other two genera is by the three large outer and three small inner tepals (petal-like structures) seen in its flowers, while Leucojum and Acis both have six equal-sized tepals (also three outer and three inner by position). Both Leucojum and Galanthus have markings on their six tepals, while Acis has none. One last characteristic is that Leucojum typically has a hollow scape, while the scape is solid in Galanthus and Acis . If you’re a …

Ways to Give Ways to Give Image Image Membership Become a member and receive unlimited general admission and invitations to special programs. Membership office members@morrisarboretum.org 215.247.5777 x205 Join Today! More Ways to Give Image Annual Fund Ensure the Morris has the resources it needs to engage visitors with spectacular landscapes and enriching programs.  Keith Lyons kwlyons@upenn.edu 215.247.5777 x161 Learn More Image Memorials & Tributes Honor a loved one with a gift to the Morris in their name.  Keith Lyons kwlyons@upenn.edu 215.247.5777 x161 Learn More Image The Collectors Circle The Collectors Circle represents the highest levels of annual giving and membership.  Keith Lyons kwlyons@upenn.edu 215.247.5777 x161 Learn More Image Corporate Partnerships There are many ways your business can benefit from a partnership with the Morris.  Leslie Crane  lcrane@upenn.edu  215.247.5777 x152  Learn More Image Moonlight & Roses Join us for cocktails and dinner in the garden at our premier annual fundraising gala, Moonlight & Roses, on the first Friday in June.  Kristen Casalenuovo  kcasal@upenn.edu  215.247.5777 x418  Learn More Image Planned Giving Make a lasting impact by including the Morris in your estate planning.  Mira Zergani  mzergani@upenn.edu  215.247.5777 x102  Learn More Image Special Projects Learn more about supporting a variety of projects and programs.  Alison Thornton  alisonth@upenn.edu  215.247.5777 x105  Learn More Image Other Ways to Give For more information on matching gifts, pledges, stock gifts, or gifts in kind please contact:  Oanh Whalen  owhalen@upenn.edu  215.247.5777 x131  Learn More … Ways to …

The Pennsylvania Bee Monitoring Program at the Morris Arboretum Have you noticed a blue vane trap hanging around the Morris Arboretum? It's part of the Pennsylvania Bee Monitoring Program, which studies regional bee variance across the state. Image A pinned sunflower bee (Svastra obliqua). Credit: Ryan Drake Have you noticed a blue vane trap hanging around the Morris Arboretum? It's part of the  Pennsylvania Bee Monitoring Program , which studies regional bee variance across the state. The decline in populations worldwide has called attention to better understand the variation, distribution, and abundance of wild bee pollinators. The bee monitoring program uses three different trapping techniques in order to catch the widest variety of bee species. The blue vane trap hangs two to three feet from the ground, attracting bees with its bright blue color. Nine plastic bowls painted either white, blue, or yellow are laid on the ground in a transect, closer to the populations of ground nesting bees, which make up over 70% of Pennsylvania's bee populations. The final trapping technique is netting, where monitors use butterfly nets to catch any other unique bees they can find in the area. These techniques combined aim to allow monitors to observe the fullest range of wild bee species in an area so they can track changes in population sizes and variety in Pennsylvania. Image The blue vane trap hangs two to three feet from the ground, attracting bees with its bright blue color. Image The final trapping technique is netting, where monitors use butterfly nets to catch any other unique bees they can find in the area. Shown here is Caroline Mertz, the Hay Honey Farm Natural Areas Intern. Image Sorting and identifying collected bees. Image Pinning bees. Image Long-horned bee (Melissodes denticulatus, female). 1 / PREV NEXT Caroline Mertz Ryan Drake Blog Image September 7, 2022 … The Pennsylvania Bee Monitoring Program at the Morris …

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 …

Archives Archives Image Welcome The Archives serves the Morris education, development, horticulture, and marketing staff, and is also open to qualified researchers by appointment. It is staffed by an archivist and a team of dedicated volunteers. Image Scope The Morris Arboretum & Gardens Archives was established in 1987 to acquire, conserve, and catalog one-of-a-kind documents, letters, maps, architectural blueprints, landscape drawings, financial ledgers, diaries, lantern slides, photos, and negatives. Historic books, newspapers, research material, reports, and artifacts are also cataloged at the Arboretum. Additionally, from 1932 to present, the Archives houses records of the Morris Advisory Board, faculty and staff, grant and project reports, blueprints, landscape drawings, slides and photographs. Image Online Collections Our online collections include documents from different eras of the Morris, historic photos, lantern slides, objects, blueprints, and text. New images are added regularly. Historic Photos Private Estate 1887-1932 University Era 1933-1974 Public Garden - After 1974 Maps Arboretum Voices Finding Aids Visiting the Archives Hours are by appointment. To arrange a visit, please contact us . Additional Information for Researchers or History Buffs The Morris Arboretum Bulletin , published monthly from 1935 to the 1970s, is available online at Biodiversity Heritage Library. Learn more . The Morris Family of Philadelphia, Descendants of Anthony Morris, by Robert C. Moon, MD, Five volumes, 1898.  Learn more . Finding aids for several Morris collections are online at Philadelphia Area Archives, hosted by the University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Suggested keyword searches are “Morris Arboretum,” “Morris Family Papers,” “Thompson Family Papers.” Learn more . The John and Lydia Morris Travel Albums 1881-1906 are at the Hagley Library and Archives.  Learn more . The William Henry Russell collection of Morris family papers, including papers from the first …