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 …

Morris Hidden Gems Our staff shared their favorite hidden gems that visitors might miss on an average visit. Throughout the month of April, we highlighted Morris Arboretum & Gardens hidden gems on social media. Our staff shared their favorite spots that visitors might miss on an average visit, culminating in a guided Hidden Gems Tour on April 26—because with over 92 acres to explore, there's a lot to experience here at the Morris! See staff favorite's below, and visit the Morris Arboretum & Gardens this spring to find your favorite hidden gem!   Image       "I've been enjoying the Shidare Yoshino cherry ( Prunus x yedoensis f. perpendens ) and star magnolia ( Magnolia stellat a) in bloom around the Oak Allée area." – Antoine Smith, Alice & J. Liddon Pennock Jr. Horticulture Apprentice Image “I like the Springhouse because it’s a piece of Morris history that makes me imagine what it would have been like to live on the estate. It’s also in a quiet, tucked away part of the Garden where I can listen to the birds.” – Mellany Armstrong, Communications Coordinator Image     “The Wetlands is one of my favorite places to visit at the Morris! It’s maintained as a natural landscape, and is a fantastic place to see and hear all sorts of wildlife. As a birder, I love checking in to see which birds are stopping by for  the season—it’s where I saw my first indigo bunting last summer. Don't miss out on this Morris gem!” – Megan Nguyen, Education Administrative Assistant Image “My hidden gem is the weeping European beech (Fagus sylvatica f. pendula) across the way from Two Lines sculpture. In the middle of the weeping branches is a dead log that seems out of place at first glance, but it's actually the decaying remains of the original tree. The trees that are around are the rooted layers of the original mother tree. [Despite appearing as separate trunks, all these trees are individual parts of a single organism, sharing a network of interconnected roots underground.] Sitting here …

Morris Arboretum & Gardens Launches Certificate in Ecological Horticulture April 30, 2025 Philadelphia, PA— Morris Arboretum & Gardens is pleased to announce a new Certificate in Ecological Horticulture , aimed at helping individuals gain proficiency in creating and maintaining landscapes that are grounded in ecological principles and practice. The program will be introduced at a Virtual Open House on May 8, 2025, at 7 pm . Learn more at morrisarb.org/certificate . Geared toward avid home gardeners and landscape professionals looking to develop a deeper 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 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, the program teaches design and stewardship strategies that address these relationships holistically rather than focus on individual components in isolation. The program will focus on the Southeast Pennsylvania region. Instructors in the certificate program include Morris staff members as well as other local professionals that are regionally and nationally acclaimed in ecological horticulture. The program includes 12 required courses (8–10 hours each) and two elective courses, with an anticipated 124 hours of learning in the classroom and in the field (about a 50/50 split).  Students can progress through the curriculum at their own pace, completing all requirements over one year or up to three-plus years.  Registration in the program involves a $45 initial fee to sign up as a certificate seeker. Each course is priced depending on hours of instruction, …

It’s a Pollinator Paradise at Morris Arboretum & Gardens! April 30, 2025 Philadelphia, PA— Morris Arboretum & Gardens becomes a paradise for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators in its newest exhibition, Bees, Butterflies, & Blooms: A Pollinator Paradise , running May 23 through September 30, 2025 . Learn more at morrisarboretum.org . Image Memorial Day Weekend sees the opening of Garden Railway: World Pollinators, featuring a display of pollinators from around the world—including insects and animals—made from natural materials such as bark, leaves, twigs, mosses and acorns, set among charming miniature trains weaving through a landscape teeming with flowers and buzzing with life. Nearby, the Hummingbird Hut offers a chance to get a close-up view of these tiny, iridescent birds as they flit from bloom to bloom, showcasing their delicate grace. On June 14-15, we celebrate the next 100 years of our Rose Garden with a special Rose Garden Celebration Weekend that focuses on the spectacular beauty of these beloved flowers. Beginning June 28, visitors are invited to immerse themselves in two new lush meadows planted especially for this exhibition, Morris Pop-Up Meadows . Giant pollinator-inspired art adds a creative touch, with artists presenting works that capture the essence and importance of pollinators in our ecosystem. And in July, returning floral display Exuberant Blooms bursts with a riot of colors and fragrances, celebrating the variety and splendor of flowering plants. Throughout the entire season, visitors can enjoy a variety of fun events, from interactive workshops to engaging programs to specialty guided tours, making this exhibition a delightful and eye-opening experience for all ages. Press Release Image Teaser Summary See our new exhibitions, including Garden Railway: World Pollinators … It’s a Pollinator Paradise at Morris Arboretum & …