Events
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Virtual Open House: Certificate in Ecological Horticulture
Thursday, May 8
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7 pm
Virtual
Thursday, May 8 • 7 pm – 8 pm
Open to the public
Would you like to learn how to create and maintain landscapes that are grounded in ecological principles and practice? Taught by regional horticultural experts, this classroom and field-based program is a series of 12 courses geared toward avid home gardeners and landscape professionals looking to develop a deeper understanding of sustainable landscape design and management. 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,
Join us at our free Virtual Open House on May 8 at 7:00 pm, where you’ll be able to meet some of our certificate program staff and instructors, ask questions, and get answers! A Zoom link will be emailed to all registrants.
Events
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Spring Blossoms Tour
Saturday, May 10
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11 am
Meet at the Welcome Center
Celebrate the joy of spring as the garden and trees bloom! The vibrant flowers change on a weekly basis as the season unfolds, bringing bursts of color and fragrance. Free with general admission.
Exuberant Tulips: Designing Beds in Shapes of Ferns and Mosses www.morrisarboretum.org/blog/exuberant-tulips-shapes
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 …
Events
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Member Plant Giveaway
Saturday, May 17
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Sunday, May 18
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9 am – 1 pm
Bloomfield Farm
Saturday, May 17 & Sunday, May 18
at Bloomfield Farm (opposite our main entrance on Northwestern Avenue)
Timed Tickets Still Available!
The legacy of Morris Arboretum & Garden’s plant distribution tradition started nearly 100 years ago in the will of founder Lydia Morris. In addition to distributing plants to other public gardens, the Morris has maintained Lydia’s wish of sharing plants with members, continuing again this May with you!
Pollinator lovers will be thrilled by the beauty of this year’s plant selection. Many of this year’s Giveaway plants are not only pollinator favorites but are also exciting native plants with eye-catching colors. Whether you are a seasoned gardener or are planning to dig in for the first time, our experienced staff will be onsite with suggestions across the board.
All members are welcome to attend the Member Plant Giveaway on May 18 or May 19.
Individual and Friends & Family memberships qualify for one giveaway plant per membership household. Supporter memberships and above qualify for two giveaway plants per membership household.
Early Access Friday for Upper-Level Members
Friday, May 16 • 4 – 6 pm
Collectors Circle, Benefactor, Patron, and Supporter members are welcome to enjoy an exclusive first selection of plants.
Not an upper-level member? Consider upgrading today and strengthen the Morris Arboretum & Gardens with a philanthropic membership.
Saving Campus Trees www.morrisarboretum.org/blog/saving-campus-trees
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 …
Garden Railway www.morrisarboretum.org/see-do/garden-railway
Garden Railway Garden Railway Image Image Garden Railway: World Pollinators May 23 - September 30 The Morris Arboretum & Garden's beloved Garden Railway is back, and this year it's buzzing with excitement! Get ready for Garden Railway: World Pollinators , part of our new summer-long exhibition, Bees, Butterflies & Blooms: A Pollinator Paradise . Enjoy miniature trains as they speed along a third of a mile of track and weave through a landscape dotted with spectacular sculptures of pollinators from around the globe, each crafted with incredible detail using natural materials like bark, leaves, twigs, mosses, acorns, dried flowers, seeds, and resin. But that's not all! Alongside bees and butterflies, you'll discover lesser-known pollinators like geckos, lemurs, and possums, all beautifully represented. About the Garden Railway Visitors of all ages will be wowed by a third of a mile of track featuring seven loops and tunnels with fifteen different rail lines and two cable cars, nine bridges (including a trestle bridge you can walk under!), and bustling model trains, all set in the lovely garden of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens. The display and buildings are all made of natural materials – bark, leaves, twigs, hollow logs, mosses, acorns, dried flowers, seeds and stones – to form a perfectly proportioned miniature landscape complete with miniature rivers. Each building, while an exact replica of the original, is unique in its design. Philadelphia-area landmarks such as a masterpiece replica of Independence Hall are made using pine cone seeds for shingles, acorns as finials and twigs as downspouts. Image The Garden Railway is supported, in part, through the generosity of Gwen and Ed Asplundh and by a gift given in memory of Joe Shuttleworth. “Gwen and I are very pleased to support the wonderful Garden Railway. Ever since I was a kid, I have loved trains large and small. For years, I had a large train layout in my basement. There is something very special about an …
Events
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Tea Under the Tree
Thursday, May 8
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11:30 am
Learn about the botany of tea and create your own blend under our lovely katsura tree. Free with general admission. Meet under the katsura tree.