#90YearsofMorris: Opening Day, 1933 Ninety years ago today, the gates of the Morris, the estate formerly known as Compton, swung open to the public for the first time. That week in June 1933, eighteen months after Lydia Morris's death, marked the transition from private estate to public garden amidst great fanfare and publicity. Ninety years ago today, the gates of the Morris, the estate formerly known as Compton, swung open to the public for the first time. That week in June 1933, eighteen months after Lydia Morris's death, marked the transition from private estate to public garden amidst great fanfare and publicity. The Philadelphia Bulletin  reported that 10,000 visitors enjoyed the Morris on that first day. The Philadelphia Record  heralded the news with a large photo and the front-page headline, "Morris Arboretum Goes to Posterity." Image Maurice Bower Saul, '05L .,'07C. (right), a Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania as well as Lydia’s secretary and first Morris board member and chair, handing over the key to Compton to University President Thomas S. Gates (left), during the dedication ceremony in 1933. Image Morris Executive Director Bill Cullina (left) with University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill (right) at this weekend's Moonlight & Roses gala, holding the key that was originally used in the 1933 dedication ceremony.                       Though very private up until the opening, the estate was already widely known throughout Philadelphia and the eastern US, and was considered second only to Harvard's Arnold Arboretum for its fine collection of trees and shrubs. The Philadelphia Ledger reported, "The Arboretum's gardens are said to rival the Arnold Gardens in Boston, the Kew Gardens of London or the Jardin d'Acclimation of Paris," and The New York Times  described the opening as "An El Dorado of horticultural treasure." Once the Morris became part of the University of Pennsylvania, the focus shifted from that of an aesthetic landscape garden …

Garden Railway: Chugging Along Since 1998 The Garden Railway is celebrating 25 years with a new addition—300 feet of track! The Garden Railway is celebrating 25 years at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens with a new addition—300 feet of track! This is the largest expansion of the Garden Railway since it was installed in 1998. The new looping section of track extends the total model rail trackage to a third of a mile, making it one of the largest outdoor model train displays in the country.  Image The extension of the Garden Railway in progress. Courtesy of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens. Image Josh Faia and Bruce Morrell work on installing the new Garden Railway track. (Image: Eric Sucar) Learn more about the Garden Railway extension in the press: "Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Garden Railway celebrates 25 years of inspiring wonder"  -  Penn Today "Morris Arboretum’s Garden Railway gets bigger than ever and the train now goes to (mini) Brooklyn" - WHYY "Philadelphia's Morris Arboretum & Gardens Adds Major Expansion to Garden Railway" - NBC10   Image Courtesy of Applied Imagination Garden Railway: Public Gardens  In honor of our 90th anniversary, we're celebrating the joy and importance of public gardens at the Garden Railway! See miniature replicas of iconic structures at some of America's most famous public gardens including the Climatron at Missouri Botanical Garden, Torii Gate and Pavilion at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Science Pyramid at Denver Botanic Gardens, and so much more.   Garden Railway: Throughout the Years In 1998, Paul Busse, landscape architect and founder of Applied Imagination, came to the Morris to create our beloved Garden Railway. Each year, the team at Applied Imagination along with our horticulturists and train masters work together to design an ever-changing theme and update the Garden Railway. Shown below are photos of the Garden Railway from throughout the years. Image Train Masters Bruce Morrell and Josh Faia, 2023. Credit: Eric Sucar. Image …

Giving Thanks to the Great Oak of North Coventry Township Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Urban Forestry Consultants recently visited North Coventry Township in Chester County to inspect a white oak ( Quercus alba ) known locally as the “Great Oak.” The tree’s owner and the arborist caring for it became concerned about the biological health when many branches on half of the tree failed to leaf out this spring. Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Urban Forestry Consultants recently visited North Coventry Township in Chester County to inspect a white oak ( Quercus alba ) known locally as the “Great Oak.” The tree’s owner and the arborist caring for it became concerned about the biological health when many branches on half of the tree failed to leaf out this spring. Considered a “William Penn Tree,” the Great Oak is one of 100 or so living trees in the region that were alive around the time William Penn landed in Pennsylvania in 1682. While the tree’s exact age is unknown, estimates range from 400–600 years old, well before Penn’s landing. We arrived on the scene to assess why this ancient tree was declining after all these centuries. We started by measuring the tree. Although not exceptionally tall at 60 feet, the Great Oak has a 76-inch diameter and a massive canopy spread of about 115 feet. From there we inspected the entire tree from branches to trunk flare. There was deadwood, branch wounds, and old pruning wounds all over the tree, which showed its resilience through the centuries. About half of the canopy was either dead or struggling to put out leaves. Around the Great Oak’s base, we found that the trunk had been buried quite a bit by mulch or dirt over time. Tree trunks are adapted to grow above ground, and burying the trunk creates moist conditions that invite fungi and other organisms to attack and decay the now buried trunk. We found the bark on the buried buttress roots was decayed, which was compromising the connection between the roots and canopy, along with the …

Plant Names and Provenance: Fothergilla spp. Fothergilla spp . are in the witchhazel family, and attract pollinators with the showy stamens of its male flowers. Named for Dr. John Fothergill (1712–1780), an English physician with a thriving medical practice, the Morris hosts a range of these plants including fothergillia ʻMt. Airy’ ( F . × intermedia ʻMt. Airy’). Image 1993-153-A Fothergilla × intermedia ʻMt. Airyʻ. Spikes of flowers lack petals but attract insects with scent and prominent  stamens composed of  creamy white filaments tipped with yellow anthers. Photo by Clara Roth,  McClean Contributionship Youth & Visitor Education Intern. Fothergilla spp. are in the witchhazel family, with leaves and fruits similar to those of Hamamelis (witchhazel), but quite different flowers: Hamamelis has colorful petals, while the apetalous (having no petals) fothergilla attracts pollinators with the showy stamens of its male flowers. Fothergilla is named for Dr. John Fothergill (1712–1780), an English physician with a thriving medical practice subsequent to his fame for writing a book carefully describing serious forms of sore throats, or what we now call diphtheria and scarlet fever. In fact, Fothergill had a strong friendship with Benjamin Franklin, whom he treated when he fell ill on a trip to London as well as supported Franklin’s work in establishing Pennsylvania Hospital by sending seven cases of anatomic drawings and three plaster casts of pregnant women to be used as teaching aids. (These casts can be seen on pre-arranged, guided tours of the historic Pine Building on the Hospital campus.) Image A tribute to Dr. John Fothergill.  CC BY 4.0 .   Image One of the many anatomical drawings donated to the Philadelphia Hospital by Dr. John Fothergill to further medical training. Serious scholars can see all the drawings by appointment.  Photo Courtesy of Pennsylvania Hospital Historic Library .                                   Fothergill was strongly influenced by his …

A Tour of New Zealand A Tour of New Zealand Image Gardens, Wine, and Wilderness: A Tour of New Zealand January 6 - 28, 2024 Morris Arboretum & Gardens of the University of Pennsylvania is pleased to partner with Richard Lyon RLA of Garden Adventures Ltd. for its ninth time to offer  Gardens, Wine, and Wilderness: A Tour of New Zealand . Richard has led 25 tours of New Zealand. He crafts the itinerary with visits to dramatic natural wonders as well as the most carefully cultivated gardens. Taste New Zealand’s world-famous food and wine straight from the source. Throughout the trip there are abundant opportunities to experience New Zealand’s unique culture. Join Morris Arboretum & Gardens members and Penn alumni for this trip of a lifetime. Space is very limited. Contact Alison Thornton, Senior Associate Director of Development at  alisonth@upenn.edu  or 215-247-5777 ext. 105 for more information or for booking. Download New Zealand 2024 brochure → Download New Zealand 2024 booking form → Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image 1 / PREV NEXT … A Tour of New …

In Search of a Methuselah Tree Determining when some of the earliest specimens at the Morris were planted requires a bit of sleuthing. “What is the oldest tree at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens?”  That’s a frequently asked question here at the Morris, and it is not easy to answer.  The best way to tell the age of a tree is to count growth rings. One ring equals one year of growth. The problem is you can only see growth rings on trees that have been cut down. Felling a tree to count growth rings is generally a counterproductive endeavor. The next best way to determine age is to drill into the trunk and pull out a core of wood to count rings. John Morris was a fastidious recordkeeper. So much so that in 1909 he contracted with Pugh & Hubbard, a Philadelphia civil engineering firm, to survey every element of his estate garden, including all trees, shrubs, curb edges, and individual stones in the Japanese gardens. This information was recorded on a series of grid maps. They were then bound into a compendium titled The Atlas of Compton . We use this original survey as the basis for our entire plant records system. Unfortunately, the Atlas does not indicate planting dates. The Atlas is a snapshot of what was in the garden in 1909. Determining when some of the earliest specimens at the Morris were planted requires a bit of sleuthing. We can use John’s financial ledgers and other notes to determine when some specimens were purchased and that gets us closer to knowing the age of some of the trees planted by the Morrises. Image Black tupelo tree ( Nyssa sylvatica ). GOOD CANDIDATE A number of trees pre-date the Morris estate. One notable tree is the large chestnut oak ( Quercus montana ) that stands in the middle of the Out on a Limb boardwalk. We cored this tree prior to the construction of Out on a Limb to determine its suitability for building a walkway around it. Using this coring, we estimate this tree first sprang to life in 1755, making it about 268 years old. …