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 …

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. …

Iconic Bur Oak Removed from Gardens The iconic Morris Arboretum & Gardens bur oak ( Quercus macrocarpa ) that stood atop the Holly Slope for 100 years had to be removed in 2022 as it declined from a nasty fungus. The pale green color of the tree’s thinning crown contrasted against the tan circles of fresh deadwood pruning cuts. A sort of foul, fermented smell permeated the air around the trunk as the tree continued to ooze sap, attracting an interesting variety of insects. The signs of decline were, unfortunately, abundant. Image The bur oak as seen in summer 2022. The iconic Morris Arboretum bur oak ( Quercus macrocarpa ) that stood atop the Holly Slope for 100 years had to be removed in 2022 as it declined from a nasty fungus. The tree was planted September 9, 1926, by the National Association of Gardeners in commemoration of their visit to Compton, the estate owned by siblings John and Lydia Morris. It was part of the original accession when the estate became Morris Arboretum in 1933. On the back of the tree, a large necrotic area exposed the tree’s heartwood. Upon closer inspection, a harmful wood-decay fungus called Armillaria had spread its rhizomorphs throughout. Armillaria is a native plant pathogen that typically infects woody plants and causes basal rot or root rot. A very healthy and vigorous plant can usually resist infection, but stressed or damaged plants are more susceptible. There is no known cure once a tree becomes infected. Because of the tree’s location near a walking path and parking lot, fallen branches or full tree failure could spell catastrophe. The Morris Arboretum & Gardens arborist and urban forestry teams investigated the tree’s health further. First, a rubber mallet was used to strike the trunk of the tree repeatedly, while listening for hollow points around its circumference. The decayed sections of wood reverberated with sounds reminiscent of a bass drum—a concerning sign of lost structural integrity. Image The new Compton oak was …

#90YearsofMorris: Rose Garden Reopening & History Morris Arboretum & Gardens recently reopened the Rose Garden following renovations to make it more accessible for all. Learn more about these renovations, as well as the history of this much beloved garden.  There has been much to celebrate at the Morris Arboretum & Gardens during our 90th year of being open to the public. Last week, we invited our members to a Member Preview Night that included a ribbon cutting of our newly renovated Rose Garden; a preview of our newest exhibit, Exuberant Blooms : A Pop-Up Garden;  and an after-hours stroll through our gardens while enjoying Weckerly’s ice cream.  The evening began at the top of the Rose Garden with remarks by Bill Cullina, F. Otto Haas Executive Director of the Morris, followed by a ribbon cutting to mark the official reopening of the beloved garden. See images from Member Preview Night at the bottom of this page. In late 2022, ground was broken when the Rose Garden’s bluestone walkway project began. Permeable bluestone hardscaping was installed, greatly enhancing the appearance and accessibility of our iconic garden. There is also a flat accessible entrance, which supports our new electric scooters available for visitors to check out at the Widener Welcome Center, along with beautiful new landscape lighting and the replacement of pipes in the fountain. Image The Rose Garden in 2023 with new bluestone walkway. Photo: Rob Cardillo. The Morrises created what would eventually become the Rose Garden in 1888, making it one of the oldest features of the Morris estate. In 1909, Lydia Morris's seat and Summer Pavilion were constructed by Pringle Borthwick. In 1924, Lydia transformed the mixed garden of fruits, vegetables, flowers, a few roses, and a specimen chestnut tree into a garden of mainly roses. Elegant stone steps were constructed at the upper entrance, along with the Rock Wall Garden. Image Lydia Morris (1849-1932) standing at Lydia's Seat at the corner of the …

Plant Names and Provenance: Aesculus flava (yellow buckeye) Learn about the name and characteristics of  Aesculus flava (yellow buckeye), as well as where to find the nine different taxa of Aesculus from around the world at the Morris.  Image 1932-0068*A  Aesculus flava in English Park. Palmately compound leaf with five leaflets radiating from the tip of the leaf stem like fingers from a palm. Photo by Katherine Wagner-Reiss. Aesculus flava (yellow buckeye) is a large deciduous tree, native to the eastern United States, and outstanding for its large panicles of yellow flowers in spring and  its  bright orange fall leaf color. Aesculus spp. differ from most U.S. native trees and shrubs by having palmately compound leaves (i.e. several leaflets joined together at the tip of the leaf stem), like fingers attached to the palm of a hand (see photo). In the case of A. flava there are five, sometimes seven, leaflets. Aesculus is an old Latin name for a type of oak tree with an edible acorn. Linnaeus, the father of taxonomy himself,  first applied that genus name to Aesculus hippocastanum  (common horse chestnut from Southeast Europe). The etymology is misleading because Aesculus spp. are in the soapberry family, not in the oak family, and they do not provide edible nuts. The epithet flava means yellow and refers to the beautiful panicles of yellow flowers. The creators of botanical names are very specific in choosing names that clearly describe the colors they are seeing; for example, gold-colored is aureus , lemon-yellow is citrinus , saffron-yellow is croceus , pure-yellow is flavus , sulphur-yellow is sulphureus , straw-colored is stramineus , and egg-yolk-colored is vitellinus . Image 1932-0068*A  Aesculus flava in English Park. Flava means “pure yellow,” referring to the flowers. Photo by Nancy Matlack. Image 1932-0068*A  Aesculus flava in English Park. This grand tree was part of the original Morris Estate. Photo by Katherine Wagner-Reiss.   One common name for A. …

How Climate Change Affects Roses In a Q&A on PennToday, Erin Conley of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens explains how climate change affects rose growth, as well as what’s new in our Rose Garden.  In a Q&A on PennToday, Erin Conley of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens discusses her experience with horticulture, how climate change affects rose growth, and what’s new in the Rose Garden. Read the full article on PennToday Image   Blog Image August 4, 2023 … How Climate Change Affects Roses …

For Penn Students & Staff For Penn Students & Staff Image Morris Arboretum & Gardens is your place to escape, explore, and relax...  Image Just 13 miles from the Penn Campus, the Morris is accessible by car, bike, and public transportation. Admission is free with your PennCard.  Student Leaders – Group Visits  Morris Arboretum & Gardens is the perfect place to bring your student groups. We are happy to assist student groups with organizing transportation and their own field trips to experience all the beauty and tranquility the Morris has to offer.  To learn more, please contact us .  Directions from Penn   Driving  Arriving by car is the easiest way to get to the Morris. If you don’t have access to your own vehicle rideshare services regularly bring students and visitors to the Morris.  Biking  Bicycling to the Morris can be a great way to get out in nature, explore Philadelphia and get some exercise.  The 14-mile route to the Morris (see directions here ) is primarily bike and pedestrian only, with limited cycling on roads with vehicles.  Approximately 6 miles of the bike path is on a gravel path in the Wissahickon Park requiring bicycles with tires appropriate for gravel.  … For Penn Students & …

#90YearsofMorris: Conservation of Philadelphia's Trees In 1935, Dr. Rodney H. True, Director of the Morris from 1933–1938, gave an address live on the radio for the Council for Preservation of Natural Beauty in Pennsylvania concerning the conservation of trees in Philadelphia. Read the address, along with an update on today's conservation efforts by Jason Lubar, Associate Director of Urban Forestry. In the late 1600s, when William Penn planned Philadelphia, he envisioned a "Greene Countrie Towne" replete with wide tree-lined streets, parks, and open space because he understood and embraced the value of trees in developing areas. Around 1700, this was further exemplified by Penn implementing the first ordinance in the colonies to protect Philadelphia’s public trees. Subsequently, Philly prospered and grew, as did its trees. However, during the Industrial Revolution, many trees were removed, and the survivors suffered from the accompanying smoke and pollution. Citizens and the Fairmount Park Commission became deeply concerned that the impacts from industrial development were resulting in unhealthy trees and declining tree-related benefits. Rodney True’s speech below testifies to those concerns about how our urban trees were bombarded with a panoply of problems such as horses gnawing through tree bark, poor pruning practices, vehicle damage, pollution, and poor quality urban soils. These problems persist to this day. In the mid-1970s, Philly had about 300,000 street trees, as noted in Tree Maintenance in Philadelphia by Robert McConnell. In the past 50 years, the declining budget of the Fairmount Park Commission, now the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreations (PPR), resulted in the loss of nearly 200,000 street trees, and today about 115,000 survive.           However, there is a renewed but timeless concern about managing and increasing Philadelphia’s tree canopy. PPR’s Philly Tree Plan is an excellent example to strategically address the problems that …