Grow a part of the Arnold Arboretum in your own landscape. As a part of its mission to promote horticulture and the cultivation of exceptional woody plants in our region, the Arnold Arboretum distributes exceptional plant material to other botanical institutions and to members of the Arboretum community. It continues to honor and build upon this legacy through the Arbor Day Seedling Program, which makes a seedling of a tree, shrub, or vine available in early spring to members of The Friends of the Arnold Arboretum as a benefit at the Sustaining ($100) level and above. Inaugurated in 1970 as the Spring Plant Dividend, the Arbor Day Seedling Program invites our members to cultivate a living part of the renowned collections in their own landscapes. Members may elect to receive the plant by having it shipped to their preferred address or by picking it up in person on the designated pick up day.
If you are not currently a qualifying member, join at the Sustaining level or upgrade your membership by March 17 to receive the 2017 Arbor Day Seedling. To join visit https://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/support/membership/ or call 617-384-5767.
The 2017 Arbor Day Seedling is Chinese dogwood (Cornus Kousa var. chinensis). This form of kousa dogwood was discovered by Arboretum plant explorer Ernest Henry Wilson on his 1907-09 Expedition in China and was introduced by the Arboretum in 1907. C. kousa var. chinensis offers spectacular ornamental qualities in all seasons. Foliage emerges dark green, morphing to reddish-purple or matte scarlet in autumn. The true flowers, borne in June, are small rounded umbels, but the four creamy-white bracts surrounding each flower provide the real show. Produced in abundance, these large tapered bracts persist for over six weeks. Bracts of Chinese kousa dogwood are larger at up to 2½ inches long, compared to the straight species. Fruits set in August, and the pinkish-red to red edible aggregates provide for a striking effect suspended among fall foliage. The tree’s exfoliating bark reveals an exquisite mosaic of gray, tan, and rich brown, best admired following leaf drop. A lovely small tree, it grows up to 15-30 feet with an overall vase shape and strong horizontal branching. It performs best in moist, well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. Arboretum Founding Director Charles Sprague Sargent described this noteworthy tree as one of the greatest gifts to North American gardens. An outstanding individual growing near the Bussey Street Gate on Hemlock Hill Road was collected as seed during the NACPEC (North American China Plant Exploration Consortium) Shaanxi 1996 Expedition, and offers an excellent example of its fine qualities as a specimen tree.
