Beekman Native Plant Arboretum
Encyclopedia
The Beekman Native Plant Arboretum is a three-acre (12,000 m²) arboretum
in Jackson County
, Oregon
, United States
, that features trees, shrubs and herbs from eight zones of the Siskiyou
and Cascade
mountains in Southern Oregon
. It is located behind the Beekman Museum House, at 352 East California Street in Jacksonville
.
The Arboretum contains more than 175 species from the high deserts
of Eastern Oregon
, high-altitude subalpine slopes around Crater Lake
, and serpentine soil
s of the Siskiyou Mountains. It features species from the chaparral
, low-elevation forest and riparian zones, including grassland plants, lodgepole pine
and sagebrush
, buckwheat
, penstemon
and balsam root, and a bog with skunk cabbage
and wild ginger
. Most plants are labeled with name and habitat. Two footbridge
s cross a seasonal stream.
The arboretum was designed by Alan Horobin, in collaboration with the Jacksonville Woodlands Association, organized in 1989 to preserve the woodlands behind the 1875 Cornelius C. Beekman house.
In March, 2000, John and Joyce Jackson, of Kingwood, Texas, concluded their nationwide project to plant trees in each state at a location containing the name of Jackson by planting five trees at the arboretum. The occasion of planting in their 50th state was marked with a ceremony hosted by the chamber of commerce and attended by many in the community.
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
in Jackson County
Jackson County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument* Crater Lake National Park * Klamath National Forest * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Umpqua National Forest -Demographics:...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, that features trees, shrubs and herbs from eight zones of the Siskiyou
Siskiyou Mountains
The Siskiyou Mountains are a coastal mountain range in the northern Klamath Mountains in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the United States. They extend in an arc for approximately from east of Crescent City, California northeast along the north side of the Klamath River into...
and Cascade
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
mountains in Southern Oregon
Southern Oregon
Southern Oregon is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon south of Lane County and generally west of the Cascade Range, excluding the southern Oregon Coast. Counties include Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, and Josephine. It includes the Southern Oregon American Viticultural Area, which consists of the...
. It is located behind the Beekman Museum House, at 352 East California Street in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Oregon
Jacksonville is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, a few miles west of Medford. It was named for Jackson Creek, which runs through the community and was the site of one of the first placer gold claims in the area. It includes Jacksonville Historic District which was designated a U.S....
.
The Arboretum contains more than 175 species from the high deserts
High Desert (Oregon)
The Oregon High Desert is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon, located east of the Cascade Range and south of the Blue Mountains, in the central and eastern parts of the state. Divided into a southern region and a northern region, the desert covers most of five Oregon counties and averages above...
of Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon
Eastern Oregon is the eastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity, thus the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost counties in the state; in other contexts, it includes...
, high-altitude subalpine slopes around Crater Lake
Crater Lake
Crater Lake is a caldera lake located in the south-central region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fills a nearly deep caldera that was formed around 7,700 years agoby the...
, and serpentine soil
Serpentine soil
A serpentine soil is derived from ultramafic rocks, in particular serpentinite, a rock formed by the hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle....
s of the Siskiyou Mountains. It features species from the chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
, low-elevation forest and riparian zones, including grassland plants, lodgepole pine
Lodgepole Pine
Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta, also known as Shore Pine, is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.-Subspecies:...
and sagebrush
Sagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
, buckwheat
Buckwheat
Buckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...
, penstemon
Penstemon
Penstemon , Beard-tongue, is a large genus of North American and East Asian plants traditionally placed in the Scrophulariaceae family. Due to new genetic research, it has now been placed in the vastly expanded family Plantaginaceae...
and balsam root, and a bog with skunk cabbage
Skunk Cabbage
Skunk Cabbage may refer to:* the genus Lysichiton* Asian Skunk Cabbage, Lysichiton camtschatcense, grows in eastern Asia* Eastern Skunk Cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus, grows in eastern North America...
and wild ginger
Wild ginger
Wild ginger may refer to any of a variety of plants, often with a similar appearance, odour or taste to cultivated ginger. Species involved include:*Any of the Alpinia species, especially A. caerulea....
. Most plants are labeled with name and habitat. Two footbridge
Footbridge
A footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
s cross a seasonal stream.
The arboretum was designed by Alan Horobin, in collaboration with the Jacksonville Woodlands Association, organized in 1989 to preserve the woodlands behind the 1875 Cornelius C. Beekman house.
In March, 2000, John and Joyce Jackson, of Kingwood, Texas, concluded their nationwide project to plant trees in each state at a location containing the name of Jackson by planting five trees at the arboretum. The occasion of planting in their 50th state was marked with a ceremony hosted by the chamber of commerce and attended by many in the community.