Morris Arboretum
Encyclopedia
The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania (37 ha / 92 acres) is the official arboretum
of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
. It is located at 100 East Northwestern Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. The arboretum is open daily except major holidays; an admission fee is charged.
The arboretum was formerly the estate of John and Lydia Morris, who purchased and landscaped much of the arboretum's current site starting from the 1880s. Morris was interested in growing plants from around the world, including those collected in China by E. H. Wilson around 1900, and many of today's specimens date to Morris' original plantings. The estate became a public arboretum in 1933.
Today the arboretum contains more than 13,000 labelled plants of over 2,500 types, representing the temperate floras of North America
, Asia
, and Europe
, with a primary focus on Asia. Significant collections include native azalea
s, conifers, hollies
, magnolia
species, maple
s, rose
s, and witch hazel
s. The arboretum has identified 17 trees in its collection as outstanding specimens: Abies cephalonica
, Abies holophylla
, Acer buergerianum, Aesculus flava
, Cedrus libani var. atlantica
'Glauca', Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Fagus engleriana
, Fagus sylvatica
f. pendula, Metasequoia glyptostroboides
, Pinus bungeana, Platanus
x acerifolia, Quercus alba
, Quercus × benderi, Tsuga canadensis
f. pendula, Ulmus glabra
'Horizontalis', Ulmus parvifolia, and Zelkova serrata
.
The arboretum is set within a fine, mature landscape, primarily designed in the English park style but with Japanese influences. It includes winding paths and streams, a swan pond, formal rose gardens, and large sweeps of azalea
s, rhododendron
s, and magnolia
s. Notable aspects of the arboretum are as follows:
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...
of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It is located at 100 East Northwestern Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Chestnut Hill is a neighborhood in the Northwest Philadelphia section of the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Boundaries:Chestnut Hill is bounded as follows:...
. The arboretum is open daily except major holidays; an admission fee is charged.
The arboretum was formerly the estate of John and Lydia Morris, who purchased and landscaped much of the arboretum's current site starting from the 1880s. Morris was interested in growing plants from around the world, including those collected in China by E. H. Wilson around 1900, and many of today's specimens date to Morris' original plantings. The estate became a public arboretum in 1933.
Today the arboretum contains more than 13,000 labelled plants of over 2,500 types, representing the temperate floras of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, with a primary focus on Asia. Significant collections include native azalea
Azalea
Azaleas are flowering shrubs comprising two of the eight subgenera of the genus Rhododendron, Pentanthera and Tsutsuji . Azaleas bloom in spring, their flowers often lasting several weeks...
s, conifers, hollies
Holly
Ilex) is a genus of 400 to 600 species of flowering plants in the family Aquifoliaceae, and the only living genus in that family. The species are evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, and climbers from tropics to temperate zones world wide....
, magnolia
Magnolia
Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
species, maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
s, rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s, and witch hazel
Witch hazel
Witch hazel may refer to:*Witch-hazel , a genus of decorative shrubs in North America and east Asia*Witch hazel , an astringent topical medicine derived from the Hamamelis plant...
s. The arboretum has identified 17 trees in its collection as outstanding specimens: Abies cephalonica
Greek Fir
Greek Fir is a fir native to the mountains of Greece, primarily in the Peloponnesos and the island of Kefallonia, intergrading with the closely related Bulgarian Fir further north in the Pindus mountains of northern Greece. It is a medium-size evergreen coniferous tree growing to – rarely – tall...
, Abies holophylla
Manchurian Fir
Manchurian Fir , also called Needle Fir, is a species of fir native to mountainous regions of northern Korea, southern Ussuriland, and China in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning....
, Acer buergerianum, Aesculus flava
Yellow Buckeye
Yellow Buckeye is a species of buckeye native to the Ohio Valley and Appalachian Mountains of the Eastern United States. It is a medium-sized deciduous tree growing to 20–47 m tall...
, Cedrus libani var. atlantica
Lebanon Cedar
Cedrus libani is a species of cedar native to the mountains of the Mediterranean region.There are two distinct types that are considered to be different subspecies or varieties. Lebanon cedar or Cedar of Lebanon Cedrus libani is a species of cedar native to the mountains of the Mediterranean...
'Glauca', Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Fagus engleriana
Fagus engleriana
Fagus engleriana, known as Chinese Beech, is a species of Beech native to central China. It can reach 17 metres tall.The shoots are dark brown and hairless. Leaves contain 10-14 vein-pairs and the margin is hairless, deckled and scarcely toothed....
, Fagus sylvatica
European Beech
Fagus sylvatica, the European Beech or Common Beech, is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae.-Natural range:...
f. pendula, Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Metasequoia
Metasequoia is a fast-growing, deciduous tree, and the sole living species, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, is one of three species of conifers known as redwoods. It is native to the Sichuan-Hubei region of China. Although the least tall of the redwoods, it grows to at least 200 feet in height...
, Pinus bungeana, Platanus
Platanus
Platanus is a small genus of trees native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae....
x acerifolia, Quercus alba
White Oak
White Oak may refer to:* Quercus alba, a species commonly known as the White Oak* any of various trees from the botanical section Quercus within the list of Quercus species* a 1921 silent western written/produced by and starring William S...
, Quercus × benderi, Tsuga canadensis
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
f. pendula, Ulmus glabra
Wych Elm
Ulmus glabra, the Wych elm or Scots elm, has the widest range of the European elm species, from Ireland eastwards to the Urals, and from the Arctic Circle south to the mountains of the Peloponnese in Greece; it is also found in Iran...
'Horizontalis', Ulmus parvifolia, and Zelkova serrata
Zelkova serrata
Zelkova serrata is a species of Zelkova native to Japan, Korea, eastern China, and Taiwan. It is often grown as an ornamental tree, and used in bonsai.-Description:...
.
The arboretum is set within a fine, mature landscape, primarily designed in the English park style but with Japanese influences. It includes winding paths and streams, a swan pond, formal rose gardens, and large sweeps of azalea
Azalea
Azaleas are flowering shrubs comprising two of the eight subgenera of the genus Rhododendron, Pentanthera and Tsutsuji . Azaleas bloom in spring, their flowers often lasting several weeks...
s, rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s, and magnolia
Magnolia
Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
s. Notable aspects of the arboretum are as follows:
- English Park (circa 1912) - mainly planted with species collected in ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, with significant collections of mapleMapleAcer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
s, witch hazelWitch hazelWitch hazel may refer to:*Witch-hazel , a genus of decorative shrubs in North America and east Asia*Witch hazel , an astringent topical medicine derived from the Hamamelis plant...
s, dogwoodDogwoodThe genus Cornus is a group of about 30-60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods. Most dogwoods are deciduous trees or shrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceous perennial subshrubs, and a few of the woody species are evergreen...
s, cherriesCherryThe cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....
, and stuartias.
- Fernery (1899) - an 8-sided glass house said to be the only remaining free-standing Victorian ferneryFerneryA fernery is a specialized garden for the cultivation and display of ferns.In many countries, ferneries are indoors or at least sheltered or kept in a shadehouse to provide a moist environment, filtered light and protection from frost and other extremes, some ferns native to arid regions require...
in North America. Morris ordered his original ferns from LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
expert John BirkenheadJohn BirkenheadSir John Birkenhead or Berkenhead was a British political writer and journalist, imprisoned several times during the Commonwealth for his obtrusive royalism....
. The collection was botanically grouped and labelled; it included 523 fernFernA fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
varieties and 47 Selaginella (club moss) varieties.
- Garden Railway - G scaleG scaleG scale is a scale for model railways, and because of its size and durability, G scale is often used outdoors. Such installations are known as garden railways.-LGB:...
trainTrainA train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s and trolley cars running on 45 mm track (1¾"), and representing railroads throughout history, including freight and passenger models.
- Greenhouse - Closed to the public; little now remains of Morris' original structure.
- Japanese Overlook (1912) - a hybrid of English rock garden with Japanese garden, landscaped with fudo stones, stone lanternTōrōA "灯篭" is just a simplified form of "灯籠". is a Japanese lantern made of stone, wood, or metal traditional in the Far East. In China extant specimen are very rare, and in Korea too they are not as common as in Japan. In Japan, tōrō were originally used only in Buddhist temples, where they lined and...
s, and Japanese maples, conifers, and smaller acid-loving plants.
- Japanese Hill and Water Garden (1905) - Tsukiyama-niwa style garden with hills, rocks, water, trees, bridges, paths, shrines and lanterns.
- Mercury Temple and Ravine Garden (1913) - classical loggia housing a sculpture of Mercury At Rest, with grottoGrottoA grotto is any type of natural or artificial cave that is associated with modern, historic or prehistoric use by humans. When it is not an artificial garden feature, a grotto is often a small cave near water and often flooded or liable to flood at high tide...
and a picturesque rock garden within the valley below.
- Rose Garden (1888) - a buxusBuxusBuxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood ....
-edged roseRoseA rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
garden in four quadrants.
- Rock Wall Garden (1924) - alpine plantAlpine plantAlpine plants are plants that grow in the alpine climate, which occurs at high elevation and above the tree line. Alpine plants grow together as a plant community in alpine tundra.-Alpine plant diversity:...
s on a six-foot-high wall.
- SwanMute SwanThe Mute Swan is a species of swan, and thus a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is native to much of Europe and Asia, and the far north of Africa. It is also an introduced species in North America, Australasia and southern Africa. The name 'mute' derives from it being less...
Pond (1905) - a small lake created by digging and damming the East Brook.
- Compton Mansion (aka Morris House, 1887-1888, demolished 1968)
External links
- Morris Arboretum
- Compton's listing at the Historic American Buildings SurveyHistoric American Buildings SurveyThe Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
- Morris Arboretum: A living collection (2000). Sculpture magazine / artdesigncafe. March 2000. Retrieved March 19, 2011.