United States National Arboretum
Encyclopedia
The United States National Arboretum is an arboretum
in Washington, D.C.
, operated by the United States Department of Agriculture
's Agricultural Research Service
as a division of the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
. It was established in 1927 by an act of Congress
after a campaign by USDA Chief Botanist Frederick Vernon Coville
.
It is 446 acres (1.8 km²) in size, and is located 2.2 miles (3.5 km) northeast of the Capitol building, with entrances on New York Avenue
and R Street. Nine miles of roadways wind through and connect the numerous gardens and collections on the campus.
The arboretum functions as a major center of botanical
research. It conducts wide-ranging basic and developmental research on trees, shrubs, turf, and floral plants. It has a library with 10,000 volumes and approximately 90 publications concentrating in botanical literature.
. The piece is made of ductile iron
and stands at H. 10 ft (3 m) x W. 44 in (111.8 cm) x D. 100 in (254 cm). It consists of four vertical pieces that look like large tools. They are placed in a circle on top of a doughnut shaped flat foundation and each tool is unique. The sculpture was dedicated in 1993 and in the same year was surveyed by the Smithsonian's
Save Outdoor Sculpture!
program and its condition was declared as well maintained.
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 Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, operated by the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
's Agricultural Research Service
Agricultural Research Service
The Agricultural Research Service is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture . ARS is one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area...
as a division of the Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
The Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, or BARC, is a unit of the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. It is located at in Beltsville, Maryland, and is named for Henry A. Wallace, former United States vice president and secretary of...
. It was established in 1927 by an act of Congress
Act of Congress
An Act of Congress is a statute enacted by government with a legislature named "Congress," such as the United States Congress or the Congress of the Philippines....
after a campaign by USDA Chief Botanist Frederick Vernon Coville
Frederick Vernon Coville
Frederick Vernon Coville was an American botanist who careered in the United States Department of Agriculture , where he became Chief Botanist, and was the first director of the United States National Arboretum...
.
It is 446 acres (1.8 km²) in size, and is located 2.2 miles (3.5 km) northeast of the Capitol building, with entrances on New York Avenue
New York Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
New York Avenue is one of the diagonal avenues radiating from the White House in Washington, D.C. It is a major east-west route in the city's Northwest and Northeast quadrants and connects downtown with points east and north of the city via Cheverly, Maryland, the John Hanson Highway and the...
and R Street. Nine miles of roadways wind through and connect the numerous gardens and collections on the campus.
The arboretum functions as a major center of botanical
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
research. It conducts wide-ranging basic and developmental research on trees, shrubs, turf, and floral plants. It has a library with 10,000 volumes and approximately 90 publications concentrating in botanical literature.
Major garden features
- Aquatic Plants Collection
- Asian Collections
- Japanese Woodland
- Asian Valley
- China Valley
- Korean Hillside
- Classical Chinese Garden (proposed), a 12 acres (4.9 ha) garden designed by a joint team from China and the United States.
- Flowering Tree Collection
- Flowering Tree Walk
- The Friendship Garden and Arbor House
- Gift Shop
- Friends of the National Arboretum Office
- National Bonsai Foundation Office
- Gotelli Dwarf and Slow Growing Conifer Collection
- Gotelli & Watnong Collections
- Spruces, Firs, Japanese Maples
- Introduction Garden
- National Bonsai and Penjing MuseumNational Bonsai FoundationThe National Bonsai Foundation is a nonprofit organization that was created to sustain the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. NBF also helps the United States National Arboretum show the arts of Bonsai, and Penjing. The National Bonsai and Penjing Museum is located on the campus of the US...
- Japanese, Chinese, North American, and International Pavilions
- National Capitol Columns (see image above)
- National Grove of State TreesNational Grove of State TreesThe National Grove of State Trees is an attraction at the United States National Arboretum. The groves are planted on 30 acres of rolling terrain celebrate the diversity and importance of trees to all 50 states and the District of Columbia....
, specimens of most of the U.S. state trees - National Herb Garden
- Historic Roses
- Knot Garden
- Specialty Gardens
- Native Plant Collections ("Fern Valley")
- Fern Valley Woodland
- Prairie
- Southeastern Coastal Plain
Single-genus groupings
- Azalea Collections
- Glenn Dale Azalea Hillside
- Morrison Garden
- Lee Garden
- Dogwood Collection
- Dogwoods
- Anacostia River Overlook
- Holly Collection
- Magnolia Collection
- Maple Collection
- National Boxwood Collection
- Perennial Collections
- Peony
- Iris
- Daylily
- Daffodil
Public art
The Arboretum features a small group of public artworks including "Split Ritual" by American sculptor Beverly PepperBeverly Pepper
Beverly Pepper is a pioneering sculptor known for her monumental works,site specific and land art. She remains independent from any particular art movement.- Early Life and Education :...
. The piece is made of ductile iron
Ductile iron
Ductile iron, also known as ductile cast iron, nodular cast iron, spheroidal graphite iron, spherulitic graphite cast iron and SG iron, is a type of cast iron invented in 1943 by Keith Millis...
and stands at H. 10 ft (3 m) x W. 44 in (111.8 cm) x D. 100 in (254 cm). It consists of four vertical pieces that look like large tools. They are placed in a circle on top of a doughnut shaped flat foundation and each tool is unique. The sculpture was dedicated in 1993 and in the same year was surveyed by the Smithsonian's
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Save Outdoor Sculpture!
Save Outdoor Sculpture! is a community-based effort to identify, document, and conserve outdoor sculpture in the United States. By fostering awareness and appreciation, SOS! aims to advocate proper care of a nationwide public resource....
program and its condition was declared as well maintained.
See also
- List of botanical gardens in the United States
- North American Plant Collections ConsortiumNorth American Plant Collections ConsortiumThe North American Plant Collections Consortium is a group of North American botanical gardens and arboreta that aims to improve the continent's living plant collections, and enhance the availability of plant germplasm...
- List of public art in Washington, D.C.