Without their leaves, trees can be challenging to identify in the winter. However, if you consider a tree’s branching structure and buds, you can often determine its species. Former Arboretum Horticulturist and now a high school teacher, Sue Pfeiffer will speak about the clues to look for and the keys available to help you definitively identify specific trees. Dress in layers for indoor and outdoor learning.

Chris Morgan's goal as a photographer is to evoke the emotions he feels when he views patterns and textures in nature, in the shapes of trees, and in the movements of birds. He brings details to life. The Arboretum, with its rich collections of flora and fauna, has been a major interest of his for over fifteen years, especially during blizzards, when dramatic photo opportunities appear. Digital photography, which offers a happy marriage of the arts and the sciences, lets him explore larger-format photography in creative ways through digital panorama techniques.

Morgan has...

We have the desire to make a garden, but then we grapple with how to start designing our home garden spaces. Design a layout plan for an area of your yard in this beginner-level class. Learn the organizational components of a coherent garden and practice the process of design with award-winning designer Christie Dustman. You will leave class with a plan in progress from which to continue your design explorations. This class is primarily about garden spaces rather than specific plant selection. You will be required to draw a base plan for your site (with tutelage in class) and will need...

In the Arnold Arboretum there is a tree or shrub in bloom every month of the year--including February! This winter phenomenon is only possible because of the witch-hazel family. From witch-hazel to fothergilla to parrotia, the family includes some of the most botanically fascinating and horticulturally valuable plants for the temperate garden. Join Andrew Gapinski, Head of Horticulture at the Arnold Arboretum, for a very special mid-winter walk to explore the beauty of the Arboretum's witch-hazel family collection, and its captivating history of development, evaluation, and scientific...

Jared Rubinstein, Living Collections Fellow, Arnold Arboretum, and Javier Marin, Forest Pest Outreach Coordinator, Crop & Pest Services, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources

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Richard Evans Schultes—ethnobotanist, taxonomist, writer, photographer, and Harvard professor—is regarded as one of the most important plant explorers of the twentieth century. In 1941, Schultes traveled to the Amazon rainforest on a mission to study how Indigenous peoples used plants for medicinal, ritual, and practical purposes. A new interactive online map, produced by the Amazon Conservation Team, traces the landscapes and cultures that Schultes explored in the Colombian Amazon. Plotkin and Hettler will share this map and discuss the relevance of Schultes’ travels and...

Create a piece of Arnold Arboretum history…enter our contest to design the 2019 Lilac Sunday t-shirt!

The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University invites artists of all ages to submit their designs for Lilac Sunday 2019. Lilac-themed t-shirts have been a tradition at Lilac Sunday for many years, and continue to be a highly anticipated and popular memento of this event.

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Capture the essence of winter, when landscapes present a diluted palette of colors and contrasts are most striking. Professional photographer Nancy Katz will introduce fundamental concepts of landscape photography and then teach techniques for getting the best photographs from your smartphone camera. You will capture images in color and black and white, then learn to enhance them using a host of editing tools provided in the Snapseed App. (Note: Nancy Katz was...

Take a healthy walk through the cool landscape of the Arboretum with a docent. You will enjoy the pared down beauty of our woody plant collection and hear about the Arboretum's history and highlights. After the walk, warm up in the Visitor Center with hot chocolate or tea, and talk more with your docent guide and Arboretum staff members.

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Join botanical artist, Regina Gardner Milan, in this Nature Journal Workshop. Participants, ages 8-12, will develop observational skills while learning a new awareness of their environment. Seed pods, pine cones, and other plant material will be available for observation and drawing. If weather permits, you will go on a short walk to collect more specimens. Milan will do demonstrations of drawing and documenting important details, and then you will try your own hand at creating a personal nature journal....

This intensive introductory course will provide you with the knowledge, skills, and understanding to create a great-looking garden that is healthier for you, your family, and the environment. This class is based on the principles of the Sustainable Sites Initiative, the nation’s first rating system for sustainable landscapes. The comprehensive curriculum covers a range of topics, including soils, water, plants, and landscape materials.
Fee $185 member, $218 nonmember

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Start your new year off on an easy 90-minute walk from the Arboretum's main Arborway Gate to the ponds and back. Our docent and experienced birder, Bob Mayer, will focus on winter birds, as well as admiring the woody plant collection in winter. Beginners, as well as more experienced birders, are welcome on the tour. Bring binoculars if you have them; some binoculars will be available to share. See the Arnold Arboretum's website for ...