What’s in Bloom

Here are some photos of trees in the Arboretum’s collection that will be talked about during the Symposium.

Heptacodium miconioides, or Seven-Sons-Tree, a member of the honeysuckle family and native to China, has creamy white scented flowers, each with a showy red calyx and a beautiful exfoliating trunk. The specimen at the Arboretum is a NJ State Champion Tree.

Oxydendrum arboreum, or Sourwood, a member of the Heath family and native to the East Coast of the United States, exhibits canoe shaped leaves, pendulous flower racemes and striking red fall color.

Ginkgo biloba, known as Maidenhair Tree, is a large shade tree native to eastern China with fan-shaped leaves that turn a lovely, lemony yellow color in fall. There are Ginkgo fossils dating back over 270 million years!

Thanks to Lisa Bencivengo for all photos, except Margery’s closeup of Ginkgo leaves.

Member Deborah Holz recently visited the Arboretum and shared some of her photographs with us. The calendar may say late October, but Deborah found a lovely pale pink Iris in full bloom, as well as Roses in full bloom in the garden behind the Mansion – don’t they look beautiful with the fall foliage as a backdrop? The Japanese Maples are donning their colorful fall coats and a planter with ornamental cabbage, grasses, chrysanthemums, etc. is a bright spot on the sidewalk going towards the Haggerty Education Center.

Thank you Deborah for these lovely photos.

Frequent contributor Elizabeth Brannin sent these beautiful pictures recently, together with this note:

“I was at the arboretum on Friday. It was magnificent, the flowers were just breathtaking. Autumn was in the air and the colors were just starting to show. The scarecrows are so festive. “

Thanks, Elizabeth for the nice glimpse of Fall at the Arboretum.