The colorful bounty that you’ll see when strolling the gardens each fall is made up of members of the Cucurbitaceae plant family, which includes squash, cucumbers, and melons.
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Come to the Arboretum to learn about, and maybe even sample, an early fall treat in the form of a pawpaw! The pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a small, understory deciduous tree in the Annonaceae, or custard apple, family that is native to Pennsylvania.
Commonly called spurge, Euphorbia is a large genus. With over 2,000 species, they comprise one of the most diverse groups of flowering plants on earth.
This summer, The Arboretum at Penn State entered the annual Waterlily Weigh-Off for the first time! Led by Denver Botanic Gardens, public gardens around the world compete for whose giant waterlily (Victoria spp.) can hold the most weight.
A garden is always a work in progress. This summer, Arboretum horticulturists destroyed weed colonies and removed patches of native species that had become overenthusiastic where they were planted to restore balance to the landscape.
The white pines of the eastern United States were crucial for building masts for the ships of the British Royal Navy in the 18th century. Learn how this led to an uprising that helped set the stage for the American Revolution.
Clematis season is upon us, with plants flowering in the early summer and throughout the season here in Pennsylvania.
If you’re eager to see beautiful blooms, now is a great time to visit the Rose and Fragrance Garden at the Arboretum’s H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens. You won’t want to miss the short bloom period (usually only 1 to 2 weeks) of the hybrid tree peonies!
Magnolias are incredibly diverse, appearing in many forms, colors, and sizes, and they are actually the defining genus of an entire order of plants, the Magnoliales, whose members also include the pawpaw, tulip trees, and custard apples.
The nodding, bell-shaped inflorescences of the Lenten rose resemble muted, antique-hued hoop skirts. Hellebore blooms open as early as December in some areas, and their color and form persist for up to 4 or 5 months!