Current News

You are invited to our first plant sale!

May 12 & May 13
9 AM to 3 PM
(while supplies last)

2012 PLANT SALE CATALOG

The Arboretum is now on Facebook.

Arboretum Webcam

Directions and Garden Hours

Giving Opportunities in the Arboretum

A Special Thanks to Our Major Donors


Children's Garden Illustrative Plan

Spring 2012 Bulb List

Spring 2012 Bird Banding

Spring 2012 Bird Walks

Event Rental Information

Garden Rules

Tour Policy

Volunteering

Arboretum Newsletter

Friends Update

Leaves on the Hosler Oak in winter


Cardinalis cardinalis (northern cardinal)
Source: Nick Kerlin

Avian Education Program

WNEP-TV visits the gardens

Viburnum dentatum

Arboretum Map

Watershed Map
(Sculpture)

Pumpkin Festival 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 “The Arboretum at Penn State . . . an outreach, teaching, and research facility dedicated to preserving the beauty and ecological functions of vegetated landscapes in an urbanizing society.”


A view of the bulb display on a rainy spring day (2011)

Welcome

The H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens in the Arboretum are adjacent to the University Park campus near the intersection of Park Avenue and Bigler Road. The entrance to the parking lot is on Bigler Road, facing the parking lot for the Lewis Katz Building which houses the Dickinson School of Law. Phase I, which was constructed in 2009 on a tract of approximately 35 acres, contains over 17,000 individual plants representing over 700 species.

The gardens are open daily from dawn until dusk, and there currently is no fee for admission. Please observe our garden regulations and photography policy as you enjoy the gardens.

Next Development Phase: Children's Garden

The conceptual design for the Children's Garden was completed in 2010.
On January 9, 2012, the University announced that a gift from Edward R. and Helen S. Hintz will fund construction of this facility, and a gift from Charles H. 'Skip' Smith will create an endowment to maintain the garden and develop its educational programs. Endowment support for children's education will also be provided by a previously announced gift from Marcia Day.


Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) in the Hosler Oak (January 4, 2012)

To see a panoramic view of the gardens from the roof of the Forest Resources Building across Park Avenue, please visit our Webcam page.

I invite you to read about all of the elements in the master plan that will eventually fill the landscape.


Another view of the spring bulb display

Our planning pages contain information about projects or endeavors elsewhere in the Arboretum:

  • Air Quality Learning and Demonstration Center - Outdoor teaching facility about monitoring air pollution in "Happy Valley"

  • Arboretum Ecological Restoration Group - Volunteers who are trained to recognize and remove invasive, nonnative plants to restore natural areas in the Arboretum

  • Bellefonte Central Rail Trail - Crushed limestone trail (approximately one mile) that officially opened in 2006 and is currently being extended another 3/10 of a mile
  • Hosler Oak - First official tree planted in the Arboretum to honor meteorologist Charles L. Hosler

  • Hybrid Chestnut Seed Orchard - A cooperative initiative between Penn State and The American Chestnut Foundation dedicated to developing a blight-resistant chestnut to re-introduce this species to American forests

I hope that you return regularly to find out the latest news, and ncourage others to visit us, as well! You may share suggestions or comments about the site by e-mailing me or Kate Reeder.

Kim C. Steiner, Director
The Arboretum at Penn State


Northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) is a mimic, mastering dozens of bird songs and sounds ranging from a barking dog to a police siren. They are frequently encountered along the Arboretum's rail trail in Big Hollow. (Source: Nick Kerlin)

Frequently asked Questions

The plant illustrated in the banner at the top of this Web site's pages, Panex quiquefolius L. (ginseng) is an herb that bears greenish flowers in May and red fruit from September to October. Although it was once encountered frequently in Pennsylvania's woodlands, its abundance has declined greatly due to excessive collecting. Illustration: Rae Dickson Chambers.

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