There are more than 15,000 living plants on The Arboretum's grounds, and most are hardy in central Ohio. Of these plants, 4,500 are unique names (taxa). Records kept for each plant include specific location, scientific and common names, origin and age.
Be sure to visit the Japanese Garden, Cypress Swamp, Deep Woods, Beech and Buckeye Collections, Magnolias, Rare Tree Collection and the Conifer Glen. All of these areas and more can be located easily on our visitor map.
Come back often; every season brings a different view.
Collection Groups The Dawes Arboretum's plant collection objectives are to provide the public, special interest groups and scientific community a well-documented, well-labeled, accurate and diverse collection. We strive to obtain as many representatives of families, genera, species and infraspecific taxa as can be grown in central Ohio. This serves to facilitate education, conservation and research.
Our goal is to obtain certain genera in comprehensive collections, which include all species, lower ranks, and registered or published cultivars hardy, or suspected hardy, in this climate. The comprehensive collections at this time include the following genera:
Aesculus
Buxus
Conifers
Ginkgo
Hamamelis
Ilex
Quercus
Spiraea
Viburnum
Flowering Schedule
The flowering schedule is based on a select number of trees and shrubs at The Dawes Arboretum. The schedule reflects the notes and photographs that Mike Ecker, Director of Horticulture, has taken for more than 20 years. Bloom times are variable, depending on weather. The chart interprets a "normal" year and provides the most likely times to see the listed plants in bloom at The Dawes Arboretum. For a complete list of flowering times, please contact the Horticulture Department at 800.44.DAWES, or click on this link for what to expect in a "normal" year:View flowering schedules.
Plant Clinic
If you have plant-related questions, we can help you with the answers. Contact us for tips on plant culture, pruning, selection, pests and more. The Plant Clinic is open Monday through Saturday, 8am - 4pm. Call 740.323.2355 or 800.44.DAWES, or stop by the Visitors Center.
Plant Search
Search The Arboretum's living collection of plants for scientific and common names, family, whether the name has been reviewed taxonomically, number of plants with that name in our collections and the number of those collected in the wild. The plants listed are not for sale. However, we do sell plants once a year at our annual Plant Sale and Auction, held the third Saturday of May. In order to continually improve our own collection of plants and such collections throughout the world, we participate in an active exchange program with other arboreta and botanical institutions worldwide and publish an Index Seminum. Click here to access the Plant Search.
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