More than 13,000 labeled plants of over 2,500 types are growing in the Arboretum’s living collection. These include representatives of the temperate floras of North America, Asia, and Europe. This historic collection traces its foundation to John Morris’s interest in plants from around the world, and includes plants collected in China by E.H. Wilson at the turn of the century. Many of the Delaware Valley’s "trees-of-record" (the largest of their kind) are found in the Arboretum. Most notable are the katsura, Engler beech, Bender oak, and trident maple. Click here for a list of our major trees, accompanied by photographs and descriptions.

More recently, staff members have regularly engaged in plant collecting expeditions in Asia and the United States, increasing the diversity of plants available for today’s urban and community landscapes. Currently plants from 27 countries are represented in the collection with a primary focus on Asian temperate species. Significant plant groups in the Arboretum’s collection include maples, magnolia species, native azaleas, members of the witch hazel family, roses, hollies, and conifers.

With the diversity of our collections, there is seasonal interest throughout the year, for all levels of gardeners. Look for the following plants throughout the year:

December through February – Alluring winter interest that includes paperbark maple, stewartia, kousa dogwoods, hollies, and rare and unusual conifers of all shapes, sizes and colors.

March through June – A panoply of colors comprised of witchazels, winterhazels, magnolias, cherries, maples, dogwoods, rhododendrons and azaleas, crabapples, roses, and stewartia.

July through September – Enlivening the long days of summer are hydrangeas, summersweet, butterfly bush, chaste tree, sourwood, golden-rain tree, and annual and perennial displays.

September through November – The richness of fall colors includes maples, black gum, sweet gum, dogwoods, oaks and hosts of others.

The Catalogue of Plants in the Living Collection
A catalogue of plants in the living collection is located in the lower gallery of the Widener Visitor Center. All of the plants in the Arboretum are labeled and mapped, and this catalogue can lead you to plants in which you have an interest. A catalogue of plants in the living collection can be found here.

For more information, please contact the Gift Shop at (215) 247-5777 x198.