The JC Raulston Arboretum was started in 1976 by Dr. J.C. Raulston as the NC State University Arboretum as a landscape arboretum. The following year, Leyland cypress were planted along the fence as a hedge and the installation of the conifer collection was begun with a diversity of genera specifically designed to dispel the myth that conifers do not grow in the South. A collection of dwarf loblolly pines were moved to the conifer collection and still form a unique part of the display.

In 1980, the Arboretum was officially dedicated and the Friends of the NCSU Arboretum was formed. 1985 saw the development of a major collection of Juniperus horizontalis in conjunction with a student's M.S. project. In 1992, the NCSU Arboretum was awarded the prestigious AABG Award for Program Excellence.

The guiding force behind the Arboretum, Dr. J.C. Raulston, died in a car accident in 1996 and one year later the Arboretum officially changed its name to the JC Raulston Arboretum. Since that time, a Visitor Center and Education Center have been constructed, the original 8 acre campus was enlarged to 10.5 acres and a Master Plan has been developed.

Conifers play a significant role in the landscape beds throughout the Arboretum including the Perennial Border, the Mixed Border, the Japanese Garden, Scree Garden, Sunken Garden and Asian Valley. In addition, the conifer collection has expanded to include 870 conifers, comprised of 499 different taxa which includes 38 different genera from 7 different families. It continues to be the anchor garden for the northeast corner of the Arboretum.

Hidden Lake Gardens was donated to Michigan State University in 1945 by Harry A. Fee, an Adrian businessman with a penchant for landscape design. Upon his retirement in 1926, he purchased Hidden Lake along with 200 acres of land surrounding it and proceeded to repair the old farmhouse, build a greenhouse, and construct a road from the highway that would unfold as a series of pictures for the visitor. Much later, small parking areas were added at these vistas to allow the public to pause and enjoy the views.

With his bequest Fee wished that the Gardens be for the benefit and education of the public - a mandate that has continued through the years under the direction of MSU s Horticulture Department, the Division of Campus Parks and Planning and presently Land Management. Hidden Lake Gardens has continued to develop with land acquisitions, construction of buildings, and the establishment of educational programs. The original 200 acres have grown to 755 acres which includes a 120 acre arboretum that consists of plant groups such as crabapples, lilacs, maples, evergreens, and shrubs. The Visitor Center building was built in 1965 and the conservatory was added in 1968.

The Visitor Center which also houses a library, exhibits, auditorium, meeting rooms and a gift shop. The Conservatory includes tropical plants, arid plants, and a variety of flowering houseplants. A picnic area with shelter is available without reservations.

In 1981, Justin C. Harper gave the Gardens a major gift of over 350 dwarf and rare conifers which, 31 years later, became the main attraction during the American Conifer Society's annual National Meeting. In 2010 an ACS Reference Garden Grant was used to purchase plants for The Harper Collection of Dwarf and Rare Conifers, provide funding to move plants within the Collection and to support regular maintenance of this outstanding collection.

Plants added to the Collection included Thuja koraiensis Glauca Prostrata', Cupressus nootkatensis 'Glauca Pendula', and Pinus densiflora 'Jane Kluis'.

Plants from the Collection were also propagated by the staff of the Gardens. These include Picea abies 'Merrell Broom', Cupressus nootkatensis 'Green Arrow' and many others which were grafted or rooted in our propagation facility. In turn, many of these plants have been sold to individuals in order to support the Collection and to insure that there are examples of these plants in other collections for the security of the plants for future generations.

Green Bay Botanical Garden is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The garden’s Arendt Conifer Garden features more than 325 dwarf conifers representing 275 taxa. Over 3,250 complementary colored foliage and flowering perennials and shrubs accent the conifers. Limestone boulders were brought in from local quarries to develop the terraced garden. The garden highlights the use of unique forms of conifers and how they can be incorporated into the visitors’ home gardens. The Conifer garden was designed in 2012 by ACS member Greg Meissner, and most of the initial conifer collection was supplied by ACS member Gene Arendt. The entire grounds include 925 conifers of 430 taxa. Green Bay Botanic Garden was designated as an ACS Reference Garden in 2015. For more information, visit www.gbbg.org.

The ETSU Arboretum encompasses the core of the 200+ acre ETSU campus and an adjoining 20 acres of University Woods, an old growth deciduous forest. The Arboretum maintains a collection of species native to the southern Appalachians and the eastern United States. Several native specimens exceed 100 years of age and pre-date establishment of the campus in the early 20th century. Many exotics complement the landscape plantings. The ETSU Arboretum was conceived in 2001 for the use as a teaching collection, as a demonstration and trial site for woody plants and for the enjoyment of the students, staff and general public. At inception, at least one specimen of each established tree was labeled. An intensive period of planting ensued for the subsequent four years with support from grant funds and with an emphasis on special collections.

Since 2001, four conifer themes have been developed:

Dwarf Conifer Garden- This is a showcase of the Arboretum that houses over 80 different species and cultivars. One representative of each cultivar is signed. The Dwarf Conifer Garden has received targeted grant support from two local garden clubs and from the Harris Foundation for Washington County. Some unique specimens were donated by the US National Arboretum.

Conifers for Evergreen Screens- In 2003, a bed was established as a trial and demonstration of the variety of conifers that could be used regionally for screens. That planting has matured so that it serves as a screen from a busy road and as a windbreak for deciduous species in an adjoining bed. Together, the conifer and deciduous beds comprise the "Trees for Tomorrow" theme, a planting designed to introduce the public to novel plants for southern Appalachian landscapes.

East Asian-Eastern North American Relatives- An educational theme of the Arboretum is to demonstrate the strong floristic relationship between East Asia and Eastern North America. Closely related tree species from various genera are planted in proximity to highlight their affinity.

Hinoki Cypress Cultivars- This recent collection was initiated to demonstrate the variation among forms within a species. It complements a collection of Japanese Maple cultivars with a similar purpose.

In addition research projects are underway to understand patterns of spread of the hemlock woolly adelgid in populations of Carolina hemlock, and to examine the impacts of balsam woolly adelgid on Frasier Fir and high elevation forests at Mt. Mitchell, NC.

The Arboretum's conifer collection currently includes approximately 130 species and cultivars in 25 genera. For more information about the ETSU Arboretum, please email to [email protected].

The Largest Collection of Conifers in the Rocky Mountain Region

In early 2016, Denver Botanic Gardens was designated as the seventh Western Region ACS Reference Garden. Although conifers are found throughout almost all of the gardens at DBG, either integrated into the design or acting as a backdrop, there are several collections of particular interest. The Dwarf Conifer Collection, the Japanese Garden, and the Rock Alpine Garden all contain unique conifers or unique forms, whereas the Western Panoramas, Gates Montane Garden, and the Mt. Goliath site display conifers native to the various ecosystems of Colorado in more naturalistic settings.

Only a handful of conifers were available from nurseries in the Denver area until the 1980’s, and so gardens contained only a few species, mostly seed grown, and planted again and again. It took the dedication of a very few local plantspeople and the creation of the Rock Alpine Garden at Denver Botanic Gardens (DBG) in 1980 to popularize a wider diversity of conifers among local gardeners. The collection of dwarf conifers at DBG has now expanded to be the largest such collection between the Sierra Cascade crest and the Midwest.

Overall, DBG currently has six families, 20 genera and 122 species, 402 taxa, 790 accessions, and 1820 living plant locations of conifers within its various gardens. This represents an astronomic expansion compared to the impoverished number of conifer flora that was once grown in regional gardens!

Dwarf Conifer Collection

The Dwarf Conifer Collection features most of the dwarf conifers at Denver Botanic Gardens. The internationally renowned conifer enthusiast, Jerry Morris, donated most of the specimens in this collection, and consequently, this is the largest collection of Morris’s conifers in the world. Morris harvested scion and seed from brooms throughout the Rocky Mountains for almost 50 years and introduced many dwarf varieties of native Colorado species with highly unusual and desirable mutations. Exclusive selections of Picea pungens, Pinus ponderosa,and Pinus aristatadominate the collection. DBG leverages the unique and variable traits of dwarf conifers through interpretation and education, holding valuable discussions about plant diversity and genetics around these visually stunning plants.

Japanese Garden and Bill Hosokawa Bonsai Pavilion

The Japanese Garden introduces visitors to traditional Japanese philosophy and culture through a Japanese garden designed for the Rocky Mountain Region. The name of the garden, ShoFu-En represents “garden of pines and wind.” The main feature of this garden is the abundant use of beautifully aged native character pines (Pinus ponderosa), trained in the Japanese style. Shofu-En was designed by Koichi Kawana, Professor at the University of California and President of Environmental Design Associates in Los Angeles, California, and opened in 1979. The basic style of this garden is called Chisen-kaiyushiki, which means ‘strolling garden around a lake’. In this garden, Koichi Kawana decided to feature Colorado plants in the classic Japanese style, and with the help of volunteers from the local bonsai club, collected over 100 ponderosa pines (Pinus ponderosa) that were stunted by harsh, windy conditions in Roosevelt National Forest, west of Boulder, Colorado. They transplanted them and trimmed them to look like clouds floating above the surface of the garden. Some of these small trees are more than 400 years old. To keep them small, the candles are snapped off in spring and branches trimmed and tied to preserve their shape.

Rock Alpine Garden

More notable and unique plants are found in the Rock Alpine Garden than perhaps in any other spot at DBG, and they range from champion trees to specimens likely not grown in any other public garden in the U.S. The collection spans species normally not found in steppe climates to those that only thrive in steppe climates. Conifers play an important role in the garden and the Cupressus bakeri, Picea likiangensis, Cupressus nootkatensis‘Pendula’, and Pinus parviflora‘Aizu’ are all state champions. The rock garden holds one of the largest collections of both species and cultivars of conifers at DBG, including many dwarf cultivars. Many of these individuals are over 30 years old and are reaching mature sizes. Currently there is a focus on procuring all of the high elevation five-needled pines from the American West, along with several rare Mexican Picea, not normally on display in public gardens.

Naturalistic Gardens with Native Conifers

Denver is unusual in its close proximity to many different habitats, including the High Plains/Riparian habitat, the Foothills/Montane/Ponderosa Pine habitat, and the Subalpine/Bristlecone Pine habitat. DBG has created a series of naturalistic gardens that highlight the native flora from each of these regions. This collection of gardens sets DBG apart regionally from other major botanic gardens in North America. The Western Panoramas Garden includes different borders that highlight distinct ecosystems of Colorado and the West. Of interest to conifer lovers are the Ponderosa Border which features many specimens of ponderosa pines that are native to the Foothills/Montane ecosystem, and the Bristlecone Border, which includes many fine examples of this high-altitude pine.

Mount Goliath Natural Area

This is a satellite site managed by Denver Botanic Gardens and the U.S. Forest Service, is located along the Mt. Evans Scenic Byway at 11,540 feet, climbing from the sub-alpine zone into the tundra at 12,152 feet. Denver Botanic Gardens maintains several naturalized rock gardens at this site, which represent the various plant communities in this alpine and sub-alpine location, including talus, scree, rock crevice, bristlecone pine forest, fellfield, wet meadow, and alpine turf. This site provides the opportunity to experience ancient bristlecone pine forests, with 1600+ year-old bristlecone pines (Pinus aristata) in what is believed to be the second largest bristlecone forest in Colorado.

We are pleased to join the American Conifer Society’s Reference Garden program and look forward to welcoming ACS members at our Garden! For more information please call or access our website below.

1007 York Street

Denver, Colorado 80206

720-865-3501

http://www.botanicgardens.org

(Editor’s note: This article was written by Ann Frazier of the Denver Botanic Gardens and appears in a longer and more detailed form in the Fall 2016 ConiferQuarterly)