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The Metasequoias at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, Massachusetts are undoubtedly the best in the Northeast. These trees display a marvelous show of excellence that parallels the majesty and fame of Harvard University itself. Additionally, the Arnold has contributed more to the spread and growth of Metasequoias in the United States than any other institution. It was the Arnold Arboretum, through Dr. Elmer Merrill, that funded and received that original batch of seeds and seedlings in 1948. The Arnold Arboretum was created in 1872 as an Indenture of Trust through Harvard University. Currently it is administered through the City of |
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The Arnold is not only noteworthy as the main distributor of Metasequoias, but for having a total of 142 - yes, 142 - Metasequoias onsite. The Arnold likely has more Metasequoias than any other botanical garden in the country, with the possible exception of the Dawes Arboretum. Twenty-one of those 142 trees are from wild origin in China. These 21 trees likely derived from only three specimens in China. Of course this produced inbreeding depression problems, as described in my Rutgers Botanic Gardens and Dawes Arboretum pages. Of the thirteen trees planted in 1948, there is great variance in height and diameter at breast height. Only one tree is above 85 feet, and it is in fact 110 feet! With a DBH of 35 inches, it is a very impressive tree. Yet there are two specimens planted in 1948 with massive bases. They are about 75 feet in height with bases around 56 inches in diameter. These are some of the largest bases of any trees in the country, and quite likely the largest that you will find until you drive south towards Princeton University and the Delaware Valley. Yet the vast majority have reached heights of around 70 feet tall, with bases of 30 inches in diameter. The eight trees planted in 1962 have not reached impressive sizes either, averaging around 70 feet in height with bases of around 35 inches in diameter. So if anything, the Arnold features very stout trees, ones with great bases. As mentioned in my Metasequoia Story site, the Arnold Arboretum funded a grant for seed acquisitions in China through Dr. H. H. Hu, a Harvard Graduate himself. Dr. Elmer Merrill, always an Asiatic botany enthusiast, eagerly awaited these seeds, and sent them out to institutions throughout the United States and the world upon their arrival. In fact about one half of the 44 institutions sampled in my survey received their seeds directly from the Arnold. The Arnold continues its active role with Metasequoias to this day. Many issues of Arnoldia, the Arnold's magazine, detail interesting historical stories and facts about the Metasequoia. In fact for many years the Arnoldia has featured articles about Metasequoias, continuing the relationship that the institution has with the Chinese species. If you are in the Boston area, the Arnold is not to be missed. It features the best and largest trees in the Northeast, an amazing and world famous garden, and wonderful literary collections that include many stories of the Metasequoia. All of this makes the Arnold unparalleled in its unique role in the history of the Metasequoia. The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University 125 Arborway Boston, MA 02130 |
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Boston's park system. The arboretum houses many educational resources and contributes to active research in botanical fields. Composed of 265 acres in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston, the living collections consist of 7,082 plants representing 4,544 botanical and horticultural taxa. The arboretum has a particular emphasis on woody species from North America and eastern Asia. The garden has a very comprehensive selection of beech, honeysuckle, crabapple, oak, lilac, bonsai, and of course, conifers.