Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (more than 1,000 acres) is a major horticultural garden and arboretum located about 4 miles west of Chanhassen, Minnesota at 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska, Minnesota. It is part of the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota, and open to the public every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas. An admission fee is charged.
The arboretum's earliest area was established in 1907 as the Horticultural Research Center, which developed cold-hardy crops such as the Honeycrisp apple and Northern Lights azaleas. In 1958 the arboretum itself was begun on 160 acres founded by Leon C. Snyder. By now the arboretum is the largest, most diverse, and most complete horticultural site in Minnesota, and approaching its goal of protecting its entire watershed (1200 acres).
The arboretum features annual and perennial display gardens, plants developed for northern climates, demonstration gardens, a Japanese garden, and natural areas including woodlands, prairie, and marshes. Its collections include clematis, dahlias, ornamental grasses, hostas, iris, wildflowers, and cultivated and hardy shrub roses. The arboretum also includes a horticultural library and conservatory, as well as miles of hiking and cross-country skiing trails.
A three mile drive through the arboretum takes visitors past many of the collections. Guided tours are available at extra cost, and may be taken by tram, bus, or on foot.
