Dawes Arboretum

The Daweswood House in Summer

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The Dawes Arboretum is a non-profit arboretum located outside of Columbus in Newark, Ohio. As one of the premier public gardens in North America, The Dawes Arboretum has over 1,800 acres (7 km²) of plant collections, gardens and natural areas. Eight miles (13 km) of hiking trails and a four-mile (6 km) auto tour allow guests to explore the arboretum's natural beauty.

Founded in 1929 by Beman and Bertie Dawes, The Dawes Arboretum is dedicated to increasing the love and knowledge of trees, history and the natural world. Today, The Arboretum continues its founders mission in a variety of ways including education, conservation, research and maintaining plant collections for the public to enjoy.

The Dawes Arboretum is open dawn until dusk. The Visitors Center, including a gift shop, discovery center and bonsai collection is open Monday through Saturday, 8am- 5pm, Sundays and holidays, 10am-5pm. Admission is free. The Dawes Arboretum is approximately thirty miles (48 km) east of Columbus on I-70 (exit #132), three miles (5 km) north on Ohio Rt. 13, and five miles (8 km) south of Newark. Historic Daweswood House tours are also available on Friday's, Saturday's, Sundays at 12pm and 2pm. Group and school tours are taken during the week by appointment only, with a minimum of 6 persons. Tours cost $2 for adults, $1 for kids, and free for members!

Visual highlights

• The Dawes Arboretum's Japanese Garden features a meditation house, pond and rock garden. Trees and shrubs are carefully pruned to maintain the Japanese-style Garden.

• An outlook tower located on the south side of The Arboretum allows visitors to see for miles. At the outlook tower, one may see the best view of The Arboretum's hedge letters.

• A bonsai collection is located in the courtyard adjacent to the Visitors Center. The collection features many bonsai plants, including a 100-year-old specimen.

• The Arboretum features one of the northernmost native Bald-cypress swamps in North America. Visitors may walk through the cypress swamp using a boardwalk. Spotted salamanders can be seen in the swamp from late winter through spring.

• The Dutch Fork Wetlands is a recent addition to The Arboretum. Wetlands are one of the most diverse ecosystems, and the wetlands at The Arboretum is no exception. Many mammals, birds and insects call the wetlands home. Visitors can explore the wetlands alone or take a guided tour.

• The central grounds include many plant collections, ponds and walking trails. Every season brings a different view.

Plant collections

The Arboretum features plants tolerant of central Ohio's climate. As of December 2004, its plant records database tracks 21,490 plants, of which 16,488 are planted on the grounds. (2,829 of those individuals are wild of known origin.) These records represent 5,701 individual plant names (taxa) of which 4,635 are planted on the grounds. The taxa represent 234 genera, 63 families, and 1741 species, hybrids or infraspecific names. 6,260 of those names are verified by taxonomic descriptions. The herbarium consists of 838 vouchers.

Major collections include the following, with counts current as of December 2004:

• Conifer - 6,792 recorded specimens of conifers, representing 1,636 unique names (taxa). These names include 225 species, hybrids or infraspecific taxa.

• Crab apple - 1,301 recorded specimens of the genus Malus (not including domestic apples), representing 167 unique names (taxa). These names include 158 species, hybrids or infraspecific taxa.

• Holly - 1,098 recorded specimens of the genus Ilex, representing 433 unique names (taxa). These names include 59 species, hybrids or infraspecific taxa.

• Oak - 610 recorded specimens of the genus Quercus, representing 99 unique names (taxa). These names include 63 species, hybrids or infraspecific taxa.

• Rhododendron and Azalea - 1,857 recorded specimens of the genus Rhododendron (which includes azaleas), representing 649 unique names (taxa). These names include 628 species, hybrids or infraspecific taxa.

• Spiraea - 276 recorded specimens of the genus Spiraea, representing 63 unique names (taxa). These names include 32 species, hybrids or infraspecific taxa.

• Viburnum - 469 recorded specimens of the genus Viburnum, representing 129 unique names (taxa). These names include 62 species, hybrids or infraspecific taxa.

• Witch-hazel - 170 recorded specimens of the genus Hamamelis, representing 78 unique names (taxa). These names include 12 species, hybrids or infraspecific taxa.

The Arboretum in Winter

A number of well-known people have dedicated trees at the Arboretum, including explorers Richard E. Byrd and Lincoln Ellsworth; sports figures Red Grange, Gene Tunney, Bobby Jones, and Jesse Owens; Admiral William Halsey, Admiral Ernest King, and General John Pershing; and others including Buckminster Fuller, John Glenn, Osa Johnson, Fritz Kreisler, Wiley Post, and Orville Wright.

See also

• List of botanical gardens in the United States

External links

• Dawes Arboretum official site