Scott Arboretum & Gardens

Scott Arboretum & Gardens "garden of ideas" to sustain the body, enchant the eye, & soothe the spirit

08/26/2026

Slow down and breathe deep in the Crum Woods. Join Campus Engagement Manager Sue MacQueen on September 18 from 10:00 to 12:00 pm for a guided shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) walk, a gentle Japanese practice built around noticing the forest through all five senses.

This adults-only outing keeps an easy pace, and takes you 1.5 miles into the woods along uneven trails, with plenty of moments to settle onto the forest floor and just be still. A members-only treat, so bring your curiosity and register at HTTPS://tinyurl.com/2TUKBX4C 🌿

Rhus spp., commonly known as sumac, is an underutilized native worth a closer look, and you can find it growing across t...
08/25/2026

Rhus spp., commonly known as sumac, is an underutilized native worth a closer look, and you can find it growing across the Arboretum’s collection this season.

Four species are native to the United States, each with its own habit. Fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica) stays low and shrubby at around six feet, with leaves that release a pleasant scent when crushed. Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) grows into a large shrub or small tree up to fifteen feet and was historically used to produce black dye. Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), the largest of the group, can reach thirty feet and is easily identified by the velvety hairs coating its new stem growth. Winged sumac (Rhus copallinum) rounds out the group as a sun loving large shrub to small tree, also reaching about fifteen feet. All four are drought tolerant.

We recently harvested this year’s sumac fruits to brew a tart, citrusy tea, one of the plant’s many underappreciated uses.

But the real show is still ahead. Come fall, sumac puts on some of the most spectacular color of any native plant. Mark your calendar and come back to see it for yourself. The garden is open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year.

Three Garden Treats 1. & 2. Euphorbia corollata — flowering spurgeEuphorbia corollata is one of the perennials that are ...
08/24/2026

Three Garden Treats

1. & 2. Euphorbia corollata — flowering spurge
Euphorbia corollata is one of the perennials that are currently blooming in the Rose Garden. When I first saw this plant in the Rose Garden I thought it was Gypsophila paniculata, also known as baby’s breath. However, since baby’s breath is an invasive plant in the United States, flowering spurge is a common native alternative. Blooming from June through August, this plant loves full sun and attracts many pollinators. Flowering spurge can also tolerate many soil types, making it adaptable to different environments. Next time you pass through the Dean Bond Rose Garden, appreciate the beauty of the perennials interplanted amongst the roses.

3. & 4. Physostegia virginiana ‘Vivid’ — obedient plant
Located in the Cut-Flower Display Garden is a striking plant named obedient plant, featuring beautiful pink blooms. When you first think of an obedient plant, you may think of one that doesn’t spread too much. However, that is not the case for Physostegia virginiana ‘Vivid’ since it spreads in clumps and by rhizomes. In actuality, the common name comes from the flowers’ ability to stay in place after gently pushing them to the side. Instead of springing back like most plants, they return back to normal over the course of a few hours. Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds love visiting Physostegia virginiana ‘Vivid’, so keep an eye out for these vibrant visitors.

5. & 6. Helianthus × multiflorus ‘Sunshine Daydream’ — double perennial sunflower
While this plant may appear as a dahlia, it is actually Helianthus × multiflorus ‘Sunshine Daydream’ — a type of sunflower. It originated as a genetic mutation from Helianthus ‘Capenoch Star’ and was discovered by Tim McGinty in 2006 at North Creek Nurseries. What makes this particular perennial sunflower stand out from the others is its longer flowering season from summer into fall. Not to mention, it forms in clumps and is drought tolerant. At your next visit to Scott Arboretum, make sure to check out this gorgeous sunflower in the Upper Biostream.

Text and image credit: N. Ipock

As southeastern Pennsylvania summers grow hotter and drier, how we water, mulch, and select plants matters more than eve...
08/20/2026

As southeastern Pennsylvania summers grow hotter and drier, how we water, mulch, and select plants matters more than ever.

Three Garden Treats 1. & 2. This week’s first highlighted plant is Agastache foeniculum, commonly known as anise hyssop,...
08/19/2026

Three Garden Treats

1. & 2. This week’s first highlighted plant is Agastache foeniculum, commonly known as anise hyssop, from the Lamiaceae family. This herbaceous perennial has fragrant foliage, edible seeds, striking form, and flowering patterns. Anise hyssop has tall stems that terminate in spikes of small flowers. The blooms have a licorice-like scent. The seeds have a similar flavor, and people often use them in baked confections. The flowering period stretches from the end of July into late autumn. Agastache foeniculum resides in the gravel culture beds along Field House Lane, as well as tucked away in the corner of the Dining and Community Commons’ West Garden.

3. & 4. Next is Cercis canadensis ‘Ruby Falls’. The eastern redbud is a deciduous tree in the legume family Fabaceae. This cultivar sports a captivating form and foliage, bred in 2010 from a cross of ‘Covey’ and ‘Forest Pansy’. It secured the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. ‘Ruby Falls’ displays tiny, pink, pea-shaped flowers on bright red stems in the spring before leaves emerge. The foliage turns burgundy before settling into its late summer greens. Within the Scott Arboretum & Gardens, you can spot ‘Ruby Falls’ cascading down the stone wall on the western side of Pearson Hall, as well as in the Isabelle Cosby Courtyard.

5.-7. Last is Metasequoia glyptostroboides, the dawn redwood. It is the oldest featured species this week, clocking in at around 50 million years old. Native to central and western China, it was first described from fossil records in 1941. It wasn’t until the late 1940s that researchers discovered living examples during a remote expedition in China. The common name “dawn” refers to the “dawn of time.” This deciduous conifer towers to 100 feet tall and 25 feet wide at maturity. The dawn redwood’s feathery foliage helps to filter sunlight. In the fall, the foliage will turn from light green to copper before shedding. At the Scott Arboretum & Gardens, the most prominent display lines the aptly named Metasequoia AlleĂ©, between the Lang Performing Arts Center and Kohlberg Hall.

Text and image credit: K. Lytle

08/18/2026

In celebration of America’s 250th, follow along on our patriotic plants tour đŸ‡ș🇾

Senior Horticulturist, Sam Greenberg walks us through flowering plants grown in early America, many of which were cultivated on the founding fathers’ estates and at the White House.

Filmed at peak midsummer bloom, this collection features many perennials that will persist through the rest of the summer and return again each year.

Watch the full video at youtube.com/ to see some patriotic trees. 🌳

Which slide is you? đŸŒ± Come be chic with us at the Scott Arboretum & Gardens ✹
08/13/2026

Which slide is you? đŸŒ± Come be chic with us at the Scott Arboretum & Gardens ✹

08/10/2026

Add a little color to your plans this week at the Scott Arboretum & Gardens đŸŒ±

Free + open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year.

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500 College Avenue
Ridley, PA
19081

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