James Pass Arboretum

Much to see in the arboretum during May https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.131038313721798&type=3

When I say that James Pass Arboretum will never be a better arboretum than it is a dog park it is because of things like this.
The Syracuse Parks & Rec planted this maple just a few years ago. It has recently been labeled Sugar Maple. It hasn't been so many years since it was planted but apparently the City of Syracuse - Office of the Mayor no longer has a record.
It is blooming now and the flowers are clearly not flowers of Sugar Maple.
Right in this vicinity another Maple is labeled Red Maple when you can see clearly from the bark that it is a Norway Maple.
What is especially vexing to me is that the City of Syracuse - Office of the Mayor at the insistence of the Tipperary Hill Neighborhood Association has certified me to be much too stupid to know these kind of things.

This still bothers me. I purchased Ussurian Pear, Pyrus ussuriensis, at "The Friends of the Arnold Arboretum" plant sale, days after the Labor Day Storm. The woody plants offered for sale are propagated by the arboretum's propagators. I acquired Chinese Sand Pear, Pyrus pyrifolia, by propagating it myself when participating in a woody plant propagation workshop at the Arnold Arboretum a couple of years later.
When the City of Syracuse - Office of the Mayor had contract with the Davies The Davey Tree Expert Company of Kent Ohio these 2 east Asian Pears were misidentified as Callery or Bradford Pear, Pyrus calleryana.
Bradford Pear has been widely planted in our area, some within a block or 2 of Pass Arboretum. One was planted in 1985 in the arboretum, outside of the fence at the intersection of Avery and Salisbury.
Bradford Pear has been determined to be a non-native invasive. It has been a nuisance invasive in Ohio and Kentucky but I haven't seen it self-seeded in the arboretum.
Pictures of the 2 east Asian pears misidentified are clearly by their blossoms, fruit and growth habit are different from Pyrus calleryana and from each other.
When, once removed, I alerted the city arborist who curates the botanic collection he replied that many trees would be planted but not Callery Pear.
Many trees have since been planted many of which have been hybrids.
The people of this community have been deprived of these 2 very attractive species without good cause. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1252493536877401&type=3

Dog Park Beautification Czar Stephen Harris and Mayor Ben Walsh would like you to know that trees like these are not suitable here. It's not that kind of arboretum, its not that kind of neighborhood and Syracuse is not that kind of city.
This is the final bloom for these 2 east Asian pear at James Pass Arboretum.
They have been marked for removal to make room for “improvements” associated with project 2025.
Both are early bloomers. Most of these pics were taken in April of 2025.
I doubt that the City has identified either. On a survey completed in 2015 by the Davies Tree experts of Kent Ohio they were misidentified as Callery Pear. Neither is a Callery Pear. I didn’t count the mistakes on that survey. Many were the same mistakes repeated. At that time, I guessed that there were about 50 misidentifications but what do I know? I’m less than nobody and the identifications were don by the Davies Tree Experts of Kent Ohio.
My method of identification was to take the word of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University for one and the other I propagated in a woody plant propagation workshop at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.
Both pears are in excellent health. I wasn’t told why exactly the pears are being removed but I’m guessing that they don’t conform to the Tipperary Hill Neighborhood Association’s master’s vision for the neighborhood.
James Pass Arboretum is not that kind of arboretum and Syracuse NY is not that kind of City.
James Pass Arboretum is more of the dog park kind of arboretum and will remain so until it becomes something less than a dog park.
Whether you find these trees attractive or not you won’t see them bloom again in James Pass Arboretum.

April 1&2 2026

What better way to judge what we'll see in the arboretum in April but to look at past Aprils. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.130786193747010&type=3 You can find an album for each month in the albums section of this page:https://www.facebook.com/JamesPassArboretum/photos_albums

April, fruit trees begin to bloom, conifer cones develop

March is almost over but these pics were taken in previous Marchs. There is an album for each month of the year in albums. I'll try to be more prompt in April. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.161458927346403&type=3 Albums: https://www.facebook.com/JamesPassArboretum/photos_albums

Much flower bud development in conifers, particularly Cuppressaceae

With Cornell Botanic Gardens – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

I made this video 10 years ago.
Many of the self-seeded hardwoods noted here were removed this past year. Some were not and will continue to debase 100 year old specimen conifers.
The curator, an arborist, continues to show a preference for self-seeded hardwoods such as black walnut and red oak at the expense of the conifers cultivated as specimens.
The conifers marked for removal in the video were removed 10 years ago.

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