PLEASE NOTE:  The Spring and Fall Plants Sales at the Arboretum present an opportune time to view the collections and to purchase select specimens or offerings similar to the Arboretum collections. 
• The Spring Plant Sale is held annually on the weekend after Mothers’ Day. 
• The Fall Sale takes place on the second weekend after Labor Day. 
See the Calendar of Events for details.

The Flowering Ornamental Tree and Shrub Collections
Lilacs
Landis preserves a historic lilac collection and maintains appropriate records for future generations to utilize.  Fred Lape had a special interest in lilacs.  Father John Fiala in his book, Lilacs, the Genus Syringa, said the following, “Fred Lape was an author, linguist, horticulturist and a lilac enthusiast.  His (book), A Garden of Trees and Shrubs, is a must for estate planners who are beginners.  He was the originator of the S. vulgaris seedlings from ‘Kapriz’ and the originator of the beautiful late blooming white lilac ‘Summer White” for which he received an Award of Merit and a commendation for his translation of the Russian lilac publications into English.”

 Rhododendrons
The Arboretum’s collection is made up of cold, hardy members of the genus that will survive and grow in the northeast United States if given proper care.  The collection site also acts as a trial area for newly developed plants that have potential for use in northern landscapes.  Rhododendrons are wonderful for color in spring, providing a delight for the eye.

Crabapples
Crabapples provide spectacular spring blooming and autumn fruiting displays, however, diseases and pests have been very destructive to the genus Malus.  As the result of intensive breeding programs most of the newer varieties are resistant to diseases and pests. Visitors can see the older and more recently developed varieties side by side in the Arboretum’s collection.

Tough Trees for Tough Sites
Urban Trees:  Site Assessment Selection for Stress Tolerance Planting, by Dr. Nina Bassuk (Cornell University Press, 2000) lists 100 varieties of trees that are appropriate for urban environments.  Currently, Landis has 75% of the trees listed.  When complete, Landis will have the only comprehensive collection of trees tolerant of the rigors of northeast urban environments.  This collection provides live specimens that may be viewed in their mature or near mature forms so the homeowner and municipality may determine if the trees' form, size and impact are appropriate for a particular difficult location.

Conifer Collection
The Landis Conifer Collection is a representative sample of mature plants, highly suited to the northeastern landscape.  This collection of plants: pine, spruce and fir, is exceptional for its maturity, size and age, condition, and range of species.  The Fir (Abies) Collection at Landis has one of the most complete groupings of mature firs in the east, with sixteen species.  Landis has applied to register this collection with the North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC), an organization that works with botanical gardens and arboreta to conserve plant species worldwide.

Oaks
The Arboretum is in the process of becoming a nationally recognized collector of the genus Quercus, with fourteen species.  We are unique in that many of our oaks were started from wild seed collected by Fred Lape.  These slow growing specimens are now approaching a youthful maturity of fifty years.  The Great Oak is conservatively estimated at 400 years old, this White Oak, Quercus alba, bears the marks of severe climate and northwest exposure.  It is the Arboretum’s signature tree. 

Buckleya distichophylla
Buckleya distichophylla is an endangered species that grows naturally in only one region in the United States, in the Southern Appalachians.  Seven original seedlings from the Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina, planted at Landis in 1952 have been surprisingly successful and have established the Arboretum as an unexpectedly strong outpost of this plant.  Its numbers have increased to over 55 plants.  Buckleya is a hemi parasite; it has green leaves for photosynthesis and relies on the host plant roots for water and mineral nutrients.

Landis’ Outstanding Specimens and Notable Trees and Shrubs
The Arboretum has a significant number of specimen trees and outstanding shrubs.  A listing of thirty of these trees can be found in the “Notable Trees” brochure.  Outstanding shrubs can be found throughout the Arboretum. Forty-one species of trees and shrubs growing at Landis are outside their hardiness zones.  These species are not usually expected to survive in USDA Zone 5 and yet, due to the many microclimates at the Arboretum and conditions specific to each site, the following species may be found here:

Perennial Gardens
In addition to woody collections, Landis provides outstanding collections of flowering perennials for visitors to enjoy from April through October.  The Van Loveland border gardens include bulbs, perennials, shrubs and dwarf conifers.

Native Plants and Natural Areas
The natural areas of the Arboretum provide a wonderful opportunity to enjoy and study native plants and ecosystems, open field evolution, effect of undesired invasive species, endangered plants, and forest communities of the region.  These areas are vital to the Arboretum as a study area for ecosystems of the Northeast.  The various stages of succession and various ecosystems that exist on the property are significant in that a wide range of environments can be studied or researched at one site.  Eight miles of trails wind through mature and near mature forests and wildflower fields.  A managed woodlot on 47 acres recently acquired is a valuable real life example of how landowners can harvest their woodland without detrimentally affectingthe ecosystem and the human experience.  Many native plants are labeled along the woodland trail.  The Arboretum is developing a comprehensive native flora interpretive signage program that will greatly add to the enjoyment and understanding of these areas.  The extensive natural areas at Landis is also makes it an outstanding location for wildlife viewing.  This property is considered excellent for bird watching.  Free bird walks are offered annually.