n a typical fall day in the na-tion’s capital city, a refresh-ingly cool breeze whipsthrough the herb garden at

the U.S. National Arboretum, shakingaromas from their floral sources andwafting them through the air for all tosmell.

The eyes are the windows to the soul;but for one to best appreciate the site’sspirit, the nose must also have its due.

Beneath the invisible layer of perfumeand kneeling among the plants are sev-eral arboretum volunteers, clipping,pruning, weeding, and pushing dirtaround the plant beds that house morethan 100 types of herbs. That close tothe ground, it can be hard for them tosee the value of their work.

Jim Adams, curator of the NationalHerb Garden, throws some grass to theside of his brown boots, wipes the sweatfrom his brow with his forearm, carefulnot to damage his sunglasses, and sur-veys his garden with pride.

“What would you like to know?” heasks, ready with an encyclopedic descrip-tion and history for every herb under hiscare.

Indeed, there is much to know aboutthe U.S. National Arboretum; after all,the plants there can’t take care ofthemselves.

The Historical PlaceLike many institutions in Washington,

D.C., the arboretum is one that the found-ing fathers didn’t necessarily have inmind. In fact, this peaceful nature sanc-tuary wasn’t even a glimmer in GeorgeWashington’s eye.

It took an Act of Congress to estab-lish the U.S. National Arboretum—onMarch 4, 1927—nearly 150 years afterthe birth of the nation. This year thewoodsy retreat celebrates its diamondanniversary. It is administered by theU.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agri-cultural Research Service.

Officials point to the fact that the ar-boretum is a facility for both research and

O

U.S. NationalArboretum: StillBeautiful at 75

View of the National Herb Garden. A rose arbor in the background is partof the arboretum’s Antique and Historic Rose Garden.

This 35-year-old

specimen, known

as Pauper’s Tea, or

Sageretia

theezans, is part

of the arboretum’s

penjing collection.

PETER BLOOMER (K9873-1)

U.S. NationalArboretum: StillBeautiful at 75

public education. Each year more than500,000 visitors from all parts of theworld visit the 9,000 different kinds ofplants growing at the arboretum. Anoth-er half million visit through the WorldWide Web to learn about gardening andcurrent ARS research.

Over the course of its history, the ar-boretum and ARS have introduced over665 new plant releases and secured 13patents and 2 Environmental ProtectionAgency biopesticide registrations.

Becoming More InvitingPerhaps more than any other ARS re-

search center or laboratory, the arbore-tum has an aesthetic appeal to visitors.Amidst the hustle and bustle of modernlife—particularly the congested lanes ofrush-hour traffic along New York Ave-nue—the 446-acre arboretum is anadult’s version of “The Secret Garden,”a hidden paradise of trees and flowerswaiting to be explored.

Despite the fact that it’s hidden, visi-tors come from all around the world, says

Tom Elias, director of the arboretum. Butthe more the merrier.

“We’d like to see even more visitors,”Elias says. Administrators feel that manypeople don’t know it exists, particularlyin the metropolitan area. The problemmay stem from the fact that there is nosubway station near the grounds, a con-venience that many other D.C. landmarksenjoy. Officials and the Friends of theNational Arboretum (FONA) helped al-leviate that problem by arranging for aweekend Metrobus to shuttle visitors tothe grounds.

Besides beauty, the arboretum offersits guests special exhibits that often

attract a lot of attention. For example,the large attendance at special events likethe highly successful Big Bugs sculptureexhibit in 2000 and the Asian ArtsFestival in 2001 thrilled Nancy Luria,who leads the arboretum’s Education andVisitor Services Unit.

“Parents and children came back lastsummer (2001) and asked where the BigBugs were,” Luria recalls. “We didn’tknow just how successful that exhibitwould prove to be.”

But suggestions left behind by visitorsopened her eyes to the thoughts andneeds of guests. Requests for more

Acrocona cultivar of Picea abies.

Geranium sanguineum,

in the herb garden.

KEITH WELLER (K5377-10)

parking and more public restrooms ledthe list. Visitors also wanted a snack bar.

In response to these needs, upcomingmaster plan renovations call for im-proved parking and more restrooms.And, over the fall, officials worked to getan agreement with a concessionaire tosell lunches and snacks to visitors.

Rooted in ResearchLast year, ARS staff at the Henry A.

Wallace Beltsville (Maryland) Agricul-tural Research Center, found a new ap-preciation for the arboretum’s Floral andNursery Plants Research Unit (FNPRU).

A tornado tore through nearby PrinceGeorge’s County in Maryland, touchingdown at the University of Maryland-College Park, parts of Greenbelt, andalong U.S. Route 1, where ARS researchlaboratories and the National Agri-cultural Library stood helpless. Manyfederal cars were destroyed, and parts ofseveral buildings—including the libraryand most of the greenhouses—wereheavily damaged. Many trees were

uprooted or twisted and shattered sobadly that they had to be removed.

Arboretum scientists and curatorshelped the Beltsville ARS facility with agift of plant introductions to replace theones lost during the storm.

FNPRU has a storied scientific tradi-tion that goes back to when the arbore-tum was started. But the investigation offloral and nursery crops began in 1862,when Abraham Lincoln establishedUSDA and the department initiated

Sort of a “Secret Garden,” the arboretum is tucked into the nation’s capital. This view ofthe U.S. Capitol and the surrounding Washington, D.C., area was photographed from thearboretum’s Mount Hamilton—one of the highest points in the city.

The Don Egolf Chinese redbud, Cercischinensis—a recent introduction by thearboretum.

KEITH WELLER (K5369-5)

One of 14 giant insect models in the BigBugs exhibit of 2000. The body is carvedfrom black walnut, and the wings span 5feet and are covered with plant fungi.Artist: Dave Rogers.

Glenn Dale azaleas flourish amid 446acres of formally arranged trees, shrubs,and ground covers.

MARGARET POOLER (K9608-20)

PEGGY GREB (K9870-1)

TIM MCCABE (K3558-1)

programs such as plant exploration tofind and introduce new species.

Today, FNPRU scientists use classicalbreeding, genetic engineering, molecularbiology, entomology, and virology tosolve problems for industry professionalsas well as for the avid recreationalgardener who’s looking for hardy plantsresistant to pathogens and pests.

Arboretum researchers recently usedgenetics to investigate plum pox virus,which spells trouble for the $1.3 billionstone fruit industry that includes plums,peaches, apricots, nectarines, and otherornamental relatives. A technique calledpolymerase chain reaction allows ARSscientists to confirm the presence of PPV,detect the different strains, and assesstheir potential to damage host plants.

FNPRU scientists also help introducenew cultivars that can defend themselvesagainst disease-causing pathogens. Thelab recently released a new Chineseredbud, a cultivar called Don Egolf, avariety of Cercis chinensis with a naturaldefense against Botryosphaeria dothidiacanker. A leafhopper-resistant variety ofred maple with brilliant fall colors andelm trees resistant to Dutch elm diseaseare testaments to the work done byarboretum researchers to help protectAmerica’s backyards against both visibleand invisible foes.

Volunteers to the RescueOne of the arboretum’s first famous

plant introductions, the Glenn Dale aza-lea, almost got buried under weeds onthe hillside of Mount Hamilton, locatedon the grounds.

Benjamin Yoe (B.Y.) Morrison, thesecond director of the arboretum, serv-ing from 1937 to1951, introduced GlennDale azaleas and oversaw mass plantingsof the hardy, larger flowered hybrids.

From Mount Hamilton—one of thehighest points in Washington, D.C.—visitors can see the U.S. Capitol. Yet,walking along covered paths through thetrees and the hillside was once virtuallyimpossible, and many of the interior

Purple iris, Iris pallida.

Daisylike flower,

Leucanthemum vulgare.

KEITH WELLER (K7461-11)

azaleas had become buried under in-vasive vines and other weeds.

Curator Barbara Bullock and her teamof volunteers restored the beauty andvalue of the estimated 15,000 azaleasspilling down the hillside.

“For one reason or another, an im-portant part of the arboretum’s historywas almost lost. My volunteers and I putin a lot of hours clearing the trails andaccentuating the azaleas,” Bullock says,while whizzing her small utility vehiclealong the narrow ways. “We rebuilt pathsand placed markers so visitors will knowwhich varieties are which.”

Thanks to their efforts, thousands ofpeople once again enjoy the flowers onApril weekends when the shrubs are inpeak bloom.

Public-Private PartnershipsIt would be difficult for the arbore-

tum to function as effectively as it doeswithout the support—financial or other-wise—of private-sector organizations.The Friends of the National Arboretum(FONA) is a key nonprofit organization

that provides valuable financial support,especially for arboretum internship pro-grams, the maintenance of the gardensand collections, the Washington YouthGarden, and special projects. FONA alsoplays an important role in communicat-ing the arboretum’s needs to Congress,foundations, and others. Their quarterlynewsletter, Arbor Friends, is an effec-tive tool for disseminating informationabout the arboretum and about FONA’sactivities.

Another organization of great valueto the arboretum is the National CapitalArea Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc.This group maintains its headquarters atthe arboretum and operates a gift shopas a service to visitors. In 1958, the fed-eration was instrumental in establishingFern Valley, the arboretum’s native plantcollection, and its members continue tosupport the arboretum by volunteeringas gardeners and tour guides. The groupalso funds a variety of special projects.

One project that is partially funded byanother support group, the NationalBonsai Foundation, involves improve-ments to the National Bonsai and PenjingMuseum. The museum was closed lastfall so construction crews could give it a$1.3 million, 7-month-long facelift.Funds for the project came from ARS andthe foundation, which was established 20years ago to support the creation, de-velopment, and ongoing activities of themuseum.

Renovations to the bonsai museum’scourtyard area make it more accessibleto visitors with disabilities, one of thegoals outlined in the arboretum’s stra-tegic plan. Narrow gravel pathways arebeing replaced with hard, wheel-friendlysurfaces. Crews are also installing anautomated irrigation system and lightingfor nighttime events, and they are re-pairing grading and drainage problems.

“Newcomers are always amazed at thebeauty of the bonsai collection and oftenbecome repeat visitors,” says curatorJack Sustic. “Our goal when the museum

Arboretum researchers devised a techniqueto develop a whole rose plant fromgenetically engineered cells. Here,technicians Brandy Jones (left) andSiobhan O’Connor examine rose cultivarsregenerated from somatic embryos in tissueculture.

Scepter holly cultivar introduced by thearboretum in 1999.

SCOTT BAUER (K9795-4)

reopens is that their experience will beeven greater than before.”

Now comprising about 150 bonsai,the nation’s collection—which is theworld’s first bonsai museum—began in1976 as a Bicentennial Celebration giftfrom the people of Japan. Since that time,the U.S. National Arboretum has becomethe conservator of additional bonsai giftsmade to U.S. presidents, beginning withone presented to Richard M. Nixon. Theoldest tree, a 375-year old Japanese whitepine, survived the nuclear bombsdropped on Japan more than 50 yearsago. It was tended by a single family forsix generations before it became part ofthe collection. The exhibit also featuresyounger, “thirtysomething” bonsai ofAmerican trees like spruce and maple.

Like the bonsai, the U.S. NationalArboretum has strong roots, whichsecure its place among the nurseryindustry, government, and the Americanpublic. There’s something for everyoneat this beautiful paradise for education,plant collection, and scientific explo-ration.—By Lupe Chavez, formerlywith ARS.

For more information, contact theU.S. National Arboretum, 3501 New YorkAve. N.E., Washington, DC 20002-1958;phone (202) 245-2726, http://www.usna.usda.gov. ◆

SCOTT BAUER (K9609-3)