George Landis Arboretum facts for kids
The George Landis Arboretum is a huge outdoor space with beautiful gardens and forests. It's located near Esperance, New York in the United States. This special place has hundreds of acres, and about 40 of them are filled with amazing collections of trees, shrubs, and other plants from all over the world. You can find about 2,000 different kinds of plants here, all clearly labeled. The rest of the arboretum is made up of natural woodlands, wet areas, and open fields, with over 8 miles of trails to explore.
At the arboretum, you'll see almost every type of tree, shrub, and vine that grows naturally in New York State. There are also special collections of beautiful flowering trees and shrubs, tough trees that can grow almost anywhere, and many kinds of conifers and oaks. You can even visit two very old forests! The Van Loveland Perennial Garden, located near the old farmhouse, is a favorite spot, especially when its flowers are blooming. To learn more, you can use your phone to scan QR codes next to the plants, which will play audio descriptions.
The arboretum offers fun and educational programs about plants, animals, and art from March to November. It also hosts a unique 5K walk/run event called the Landis Perennial Forest 5K every summer. The George Landis Arboretum is open to everyone, free of charge, from sunrise to sunset, every day of the year. Donations are always welcome to help keep it running! The Meeting House building is a great place for events like weddings, meetings, and even musical performances because it has amazing sound.
Contents
History of the Arboretum
Starting with a Farm
The story of the arboretum began in 1903 when Herman Franklin Lape bought a farm called Oak Nose Farm. It was named after a large white oak tree on a hill overlooking the Schoharie Valley. Herman, his wife Emma, and their son Frederick started farming on the 95 acres. In 1913, they moved to Esperance so Fred could go to high school. Fred later went to Cornell University. After he graduated, his parents moved back to a different farm nearby.
Fred Lape's Dream
In 1928, Herman Lape became sick, and Fred returned from California to the old farm. He wanted to be a writer and tried to make a living by writing articles and even a novel. It was tough during the Great Depression, so he also worked the farm and played piano for money. In 1932, he started a local poetry magazine called Trails. Fred loved all kinds of art and welcomed artists, musicians, and sculptors to visit the farm.
By the late 1930s, Fred needed more income. In 1937, he became a part-time English professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. There, he became good friends with George Edwin Landis, an economics professor. In 1948, George bought a house and asked Fred to help him choose unusual trees and shrubs for his yard. Many of these plants were also planted on Fred's farm.
A Friend's Legacy
Sadly, George Landis died unexpectedly in December 1950. He left most of his money to Fred. With this gift, Fred decided to create an arboretum, naming it after George, "the friend who had made it all possible." Fred learned a lot about plants by trying things out and getting help from plant experts. He became very knowledgeable and even exchanged seeds with other arboretums and gardens around the world.
Growing and Protecting the Arboretum
In the late 1950s, another important person, Levan Loveland (who liked to be called Van), started visiting. Van was a bank manager from New York City and loved gardening. After he retired, he moved to the farm and planted beautiful flower gardens near the farmhouse. Thanks to Van's help, the arboretum became an official non-profit organization in 1966.
As Fred and Van got older, it became harder to take care of the gardens. Van passed away in 1977. Fred died in 1985. After Fred's death, many improvements began under the leadership of President Elizabeth Corning. In 1987, Pamela Rowling was hired as the horticulturist and director, helping the arboretum grow and continue its mission of protecting plants and educating people. Between 2000 and 2005, more land was added, making the arboretum 548 acres! With the help of the current director, Fred Breglia, and many dedicated volunteers, the George Landis Arboretum is now a wonderful "tree museum," a beautiful park, and an important education center.
Plant Collections
The Ed Miller Native Plant Trail
One special part of the Landis Arboretum is the Ed Miller Native Plant Trail. Along this half-mile trail, Ed Miller and his family and friends have gathered a collection of woody plants that are all native to New York State. The plants are grouped by their families, which makes it easy to compare similar types. Some plants that need special conditions are planted in their favorite environments, like a dry, open spot, a shady area under taller trees, or a wet area for wetland plants. This trail includes most of New York's native woody plants, and it even has a new area dedicated to ferns that grow in the region.
Bog Garden and Audio Tours
The arboretum also has a bog garden, which features most of the plants you would find in a northern peat bog. This garden is located at the start of the woodland trail and includes both woody and soft-stemmed plants growing in a bed of sphagnum moss that floats on water. Many native plants along the woodland trail are labeled. The arboretum is working on adding more signs with QR codes that link to audio descriptions, making your visit even more enjoyable and educational. The Native Plant Trail already has these QR codes, so you can use your smartphone to listen to guided tours. For a bit of fun, one of the bridges on the trail has a xylophone built into it – visitors are invited to play some bridge music!
Other Notable Collections
The Landis Arboretum has many other interesting plant collections, including:
- beeches
- Buckleya distichophylla (a rare plant)
- clematis (climbing vines with beautiful flowers)
- crab apples
- firs (a type of conifer)
- lilacs (known for their fragrant flowers)
- oaks (14 different species!)
- pines
- rhododendrons and azaleas (flowering shrubs)
- spruce (another type of conifer)
- dwarf conifers (smaller evergreen trees)
The fir (Abies) collection is one of the most complete groups of mature firs in the eastern United States, with sixteen different species. Fred Lape himself helped create several well-known plant varieties, including a rhododendron called 'Esperance', a lilac called 'Schoharie', and a quince called 'George Landis'. In 1990, the Baim Herbarium, which is a collection of 5,000 dried plant samples, joined the arboretum. It includes almost every plant found in Schenectady County, as well as plants from other parts of America and the South Pacific.
See also
In Spanish: George Landis Arboretum para niños
