Cornell Plantations
Encyclopedia
The Cornell Plantations are botanical gardens located adjacent to the Cornell University
campus in Ithaca, New York
. The Plantations proper consist of 25 acres (10.1 ha) of botanical gardens and 150 acres (60.7 ha) of the F.R. Newman Arboretum. The greater Plantations includes 40 different nature areas around Cornell and Ithaca, covering 4300 acres (1,740.1 ha) of rich and diverse habitats.
The origin of the Plantations dates back to Cornell's beginning in the mid-19th century and are part of the university's longtime interest in agriculture, forestry, and the natural sciences. The Plantations saw a major planting effort during the 1930s and assumed their present name in 1944. Gardens and facilities have continually expanded, including a construction program at the start of the 21st century. The Plantations also maintains four gardens on Cornell's central campus. The Plantations offers three courses for academic credit, are used as a resource by other classes, host a number of informal lectures and tours, and have played a part in many scholarly papers. , the Plantations had a $2.9 million annual operating budget.
The botanical gardens at the Plantations specialize in trees and shrubs native to New York State. The themed herb garden is especially noted. The Plantations have been the subject of several books and films over the years, are open daily without charge, and have been recommended as a visitation site by a number of travel books and newspaper travel sections.
had a large farm on the East Hill above Ithaca, New York. As part of locating New York State's land-grant college
in Ithaca, Cornell offered to donate the farm for use as a campus. In 1862, Cornell's first president, Andrew Dickson White
, wrote a colleague that a great university should include a botanical garden: “It must have the best of Libraries – collections in different departments – Laboratory – Observatory – Botanical Garden perhaps…” At the university's opening ceremony in 1868, Louis Agassiz
, an internationally-known naturalist, remarked that no other area could compete with Cornell's surroundings in the opportunities offered for the study of natural history. From its inception, Cornell formed a reputation for creative means of research into the natural sciences, including the establishment of the pioneering College of Agriculture
.
When the university built its first women's dormitory in 1875, it included a conservatory for growing plants and a specimen tree collection. Separately, the College of Veterinary Medicine
started a specialized garden of plants that are poisonous to livestock. Cornell's farm included two deep gorges which flanked both sides of the early campus, and as the campus developed the gorges remained undeveloped and filled with native plants and wildlife. These became the start of the on-campus gardens and arboretum. A goal of creating an explicit arboretum was proposed in various university reports to trustees and other publications in 1877, 1883, 1908, and 1914.
Cornell's acquisition of off-campus forest land dates to 1898 and the founding of the New York State College of Forestry
, which was the first forestry college in North America. As a part of establishing that school, Cornell acquired a demonstration forest near Saranac Lake in the Adirondack Mountains. The harvesting of trees from that forest drew heated opposition from neighboring land owners. Although political opposition caused Cornell to transfer the forest lands under the "forever wild" protection of the Adirondack Forest Preserve and to transfer Cornell's forestry education programs to its College of Agriculture, Cornell continued to acquire forest land remote from its main campus. In 1935, the decision to create an arboretum was finally made and the university formally established a Cornell Arboretum as a separate department. From 1935 to 1940, the federal government's Civilian Conservation Corps
Camp SP 48 devoted 170 to 200 workers to planting trees, constructing dikes, and building trails in order to develop the Arboretum.
In 1944, Liberty Hyde Bailey
, the Dean,emeritus, of the College of Agriculture and a horticulturalist highly regarded around the world, proposed the present name "Cornell Plantations" for an expanded department in a report that reflected the work of a number of botany and horticulture professors. By 1948, the Plantations numbered 1000 acres (404.7 ha) and the first Director was named, John F. Cornman. During a 1949 broadcast on widely-heard radio station WGY, Cornell emeritus professor Bristow Adams
reflected upon the now five-year-old Plantations, and stated that the relationship between humans and things that grow were of utmost importance and that gardens, forests, and parks were everlasting collections that "have the care and trusteeships of generation after generation."
In the mid 1960s, the sculpture garden was constructed in the middle of the Arboretum as a project of the College of Architecture Art and Planning. By 1965, the Plantations consisted of 1500 acres (607 ha). By 1970, the university was issuing a publication called The Cornell Plantations, which contained general articles on nature and environmental topics.
Beginning in the early 1970s, the Arboretum was upgraded with new roads and plantings funded by major gifts from oil industry figure Floyd R. Newman, and in 1982 the Arboretum was formally named in his honor (as were several other buildings and facilities at Cornell over the years).
During the 1980s, the Plantations experienced people stealing pines and firs for Christmas tree
s, with in some cases trees being taken that were worth several thousand dollars. A successful countermeasure created by Gerardo Sciarra at the Plantations was covering the trees with a harmless yet visually unpleasant "Ugly Mix" spray that included hydrated limestone, an anti-desiccant, and water. The technique was subsequently recommended to others worried about tree theft. In 2009, the Plantations suffered from a series of thefts of new or rare plants. A director at the Plantations, which had no security in place, said that the thieves must have been experienced horticulturalists and that the loss of research and species had been a demoralizing experience.
At the start of the 21st century, the Plantations embarked on a construction program which included: Arboretum Center (2000), Horticultural Center (2001), Mullestein Winter Garden (2002), Ramin Administration Building (2003), Rowley Carpenter Shop (2004), Plant Production Facility (2007), and Lewis Education Center (2008). The decade of building and restoration culminated with the October 28, 2010, dedication of the new $7.5 million Brian C. Nevin Welcome Center. Five years in the designing and building, the new facility was built to LEED
gold standards and won a 2010 Award of Excellence from Canadian Architect magazine.
Chestnut Collection
Conifer Collection
Flowering Crabapple Collection
Maple Collection
Oak Collection
Urban Tree Collection
Walnut Collection
In addition, the arboretum features an extensive set of trails.
Container Gardens
Deans Garden
Decorative Arts Flower Garden
Flowering Shrub and Ornamental Grass Garden
Groundcover Garden
Robison Herb Garden
Heritage Vegetable Garden
International Crop and Weed Garden
Peony and Sun Perennial Garden
Poisonous Plants Garden
Rhododendron and Woodland Perennial Garden
Rock Garden
Wildflower Garden
Winter Garden
Woodland Streamside Garden
s, fen
s, gorges, glen
s, meadow
s, and woodland
s. These areas contain some 9 miles (14.5 km) of walking trails.
, although 85 percent of the Plantations' budget comes from gifts. The Plantations continue to grow as it receives donations of environmentally-sensitive land throughout New York State. , the Plantations had a $2.9 million annual operating budget.
In conjunction with the Department of Horticulture in the College of Agriculture, the Plantations sponsors a Graduate Fellowship in Public Garden Leadership, where students earn a Master of Professional Studies
degree after a four-semester program. The program of study requires an internship, selection of a particular topic of interest, and completion of an action project. Numerous scientific papers have been published that relate to work done at the Plantations or written by academics affiliated with the Plantations. The Plantations offers three courses for academic credit and a number of informal lectures and tours. Lab work is done at the Plantations by students taking other courses in various subjects, including geology courses in the interdisciplinary Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Indeed the greater Plantations has a connection of some kind to over a hundred courses at Cornell. The Plantations' Director has also been responsible for summer session courses at the Plantations aimed towards alumni and horticultural enthusiasts.
The Plantations operate side-by-side with Cornell's other programs. Cornell's academic buildings, which are owned by either the university or New York State (for statutory college
buildings), are on a landscaped campus with Plantations' gardens interspersed among them; the Plantations maintains four such gardens on Cornell's central campus. In addition, the College of Agriculture operates the Arnot Woods as a teaching forest, about 15 miles (24.1 km) southwest of Ithaca; it was given to the university in 1927. The College operates the Dilmun Hill Student Farm, located near the Plantations, as a student-run farm that has been practicing sustainable agriculture on Cornell University's campus since 1996. Finally, the College also operates Campus Area Farms that comprise 11 different farms and 325 acres (131.5 ha) in and around the Cornell Campus. These farms provide research plots for faculty that are easily accessible. The difference between the Plantations and these other adjacent properties is that the Plantations are open to the public and are designed for both instruction as well as leisure, while the other properties are closed to the general public and focused upon teaching and research. Aside from physical proximity, the Plantations has affiliations with a number of Cornell academic departments.
In fact, during the latter part of the 20th century, public gardens attached to colleges and universities such as the Plantations became a popular trend, due to the beneficial effects they had on campus unity and recruitment of students, creating bonds with and outreach to the local community, and providing a basis for ongoing research as well as establishing a living museum.
The Plantations earned a relatively brief mention as a campus diversion in the 112-page Cornell Desk Book publication of 1972 aimed at incoming students. The Cornell Daily Sun
listed it in 2010 as one of the natural wonders of the Cornell and Ithaca areas that students frequently went past, or lived near to, without noticing.
A 1973 New York Times survey of public arboreta listed the Plantations as one of the 17 best in the Eastern U.S. for educational value. The same paper characterized the Robison Herb Garden as "a student's living reference library" when it opened in 1974.
The 200-page volume The Cornell Plantations, written by Ralph S. Hosmer, was published by the university in 1947, shortly after the gardens were so named. A film Cornell Plantations was made during 1974–1975 and shown on PBS in Connecticut and elsewhere. In 1987, the Plantations released a VHS
video entitled A Year in the Garden, which showed seasonal changes in the F. R. Newman Arboretum and along the trails. The New York Times called the effort "thin" and best suited for Cornell alumni. The university published the volume Cornell Plantations Path Guide: The Gardens, Gorges, Landscapes, and Lore of Cornell in 1995, and a 172-page second edition was published with a slightly altered title in 2002.
Working with the Newman's Own Foundation and the Center for Plant Conservation
, the Plantations are trying to restore the regional population of the American globeflower (Trollius laxus). The Plantations are trying to use predatory beetles (Laricobius nigrinus) to control the spread of the hemlock wooly adelgid (HWA).
. Walk-up tours are offered twice a week. Adult volunteers also serve as stewards, tour guides and special event staff. Such docents
are challenged by the large variety of plants; one joked in 2010 that, "The ones I don’t know the name of, I call Species Nocluesem."
The New York Times
has recommended Cornell Plantations as a place to visit several times, calling it "a satisfying experience" in 1965, one of the sights of Cornell in 1979, a destination along a bicycling tour in 1985, "another free diversion" in 1989, and "one last outing before leaving [Ithaca]" in 2002. The Boston Globe
recommended the Plantations in 2000 as a "free to the public museum of living plants". In 2007, The Ithaca Journal
referred to it as "one of the area's gems" and three years later said it "combines the best of walking with the eye appeal of well tended gardens". The Buffalo News
portrayed the Plantations in 2010 as one of the places that made Cornell worth a vacation for non-students.
National Geographic' s 1998 guide to the 300 best public gardens in North America has an entry for the Plantations.
The American Automobile Association
's New York TourBook
lists the Plantations as one of five arboreta and sixty gardens in the state; it does not get the "GEM" rating that one of the arboreta and ten of the gardens receive. Fodor's
travel book for New York State lists the Plantations as an ordinary entry and says the gardens have "interesting cold-weather colors and textures". The Moon Handbooks volume for the state also lists it as a regular entry, without much commentary, as does the Great Destinations series The Finger Lakes Book. The Fun with the Family Upstate New York volume groups it with several other sights as "a real bargain" to explore for free. Most enthusiastic is the Frommer's
travel guide for New York State, which rates the Plantations as a one-star ("highly recommended") sight, saying the Plantations is "a real find and well worth a visit for garden lovers or anyone seeking a bit of solace." The herb garden and knoll of rhododendrons come in for particular praise.
The Plantations provide a venue for a number of annual activities, including a "Fall In" festival, a celebration of Arbor Day and the Cornell Reunion 5 Mile Run. The Plantations is one of eight cultural and educational sites on the Ithaca Discovery Trail
network.
The Friends of the Gorges is a Cornell student organization, supported by Cornell Plantations, that performs trail repair and maintenance and clean-ups.
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
campus in Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
. The Plantations proper consist of 25 acres (10.1 ha) of botanical gardens and 150 acres (60.7 ha) of the F.R. Newman Arboretum. The greater Plantations includes 40 different nature areas around Cornell and Ithaca, covering 4300 acres (1,740.1 ha) of rich and diverse habitats.
The origin of the Plantations dates back to Cornell's beginning in the mid-19th century and are part of the university's longtime interest in agriculture, forestry, and the natural sciences. The Plantations saw a major planting effort during the 1930s and assumed their present name in 1944. Gardens and facilities have continually expanded, including a construction program at the start of the 21st century. The Plantations also maintains four gardens on Cornell's central campus. The Plantations offers three courses for academic credit, are used as a resource by other classes, host a number of informal lectures and tours, and have played a part in many scholarly papers. , the Plantations had a $2.9 million annual operating budget.
The botanical gardens at the Plantations specialize in trees and shrubs native to New York State. The themed herb garden is especially noted. The Plantations have been the subject of several books and films over the years, are open daily without charge, and have been recommended as a visitation site by a number of travel books and newspaper travel sections.
History
Prior to the founding of Cornell University, Ezra CornellEzra Cornell
Ezra Cornell was an American businessman and education administrator. He was a founder of Western Union and a co-founder of Cornell University...
had a large farm on the East Hill above Ithaca, New York. As part of locating New York State's land-grant college
Land-grant university
Land-grant universities are institutions of higher education in the United States designated by each state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890....
in Ithaca, Cornell offered to donate the farm for use as a campus. In 1862, Cornell's first president, Andrew Dickson White
Andrew Dickson White
Andrew Dickson White was a U.S. diplomat, historian, and educator, who was the co-founder of Cornell University.-Family and personal life:...
, wrote a colleague that a great university should include a botanical garden: “It must have the best of Libraries – collections in different departments – Laboratory – Observatory – Botanical Garden perhaps…” At the university's opening ceremony in 1868, Louis Agassiz
Louis Agassiz
Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz was a Swiss paleontologist, glaciologist, geologist and a prominent innovator in the study of the Earth's natural history. He grew up in Switzerland and became a professor of natural history at University of Neuchâtel...
, an internationally-known naturalist, remarked that no other area could compete with Cornell's surroundings in the opportunities offered for the study of natural history. From its inception, Cornell formed a reputation for creative means of research into the natural sciences, including the establishment of the pioneering College of Agriculture
Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
The New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is a statutory college at Cornell University, a private university located in Ithaca, New York...
.
When the university built its first women's dormitory in 1875, it included a conservatory for growing plants and a specimen tree collection. Separately, the College of Veterinary Medicine
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
The New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University was founded in 1894. It was the first statutory college in New York. Before the creation of the college, instruction in veterinary medicine had been part of Cornell's curriculum since the university's founding...
started a specialized garden of plants that are poisonous to livestock. Cornell's farm included two deep gorges which flanked both sides of the early campus, and as the campus developed the gorges remained undeveloped and filled with native plants and wildlife. These became the start of the on-campus gardens and arboretum. A goal of creating an explicit arboretum was proposed in various university reports to trustees and other publications in 1877, 1883, 1908, and 1914.
New York State College of Forestry at Cornell
The New York State College of Forestry at Cornell was a statutory college established in 1898 at Cornell University to teach scientific forestry. The first four-year college of forestry in the country, it was defunded by the State of New York in 1903, over controversies involving the college's...
, which was the first forestry college in North America. As a part of establishing that school, Cornell acquired a demonstration forest near Saranac Lake in the Adirondack Mountains. The harvesting of trees from that forest drew heated opposition from neighboring land owners. Although political opposition caused Cornell to transfer the forest lands under the "forever wild" protection of the Adirondack Forest Preserve and to transfer Cornell's forestry education programs to its College of Agriculture, Cornell continued to acquire forest land remote from its main campus. In 1935, the decision to create an arboretum was finally made and the university formally established a Cornell Arboretum as a separate department. From 1935 to 1940, the federal government's Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
Camp SP 48 devoted 170 to 200 workers to planting trees, constructing dikes, and building trails in order to develop the Arboretum.
In 1944, Liberty Hyde Bailey
Liberty Hyde Bailey
Liberty Hyde Bailey was an American horticulturist, botanist and cofounder of the American Society for Horticultural Science.-Biography:...
, the Dean,emeritus, of the College of Agriculture and a horticulturalist highly regarded around the world, proposed the present name "Cornell Plantations" for an expanded department in a report that reflected the work of a number of botany and horticulture professors. By 1948, the Plantations numbered 1000 acres (404.7 ha) and the first Director was named, John F. Cornman. During a 1949 broadcast on widely-heard radio station WGY, Cornell emeritus professor Bristow Adams
Bristow Adams
Bristow Adams was an American journalist, professor, forester, and illustrator.Adams was born in Washington, D.C.. He taught at Cornell University from 1914 to 1945...
reflected upon the now five-year-old Plantations, and stated that the relationship between humans and things that grow were of utmost importance and that gardens, forests, and parks were everlasting collections that "have the care and trusteeships of generation after generation."
In the mid 1960s, the sculpture garden was constructed in the middle of the Arboretum as a project of the College of Architecture Art and Planning. By 1965, the Plantations consisted of 1500 acres (607 ha). By 1970, the university was issuing a publication called The Cornell Plantations, which contained general articles on nature and environmental topics.
Beginning in the early 1970s, the Arboretum was upgraded with new roads and plantings funded by major gifts from oil industry figure Floyd R. Newman, and in 1982 the Arboretum was formally named in his honor (as were several other buildings and facilities at Cornell over the years).
During the 1980s, the Plantations experienced people stealing pines and firs for Christmas tree
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
s, with in some cases trees being taken that were worth several thousand dollars. A successful countermeasure created by Gerardo Sciarra at the Plantations was covering the trees with a harmless yet visually unpleasant "Ugly Mix" spray that included hydrated limestone, an anti-desiccant, and water. The technique was subsequently recommended to others worried about tree theft. In 2009, the Plantations suffered from a series of thefts of new or rare plants. A director at the Plantations, which had no security in place, said that the thieves must have been experienced horticulturalists and that the loss of research and species had been a demoralizing experience.
At the start of the 21st century, the Plantations embarked on a construction program which included: Arboretum Center (2000), Horticultural Center (2001), Mullestein Winter Garden (2002), Ramin Administration Building (2003), Rowley Carpenter Shop (2004), Plant Production Facility (2007), and Lewis Education Center (2008). The decade of building and restoration culminated with the October 28, 2010, dedication of the new $7.5 million Brian C. Nevin Welcome Center. Five years in the designing and building, the new facility was built to LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
gold standards and won a 2010 Award of Excellence from Canadian Architect magazine.
F.R. Newman Arboretum
The F.R. Newman arboretum contains the following collections on 150 acres (60.7 ha):Chestnut Collection
- Established in 2000 with 5 transplanted, grafted chestnutChestnutChestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
trees for each of 5 cultivars. At present 4 trees remain, representing 3 of the 5 cultivars. Eventually 25 cultivars will be represented.
Conifer Collection
- Several sites with 21 taxa of firFirFirs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
s (excluding dwarf forms), 39 of pinePinePines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
s, and 25 of spruceSpruceA spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
s.
Flowering Crabapple Collection
- 83 cultivars in a new collection; many trees are quite small.
Maple Collection
- One of the core collections. One site contains Red MapleRed MapleAcer rubrum , is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern North America. It ranges from the Lake of the Woods on the border between Ontario and Minnesota, east to Newfoundland, south to near Miami, Florida, and southwest to east Texas...
(AcerMapleAcer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
rubrum), Sugar MapleSugar MapleAcer saccharum is a species of maple native to the hardwood forests of northeastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario, and south to Georgia and Texas...
(Acer saccharum), Silver MapleSilver MapleThe silver maple —also called creek maple, river maple, silverleaf maple, soft maple, water maple, or white maple—is a species of maple native to eastern North America in the eastern United States and Canada...
(Acer saccharinum), and Striped MapleStriped MapleAcer pensylvanicum is a species of maple native to northern and montane forests in eastern North America from southern Ontario east to Nova Scotia and south to Wisconsin, Ohio, and New Jersey, and also at higher elevations in the Appalachian Mountains south to northern Georgia.It is a small...
(Acer pensylvanicum). Another contains an overstory of Acer x freemanii with an understory of shade-loving maples, including snakebark maples (Acer davidii and Acer tegmentosum) and small trees similar to the Japanese maple, such as Acer shirasawanum and Acer pseudosieboldianum. A third site consists primarily of small Asian Maples.
Oak Collection
- 50 oakOakAn oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
taxa in a fairly young collection, with a goal of acquiring all species hardy in Zone 5Hardiness zoneA hardiness zone is a geographically defined area in which a specific category of plant life is capable of growing, as defined by climatic conditions, including its ability to withstand the minimum temperatures of the zone...
.
Urban Tree Collection
- Planted throughout the arboretum.
Walnut Collection
- The oldest collection, planted in the early 1960s. 20 cultivars, representing Black WalnutBlack WalnutJuglans nigra, the Eastern Black walnut, is a species of flowering tree in the hickory family, Juglandaceae, that is native to eastern North America. It grows mostly in riparian zones, from southern Ontario, west to southeast South Dakota, south to Georgia, northern Florida and southwest to central...
(Juglans nigra), Butternut (Juglans cinerea) and Heartnut (Juglans ailanthifolia).
In addition, the arboretum features an extensive set of trails.
Botanical gardens
The botanical gardens specialize in trees and shrubs native to New York State. Overall, they contain a wide variety of ornamental, useful, and native plants on 25 acres (10.1 ha), arranged into gardens as follows:Container Gardens
- Ornamental plants suitable for growing in containers, such as AgastacheAgastacheAgastache, is a genus of 9–12 species of perennial herbs in the family Lamiaceae, native to eastern Asia and North America ....
foeniculum, AgaveAgaveAgave is a genus of monocots. The plants are perennial, but each rosette flowers once and then dies ; they are commonly known as the century plant....
, AlocasiaAlocasiaAlocasia is a genus of broad-leaved rhizomatous or tuberous perennials from the Family Araceae. There are 78 species of Alocasia occurring in Tropical & Subtropical Asia to Eastern Australia and widely cultivated in Oceania and South America. The large cordate or sagittate leaves grow to a length...
esculenta, Amaranthus, CannaCanna (plant)Canna is a genus of nineteen species of flowering plants. The closest living relations to cannas are the other plant families of the order Zingiberales, that is the gingers, bananas, marantas, heliconias, strelitzias, etc.Canna is the only genus in the family Cannaceae...
× generalis, CelosiaCelosiaCelosia is a small genus of edible and ornamental plants in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek word κηλος , meaning "burned," and refers to the flame-like flower heads. Species are commonly known as woolflowers, or, if the flower heads are crested by...
, ColeusColeusSolenostemon is a genus of perennial plants, native to tropical Africa, Asia, Australia, the East Indies, the Malay Archipelago, and the Philippines...
, ColocasiaColocasiaColocasia is a genus of 25 or more species of flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to tropical Polynesia and southeastern Asia. Common names include Elephant-ear, Taro, Cocoyam, Dasheen,Chembu, and Eddoe...
, CordylineCordylineCordyline is a genus of about 15 species of woody monocotyledonous flowering plants in family Asparagaceae, subfamily Lomandroideae. The subfamily has previously been treated as a separate family Laxmanniaceae, or Lomandraceae. Other authors have placed the genus in the Agavaceae...
, CupheaCupheaCuphea is a genus containing about 260 species of annual and perennial flowering plants native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas. The species range from low-growing herbs to semi-woody shrubs up to 2 m tall. Commonly they are known as cupheas, or, in the case of some species,...
, CycadCycadCycads are seed plants typically characterized by a stout and woody trunk with a crown of large, hard and stiff, evergreen leaves. They usually have pinnate leaves. The individual plants are either all male or all female . Cycads vary in size from having a trunk that is only a few centimeters...
, Duranta erectaDuranta erectaDuranta erecta is a species of flowering shrub in the verbena family Verbenaceae, native from Mexico to South America and the Caribbean. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical gardens throughout the world, and has become naturalized in many places...
, Eucalyptus cinereaEucalyptus cinereaEucalyptus cinerea, commonly known as the Argyle apple or Mealy Stringybark, is a small to medium sized tree with rough bark, persistent on the trunk and larger branches, thick, fibrous, longitudinally furrowed, reddish-brown to grey-brown....
, FuchsiaFuchsiaFuchsia is a genus of flowering plants that consists mostly of shrubs or small trees. The first, Fuchsia triphylla, was discovered on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola in 1703 by the French Minim monk and botanist, Charles Plumier...
, HibiscusHibiscusHibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world...
acetosella, IresineIresineIresine is a genus of flowering plants in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. It contains 20 to 25 species, all of which are native to the American tropics. The generic name is derived from the Greek word εριος , meaning "wooly", referring to the trichome-covered flowers...
, Lantana camaraLantana camaraLantana camara, also known as Spanish Flag or West Indian Lantana, is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family, Verbenaceae, that is native to the American tropics. It has been introduced into other parts of the world as an ornamental plant and is considered an invasive species in many...
, Melianthus majorMelianthus majorMelianthus major is an evergreen suckering shrub, endemic to South Africa and naturalised in India, Australia and New Zealand. It grows to between 2 to 3 metres tall and has large, divided, blue-green leaves which have an unpleasant odour. Long, dark-red flower spikes appear in spring, followed by...
, Perilla frutescensPerilla frutescensPerilla frutescens is an edible herb and ornamental plant in the Lamiaceae family. Its common name is perilla; it is also called beefsteak plant, Chinese basil, wild basil, purple mint, rattlesnake weed, or summer coleus.Perilla is a perennial herb and can grow to 3-5 feet tall...
, Phormium tenaxPhormium tenaxPhormium tenax is an evergreen perennial plant native to New Zealand and Norfolk Island that is an important fibre plant and a popular ornamental plant...
, Salpiglossis sinuataSalpiglossis sinuataSalpiglossis sinuata, Painted Tongue, Scalloped Tube Tongue, or Velvet Trumpet Flower, is a flowering plant in the family Solanaceae, native to southern Chile.-Description:...
, and Solenostemon scutellarioidesSolenostemon scutellarioidesSolenostemon scutellarioides is a species of perennial plant. Common names include Coleus or Painted Nettle.The Coleus plant has very colorful foliage and is popular as a houseplant and in gardens. Its geographic origin is Southeast Asia and Malaysia...
.
Deans Garden
- Herbaceous and woody plants, many uncommon in the Ithaca area, such as VancouveriaVancouveriaVancouveria is a small genus of plants belonging to the barberry family. The three plants in this genus are known generally as inside-out flowers, and they are endemic to western North America...
hexanra and Stuartia pseudocamelliaStuartia pseudocamelliaStewartia pseudocamellia is a plant species in the genus Stewartia in the family Theaceae, native to Japan and Korea...
.
Decorative Arts Flower Garden
- A wide variety of flowers including sunflowerSunflowerSunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...
, carnationCarnationDianthus caryophyllus is a species of Dianthus. It is probably native to the Mediterranean region but its exact range is unknown due to extensive cultivation for the last 2,000 years. It is the wild ancestor of the garden carnation.It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 80 cm tall...
, roseRoseA rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
, poppyPoppyA poppy is one of a group of a flowering plants in the poppy family, many of which are grown in gardens for their colorful flowers. Poppies are sometimes used for symbolic reasons, such as in remembrance of soldiers who have died during wartime....
, peonyPeonyPeony or paeony is a name for plants in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the flowering plant family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, southern Europe and western North America...
, irisIris (plant)Iris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
, lily, chrysanthemumChrysanthemumChrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe.-Etymology:...
, daisy, and tulipTulipThe tulip is a perennial, bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa, which comprises 109 species and belongs to the family Liliaceae. The genus's native range extends from as far west as Southern Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, and Iran to the Northwest of China. The tulip's centre of...
.
Flowering Shrub and Ornamental Grass Garden
- Flowering shrubs, ornamental grasses, and perennials including daylilliesDaylilyDaylily is the general nonscientific name of a species, hybrid or cultivar of the genus Hemerocallis . Daylily cultivar flowers are highly diverse in colour and form, as a result of hybridization efforts of gardening enthusiasts and professional horticulturalists...
. Shrubs include HypericumHypericumHypericum is a genus of about 400 species of flowering plants in the family Hypericaceae ....
, HydrangeaHydrangeaHydrangea is a genus of about 70 to 75 species of flowering plants native to southern and eastern Asia and North and South America. By far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Japan, and Korea...
, and PotentillaPotentillaPotentilla is the genus of typical cinquefoils, containing about 500 species of annual, biennial and perennial herbs in the rose family Rosaceae. They are generally Holarctic in distribution, though some may even be found in montane biomes of the New Guinea Highlands...
; grasses include CalamagrostisCalamagrostisCalamagrostis, or Small-reed or Reedgrass, is a genus in the Grass family Poaceae with about 260 species that occur mainly in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and the southern hemisphere. Towards equatorial latitudes, species of Calamagrostis generally occur at higher elevations in...
, Chasmanthium latifoliumChasmanthium latifoliumChasmanthium latifolium, known as Woodoats, Inland sea oats, Northern sea oats, and River oats is a grass native to the southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico; it grows as far north as Pennsylvania and Michigan, where it is a threatened species...
, Festuca, MiscanthusMiscanthusMiscanthus is a genus of about 15 species of perennial grasses native to subtropical and tropical regions of Africa and southern Asia, with one species Miscanthus is a genus of about 15 species of perennial grasses native to subtropical and tropical regions of Africa and southern Asia, with one...
, MoliniaMoliniaMolinia is a genus of two species of grasses. The genus is named after Juan Ignacio Molina, a 19th century naturalist and scientist from Chile.Species*Molinia caerulea . Northern Europe and Asia....
, Panicum virgatum, Pennisetum alopecuroidesPennisetum alopecuroidesPennisetum alopecuroides is a species of perennial grass native to Asia and Australia...
, and Saccharum ravennaeSaccharum ravennaeSaccharum ravennae, with the common name Ravennagrass and locally known as ekra, is a species of grass in genus the Saccharum, the sugarcane genus...
.
Groundcover Garden
- Groundcovers including AsarumAsarumAsarum is a genus of plants in the birthwort family Aristolochiaceae, commonly known as Wild ginger.- Description :...
, AthyriumAthyriumAthyrium is a genus of about 180 species of terrestrial ferns, with a cosmopolitan distribution.Athyrium species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Small Angle Shades and Sthenopis auratus.-Species:There are about 180, including:-References:***...
, Cyclamen hederifoliumCyclamen hederifoliumCyclamen hederifolium is the most widespread cyclamen species, the most widely cultivated after the florist's cyclamen , and the most hardy and vigorous in oceanic climates...
, DryopterisDryopterisDryopteris , commonly called wood ferns, male ferns, and buckler ferns, is a genus of about 250 species of ferns with distribution in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in eastern Asia. Many of the species have stout, slowly creeping rootstocks that form a crown,...
, Helleborus orientalis, HostaHostaHosta is a genus of about 23–45 species of lily-like plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae, native to northeast Asia. They have been placed in their own family, Hostaceae ; like many 'lilioid monocots', they were once classified in the Liliaceae...
, LysimachiaLysimachiaLysimachia is a genus of flowering plants. It is traditionally classified in the family Primulaceae but should, according to molecular phylogenetic study, be placed to the family Myrsinaceae .-Characteristics:...
, MarrubiumMarrubiumMarrubium is a genus of about 40 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, native to temperate regions of Europe and Asia.Selected species*Marrubium alternidens*Marrubium alysson...
, and PachysandraPachysandraPachysandra is a genus of four or five species of evergreen groundcovers or subshrubs, belonging to the Boxwood Family, Buxaceae. The species are native to eastern Asia and southeast North America, some reaching a height of 20-45 cm, with only weakly woody stems...
.
Robison Herb Garden
- Opened in 1974 after 20 years of being envisioned and 2 years of construction, it consists of 17 raised beds of herbs, arranged by theme as follows: Ornamental Herbs; Herbs of the Ancients; Herbs in Literature; Bee Herbs; Salads and Potherbs; Edible flowers; Herbs of the Native Americans; Medicinal Herbs; Culinary Herbs; Economic Herbs; Dye Herbs; Tea Herbs; Fragrant Herbs; Sacred Herbs; Scented Geraniums; Savory Seed Herbs; and Tussie-Mussies and Nosegays. The sources to begin the garden came from around the world, with some species linked to cultures from antiquity. More than 500 plants are included. The design inspired plans for a similar herb garden in New London, ConnecticutNew London, ConnecticutNew London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
in 1980.
Heritage Vegetable Garden
- Four beds, representing typical vegetableVegetableThe noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s grown in the northeastern United StatesNortheastern United StatesThe Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
in the 18th century, the late 19th century, World Wars IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and today's gardens. Such gardens are not common. The gardener in charge of it has been mentioned in newspaper columns as an expert in growing tomatoes.
International Crop and Weed Garden
- Crop plants and economically important plants from around the world, including bananaBananaBanana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s, sugar cane, coffeeCoffeeCoffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, teaTeaTea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
, sorghumSorghumSorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...
, cottonCottonCotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, grassGrassGrasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
es, and forbForbA forb is a herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid . The term is used in biology and in vegetation ecology, especially in relation to grasslands and understory.-Etymology:...
s (non-grass plants eaten by livestock); also a collection of weedWeedA weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
s arranged in an attractive agricultural setting.
Peony and Sun Perennial Garden
- Over 90 cultivars of peoniesPeonyPeony or paeony is a name for plants in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the flowering plant family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, southern Europe and western North America...
, as well as a display of recent perennial cultivars suitable for sunny locations.
Poisonous Plants Garden
- Plants poisonous to livestock, including AtropaAtropaAtropa is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Its best-known member is the Deadly Nightshade . Its pharmacologically active ingredients include atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine, all tropane alkaloids...
, Chelidonium, CicutaCicutaCicuta, commonly known as water hemlock, is a small genus of four species of highly poisonous plants in the family Apiaceae. They are perennial herbaceous plants which grow up to tall, having distinctive small green or white flowers arranged in an umbrella shape . Plants in this genus may also be...
, DigitalisDigitalisDigitalis is a genus of about 20 species of herbaceous perennials, shrubs, and biennials that are commonly called foxgloves. This genus was traditionally placed in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae, but recent reviews of phylogenetic research have placed it in the much enlarged family...
, LobeliaLobeliaLobelia is a genus of flowering plant comprising 360–400 species, with a subcosmopolitan distribution primarily in tropical to warm temperate regions of the world, a few species extending into cooler temperate regions...
, Phytolacca, and RheumRhubarbRhubarb is a group of plants that belong to the genus Rheum in the family Polygonaceae. They are herbaceous perennial plants growing from short, thick rhizomes. They have large leaves that are somewhat triangular-shaped with long fleshy petioles...
. (Although CannabisCannabisCannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
was included in the garden for many years, it was removed by the early 1970s.)
Rhododendron and Woodland Perennial Garden
- Hundreds of rhododendronRhododendronRhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s and azaleaAzaleaAzaleas are flowering shrubs comprising two of the eight subgenera of the genus Rhododendron, Pentanthera and Tsutsuji . Azaleas bloom in spring, their flowers often lasting several weeks...
s, set among white pinePinePines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
s, fernFernA fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s, hostaHostaHosta is a genus of about 23–45 species of lily-like plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae, native to northeast Asia. They have been placed in their own family, Hostaceae ; like many 'lilioid monocots', they were once classified in the Liliaceae...
s, etc.
Rock Garden
- Rock garden, including AethionemaAethionemaAethionema is a genus of flowering plants, within the family Brassicaceae, subfamily Brassicoideae. The genus is collectively known as the stonecresses.Aethionema species are grown as herbaceous perennials by gardeners.Species include:...
, ArenariaArenaria (plant)Arenaria is a genus of flowering plants, within the family Caryophyllaceae.Species of this genus are among those plants commonly known as "sandworts". Several species formerly classified within Arenaria are now classed in the genera Spergularia, Eremogone and Minuartia.Species include:*Arenaria...
, AubrietaAubrietaAubrieta is a genus of about 12 species of flowering plants in the cabbage family Brassicaceae. The genus is named after Claude Aubriet, a French flower-painter. It originates from southern Europe east to central Asia but is now a common garden escape throughout Europe...
, CymbalariaCymbalariaCymbalaria is a genus of about 10 species of herbaceous perennial plants previously treated in the family Scrophulariaceae, but recently shown by genetic research to be in the much enlarged family Plantaginaceae.The genus is native to southern Europe...
, DianthusDianthusDianthus is a genus of about 300 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native mainly to Europe and Asia, with a few species extending south to north Africa, and one species in arctic North America. Common names include carnation , pink and sweet William Dianthus is a genus of...
, ErigeronErigeronErigeron is a genus of about 390 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution with the highest species diversity in North America, where 173 species occur....
, GlobulariaGlobulariaGlobularia is a genus of about 22 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, native to central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwest Africa and southwest Asia. They are dense low evergreen mat-forming herbs or subshrubs, with leathery oval leaves 1–10 cm long...
, HoustoniaHoustonia (genus)Houstonia is a genus of plants in the Rubiaceae family. Many species were formerly placed in a more inclusive Hedyotis....
, Leiophyllum, LinariaLinariaLinaria is a genus of about 100 species of herbaceous annuals and perennials that was traditionally placed in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae. Due to new genetic research, it has now been placed in the vastly expanded family Plantaginaceae...
, PenstemonPenstemonPenstemon , Beard-tongue, is a large genus of North American and East Asian plants traditionally placed in the Scrophulariaceae family. Due to new genetic research, it has now been placed in the vastly expanded family Plantaginaceae...
, Pulsatilla, SedumSedumSedum is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, members of which are commonly known as stonecrops. It contains around 400 species of leaf succulents that are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, varying from annual and creeping herbs to shrubs. The plants have...
, SileneSileneSilene is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae. Common names include campion and catchfly....
, Veronica, etc.
Wildflower Garden
- WildflowerWildflowerA wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. Yet "wildflower" meadows of a few mixed species are sold in seed packets. The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more...
s including skunk cabbageSkunk CabbageSkunk Cabbage may refer to:* the genus Lysichiton* Asian Skunk Cabbage, Lysichiton camtschatcense, grows in eastern Asia* Eastern Skunk Cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus, grows in eastern North America...
, trout lily, marsh marigold, and trilliumTrilliumTrillium is a genus of about 40–50 species of spring ephemeral perennials, native to temperate regions of North America and Asia....
.
Winter Garden
- Plants interesting in all seasons, including dogwoodDogwoodThe genus Cornus is a group of about 30-60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods. Most dogwoods are deciduous trees or shrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceous perennial subshrubs, and a few of the woody species are evergreen...
, willowWillowWillows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
, birchBirchBirch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
, hawthornCrataegusCrataegus , commonly called hawthorn or thornapple, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. The name hawthorn was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe,...
, and dwarf to midsize conifers.
Woodland Streamside Garden
- A boardwalk through a bogBogA bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
gy areas including royal fernFernA fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s, blue and yellow flag irisIris (plant)Iris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
, and Japanese primrose.
Nature areas
In addition to the gardens and arboretum, Cornell Plantations also manages an additional 3500 acres (1,416.4 ha) of biologically diverse natural areas, including bogBog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s, fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
s, gorges, glen
Glen
A glen is a valley, typically one that is long, deep, and often glacially U-shaped; or one with a watercourse running through such a valley. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower than a strath."...
s, meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
s, and woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s. These areas contain some 9 miles (14.5 km) of walking trails.
- Bald Hill – the only area in the Cayuga Lake Basin where mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is abundant.
- Beebe Lake and Woods – In 1828, to capture the waterpower of Fall Creek, Ezra Cornell help construct Beebe Dam on Fall Creek. The dam and Lake have since been upgraded.
- Bluegrass Lane Natural Areas – located in the northeast corner of Cornell's Robert Trent Jones Golf Course.
- Brooktondale Meadow
- Carter Creek Preserve – 244 acres (98.7 ha) of woodlands about 14 miles (22.5 km) southwest of Cornell.
- Cascadilla Gorge – a gorge formed as Cascadilla Creek drops 400 feet (121.9 m) from the campus to downtown Ithaca, with a walking trail and many waterfalls.
- Cascadilla Meadows – Cascadilla Creek was channelized when the Wilson Lab was constructed in this meadow flood plain.
- Cayuga Marsh – a low-lying wetland, is nearly pure cattail marsh (Typha latifolia) at the north end of Lake Cayuga.
- Cayuga Lake – 95 acres (38.4 ha) on northeast shore.
- Etna Fringed Gentian Area
- Fall Creek Valley North
- Fall Creek Valley South
- Fischer Old-Growth Forest – a 42 acres (17 ha) preserve containing rare examples of yellow oak (Quercus muehlenbergii).
- Hertel Bowl
- Lick Brook
- Lighthouse Point – a biological station located a bit over 3 miles (5 km) from campus on the eastern shore of Lake Cayuga.
- McDaniel Meadow, Woods and Swamp – 60 acres (24.3 ha) former farm about 7 miles (11.3 km) north of campus.
- McGowan Woods and Meadow
- Mitchell Street Natural Areas – examples of abandoned agricultural land.
- Monkey Run
- Mount Pleasant
- Mundy Wildflower Garden
- North Campus Natural Areas
- Park Park – Forest Home Drive near New York Route 366
- Polson Natural Area
- Purvis Road Natural Areas – 43 acres (17.4 ha)
- Renwick Slope
- Slaterville 600 – 600 acres (242.8 ha) that includes the Slaterville Wildflower Preserve and old growth forest, given to the university by the Lloyd Library and MuseumLloyd Library and MuseumThe Lloyd Library and Museum is a collection in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, covering medical botany, pharmacy, eclectic medicine, and horticulture. It was initially started from the personal collection of the pharmacist John Uri Lloyd in 1864. In 1919, John Uri Lloyd and his two brothers, Nelson Ashley...
under condition that it remain forever wild. - Slim Jim Woods – borders the arboretum.
- Steep Hollow Creek
- The Tarr-Young Preserve
- Turkey Hill Road Meadow
- Upper Cascadilla
- Warren Woods – 37 acres (15 ha)
Academic role
The Plantations' Director is funded as a professor of Horticulture in the College of Agriculture and Life SciencesCornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
The New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is a statutory college at Cornell University, a private university located in Ithaca, New York...
, although 85 percent of the Plantations' budget comes from gifts. The Plantations continue to grow as it receives donations of environmentally-sensitive land throughout New York State. , the Plantations had a $2.9 million annual operating budget.
In conjunction with the Department of Horticulture in the College of Agriculture, the Plantations sponsors a Graduate Fellowship in Public Garden Leadership, where students earn a Master of Professional Studies
Master of Professional Studies
Master of Professional Studies is a recognized masters degree concentrated in an applied field of study. The MPS is usually a terminal degree and is often interdisciplinary, frequently offered in substantive areas that do not readily fit into any of the traditional fields in university curricula...
degree after a four-semester program. The program of study requires an internship, selection of a particular topic of interest, and completion of an action project. Numerous scientific papers have been published that relate to work done at the Plantations or written by academics affiliated with the Plantations. The Plantations offers three courses for academic credit and a number of informal lectures and tours. Lab work is done at the Plantations by students taking other courses in various subjects, including geology courses in the interdisciplinary Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Indeed the greater Plantations has a connection of some kind to over a hundred courses at Cornell. The Plantations' Director has also been responsible for summer session courses at the Plantations aimed towards alumni and horticultural enthusiasts.
The Plantations operate side-by-side with Cornell's other programs. Cornell's academic buildings, which are owned by either the university or New York State (for statutory college
Statutory college
In American higher education, particular to the state of New York, a statutory college or contract college is a college or school that is a component of an independent, private university that has been designated by the state legislature to receive significant, ongoing public funding from the state...
buildings), are on a landscaped campus with Plantations' gardens interspersed among them; the Plantations maintains four such gardens on Cornell's central campus. In addition, the College of Agriculture operates the Arnot Woods as a teaching forest, about 15 miles (24.1 km) southwest of Ithaca; it was given to the university in 1927. The College operates the Dilmun Hill Student Farm, located near the Plantations, as a student-run farm that has been practicing sustainable agriculture on Cornell University's campus since 1996. Finally, the College also operates Campus Area Farms that comprise 11 different farms and 325 acres (131.5 ha) in and around the Cornell Campus. These farms provide research plots for faculty that are easily accessible. The difference between the Plantations and these other adjacent properties is that the Plantations are open to the public and are designed for both instruction as well as leisure, while the other properties are closed to the general public and focused upon teaching and research. Aside from physical proximity, the Plantations has affiliations with a number of Cornell academic departments.
In fact, during the latter part of the 20th century, public gardens attached to colleges and universities such as the Plantations became a popular trend, due to the beneficial effects they had on campus unity and recruitment of students, creating bonds with and outreach to the local community, and providing a basis for ongoing research as well as establishing a living museum.
The Plantations earned a relatively brief mention as a campus diversion in the 112-page Cornell Desk Book publication of 1972 aimed at incoming students. The Cornell Daily Sun
The Cornell Daily Sun
The Cornell Daily Sun is an independent daily newspaper published in Ithaca, New York by students at Cornell University. It is the oldest independent college daily in the United States....
listed it in 2010 as one of the natural wonders of the Cornell and Ithaca areas that students frequently went past, or lived near to, without noticing.
A 1973 New York Times survey of public arboreta listed the Plantations as one of the 17 best in the Eastern U.S. for educational value. The same paper characterized the Robison Herb Garden as "a student's living reference library" when it opened in 1974.
The 200-page volume The Cornell Plantations, written by Ralph S. Hosmer, was published by the university in 1947, shortly after the gardens were so named. A film Cornell Plantations was made during 1974–1975 and shown on PBS in Connecticut and elsewhere. In 1987, the Plantations released a VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
video entitled A Year in the Garden, which showed seasonal changes in the F. R. Newman Arboretum and along the trails. The New York Times called the effort "thin" and best suited for Cornell alumni. The university published the volume Cornell Plantations Path Guide: The Gardens, Gorges, Landscapes, and Lore of Cornell in 1995, and a 172-page second edition was published with a slightly altered title in 2002.
Working with the Newman's Own Foundation and the Center for Plant Conservation
Center for Plant Conservation
The Center for Plant Conservation is a national not-for-profit organization in the United States and Canada consisting of a network of 37 botanical institutions, with the mission to conserve and restore the rare native plants of the United States....
, the Plantations are trying to restore the regional population of the American globeflower (Trollius laxus). The Plantations are trying to use predatory beetles (Laricobius nigrinus) to control the spread of the hemlock wooly adelgid (HWA).
Events and visiting
The Plantations are open daily without charge from dawn to dusk. From the campus, one walks out Forest Home Drive past the College of Agriculture quadrangle; the nearest highway is New York State Route 366New York State Route 366
New York State Route 366 is an east–west state highway located entirely within Tompkins County in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. It runs for from State Street just east of downtown Ithaca to NY 38 in Freeville...
. Walk-up tours are offered twice a week. Adult volunteers also serve as stewards, tour guides and special event staff. Such docents
Museum docent
Museum docent is a title used in the United States for educators trained to further the public's understanding of the cultural and historical collections of the institution, including local and national museums, zoos, historical landmarks, and parks. In many cases, docents, in addition to their...
are challenged by the large variety of plants; one joked in 2010 that, "The ones I don’t know the name of, I call Species Nocluesem."
The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
has recommended Cornell Plantations as a place to visit several times, calling it "a satisfying experience" in 1965, one of the sights of Cornell in 1979, a destination along a bicycling tour in 1985, "another free diversion" in 1989, and "one last outing before leaving [Ithaca]" in 2002. The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
recommended the Plantations in 2000 as a "free to the public museum of living plants". In 2007, The Ithaca Journal
The Ithaca Journal
The Ithaca Journal is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper published in Ithaca, New York. It is locally edited and printed in Johnson City, New York and publishes Monday through Saturday. It has been owned by Gannett since 1912.-Daily newspaper:...
referred to it as "one of the area's gems" and three years later said it "combines the best of walking with the eye appeal of well tended gardens". The Buffalo News
The Buffalo News
The Buffalo News is the primary newspaper of the Buffalo – Niagara Falls metropolitan area, and the area's only daily newspaper. It is the only newspaper owned by Berkshire Hathaway.-History:...
portrayed the Plantations in 2010 as one of the places that made Cornell worth a vacation for non-students.
National Geographic
The American Automobile Association
American Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
's New York TourBook
TourBook
TourBook is the brand name of a series of United States travel guides published by the American Automobile Association . The books are published annually in editions that cover one to five states each . Editions covering Canadian provinces are also available, created in association with the...
lists the Plantations as one of five arboreta and sixty gardens in the state; it does not get the "GEM" rating that one of the arboreta and ten of the gardens receive. Fodor's
Fodor's
Fodor's is the world's largest publisher of English language travel and tourism information, and the first relatively professional producer of travel guidebooks...
travel book for New York State lists the Plantations as an ordinary entry and says the gardens have "interesting cold-weather colors and textures". The Moon Handbooks volume for the state also lists it as a regular entry, without much commentary, as does the Great Destinations series The Finger Lakes Book. The Fun with the Family Upstate New York volume groups it with several other sights as "a real bargain" to explore for free. Most enthusiastic is the Frommer's
Frommer's
Frommer's is a travel guidebook series and one of the bestselling travel guides in America. The series began in 1957 with the publication of Arthur Frommer's book, Europe on $5 a Day. Frommer's has expanded to include over 350 guidebooks across 14 series, as well as other media including the award...
travel guide for New York State, which rates the Plantations as a one-star ("highly recommended") sight, saying the Plantations is "a real find and well worth a visit for garden lovers or anyone seeking a bit of solace." The herb garden and knoll of rhododendrons come in for particular praise.
The Plantations provide a venue for a number of annual activities, including a "Fall In" festival, a celebration of Arbor Day and the Cornell Reunion 5 Mile Run. The Plantations is one of eight cultural and educational sites on the Ithaca Discovery Trail
Ithaca Discovery Trail
The Ithaca Discovery Trail is a collaboration among hands-on museums and the public library in Tompkins County, New York. Its member institutions are: Cayuga Nature Center, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell Plantations, Herbert F...
network.
The Friends of the Gorges is a Cornell student organization, supported by Cornell Plantations, that performs trail repair and maintenance and clean-ups.
See also
- List of botanical gardens in the United States
- North American Plant Collections ConsortiumNorth American Plant Collections ConsortiumThe North American Plant Collections Consortium is a group of North American botanical gardens and arboreta that aims to improve the continent's living plant collections, and enhance the availability of plant germplasm...