Lasdon Park and Arboretum
Encyclopedia
Lasdon Park and Arboretum (95 ha / 234 acres) is a public park containing gardens and an arboretum
(12 ha / 30 acres). It is located on New York State Route 35
, Somers, New York
, and open to the public daily without charge.
Originally called Cobbling Rock Farm, in 1939 the property was purchased by William and Mildred Lasdon in 1939. The Lasdon family had a keen interest in horticulture and imported many tree specimens to the estate. In 1986 Westchester County purchased the property.
The park contains woodlands, an open grass meadow, and formal gardens with flower and shrub specimens from all over the world. It also contains a Chinese Friendship Pavilion as gift from the People’s Republic of China to the citizens of Westchester.
In addition to the museum, there are four memorials to Westchester residents who served in the military: the Merchant Marine Memorial; the Trail of Honor, 12 stone cairns that display the busts of combat soldiers from the American Revolution through Operation Desert Storm; the Korean Wear Memorial; and the Westchester Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a sculpture of three seven-foot bronze statures that depict a soldier carrying a wounded comrade, with a nurse reaching out to assist them. Nearby, a flagpole is set on a base with inscriptions of Westchester County servicemen and eight women nurses killed in Vietnam.
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
(12 ha / 30 acres). It is located on New York State Route 35
New York State Route 35
New York State Route 35 is the principal east–west highway in the northern part of Westchester County, New York, carrying average daily volumes of around 16,500 vehicles...
, Somers, New York
Somers, New York
Somers is a town located in northeastern Westchester County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 20,434...
, and open to the public daily without charge.
Originally called Cobbling Rock Farm, in 1939 the property was purchased by William and Mildred Lasdon in 1939. The Lasdon family had a keen interest in horticulture and imported many tree specimens to the estate. In 1986 Westchester County purchased the property.
The park contains woodlands, an open grass meadow, and formal gardens with flower and shrub specimens from all over the world. It also contains a Chinese Friendship Pavilion as gift from the People’s Republic of China to the citizens of Westchester.
- Arboretum (12 ha / 30 acres) - The arboretum consists of woodlands, open grass meadows and formal gardens featuring trees, shrubs, and flowers from around the world. The arboretum includes extensive lilacLilacSyringa is a genus of about 20–25 species of flowering woody plants in the olive family , native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and widely and commonly cultivated in temperate areas elsewhere....
and 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:...
collections, a large 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...
garden, a yellow magnoliaMagnoliaMagnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
grove, and a flowering tree grove. Surrounding the arboretum is a pond and 200 acre (0.809372 km²) of woodlands that contain many specimen trees and plantings.
- Azalea Garden - a large garden with hundreds of red, white, pink, magenta, yellow, and lavender 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, with small ponds and waterfalls.
- Dwarf Conifer Collection - a variety of dwarf 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:...
, 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...
, 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...
, and cypressChamaecyparisChamaecyparis is a genus of conifers in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to eastern Asia and western and eastern North America. In the nursery trade it is often incorrectly known as "false cypress" for lack of other common name, so as to distinguish it from other similar genera bearing...
.
- Magnolias - various magnoliaMagnoliaMagnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....
species, including several rare yellow specimens developed at the Brooklyn Botanic GardenBrooklyn Botanic GardenBrooklyn Botanic Garden is a botanical garden in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. Located near the Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, and Park Slope neighborhoods, the garden includes a number of specialty "gardens within the Garden," plant collections, and the Steinhardt Conservatory,...
in the 1950s.
- Famous and Historic Tree Trail - species that commemorate historic events and famous Americans. At each station, one can read about a famous person or event to which the parent tree was witness.
- William and Mildred Lasdon Memorial Garden (0.4 ha / 1 acre) - an entrance court with a fragrance garden; a formal garden with boxwoodBuxusBuxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood ....
hedges, heatherCallunaCalluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
, flowering annuals and bulbs, and a central fountain; and a synoptic garden featuring hundreds of shrubs whose names represent every letter in the alphabet, from "A" (AbeliaAbeliaAbelia is a genus of about 15-30 species and many hybrids in the honeysuckle family Caprifoliaceae Some authors, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, considers Abelia and related genera to belong instead in the segregate family Linnaeaceae, also including such genera as Linnaea, Abelia,...
) through "Z" (ZenobiaZenobiaZenobia was a 3rd-century Queen of the Palmyrene Empire in Roman Syria. She led a famous revolt against the Roman Empire. The second wife of King Septimius Odaenathus, Zenobia became queen of the Palmyrene Empire following Odaenathus' death in 267...
).
- Mildred D. Ladon Bird and Nature Sanctuary (22 acres)
- Chinese Friendship Pavilion and Cultural Garden (1.6 ha / 4 acres) - a pavilion given by Westchester's Sister City, JingzhouJingzhouJingzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. The city is located on the banks of the Yangtze River.Its population is 5,691,707 at the 2010 census whom 1,154,086 in the built up area made of 3 urban districts.-Geography:Jingzhou occupies an area of...
in the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, within a young Chinese-style garden with plantings including bambooBambooBamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
and Kousa 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...
, pond, and a stone dust pathway.
- American chestnuts (1.2 ha / 3 acres) - Since 1992 when a 3 acres (12,140.6 m²) grove of rare American chestnutAmerican ChestnutThe American Chestnut is a large, deciduous tree of the beech family native to eastern North America. Before the species was devastated by the chestnut blight, a fungal disease, it was one of the most important forest trees throughout its range...
trees was discovered at the arboretum, Westchester County has been working with The American Chestnut FoundationThe American Chestnut FoundationThe American Chestnut Foundation is a nonprofit American organization dedicated to breeding a blight-resistant American chestnut tree and the reintroduction of this tree to the forests of the Eastern United States....
to develop a disease-resistant form of this tree. An additional 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) collects chestnuts from around the United States for use in ongoing genetic research.
- Dogwoods - more than 80 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...
trees from around the world, part of a research project to combat dogwood diseases.
Westchester County Veterans Museum & Memorials
Lasdon Park also features the Westchester County Veterans Museum, with exhibits of photographs, historical documents, artifacts and memorabilia about Westchester County residents who served in the United States armed forces in time of war, from the Revolutionary War to the present. There is no admission charge to the museum.In addition to the museum, there are four memorials to Westchester residents who served in the military: the Merchant Marine Memorial; the Trail of Honor, 12 stone cairns that display the busts of combat soldiers from the American Revolution through Operation Desert Storm; the Korean Wear Memorial; and the Westchester Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a sculpture of three seven-foot bronze statures that depict a soldier carrying a wounded comrade, with a nurse reaching out to assist them. Nearby, a flagpole is set on a base with inscriptions of Westchester County servicemen and eight women nurses killed in Vietnam.