Matthaei Botanical Gardens
Encyclopedia
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s, 121 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s) are botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
s with a conservatory
Conservatory (greenhouse)
A conservatory is a room having glass roof and walls, typically attached to a house on only one side, used as a greenhouse or a sunroom...
operated by the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. They are located at 1800 North Dixboro Road in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
. The grounds are open daily without charge while the conservatory requires an admission fee.
The Conservatory, Garden Store, and Lobby are open 7 days a week: Mon., Tues., and Thurs. - Sun., 10:00 am-4:30 pm; Wednesdays 10 am-8 pm.
The Botanical Gardens includes outdoor display gardens, the Gaffield Children's Garden, a 10,000+ square-foot conservatory, and natural areas with walking trails. The gardens are named after former Michigan regent
Board of Regents of the University of Michigan
The Board of Regents of the University of Michigan is the legal corporation that controls the University of Michigan, comprising the campuses at Ann Arbor, Flint, and Dearborn. The Board of Regents was created by the Organic Act of March 18, 1837 that established the modern University of Michigan...
Frederick C. Matthaei, Sr. and his wife Mildred, who donated 200 acre (0.809372 km²) of land.
Matthaei Botanical Gardens offers activities and resources for all visitors, from families to gardening enthusiasts to hikers, birders, scientists, volunteers, and to University of Michigan faculty, staff, and students. The Gardens is dedicated to environmental stewardship and to enriching the understanding and enjoyment of the natural world through research, creative works, public outreach, and educational programs and workshops for adults and children.
Gardens and hardy collections
The gardens and hardy collections consist of several formal displays and outdoor plantings:- Alexandra Hicks Herb Knot Garden - modern version of a Tudor periodTudor periodThe Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII...
garden, with hedges of yewTaxusTaxus is a genus of yews, small coniferous trees or shrubs in the yew family Taxaceae. They are relatively slow-growing and can be very long-lived, and reach heights of 1-40 m, with trunk diameters of up to 4 m...
(TaxusTaxusTaxus is a genus of yews, small coniferous trees or shrubs in the yew family Taxaceae. They are relatively slow-growing and can be very long-lived, and reach heights of 1-40 m, with trunk diameters of up to 4 m...
x media ‘Hicksii’) and boxwood (BuxusBuxusBuxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood ....
sempervirens ‘Green Gem’), as well as lavender (Lavandula angustifoliaLavandula angustifoliaLavandula angustifolia Lavandula angustifolia Lavandula angustifolia (also Lavandula spica or Lavandula vera; common lavender, true lavender, narrow-leaved lavender or English lavender (though not native to England); formerly L...
‘Hidcote’), creeping thyme (ThymusThymusThe thymus is a specialized organ of the immune system. The thymus produces and "educates" T-lymphocytes , which are critical cells of the adaptive immune system....
serpyllum), and winter savory (Satureja montana). The Herb Knot Garden honors "Sandy" Hicks (1934-1991) for her interest in herb and culinary gardening and healing plants and for her enthusiasm in sharing these interests with others. - Demonstration Prairie - a restored prairiePrairiePrairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
, restoration beginning in 1967, on previously agrigultural land. - Demonstration Prairie - a place for exploration and fun in a natural setting specially designed from a kids'-eye view. The garden includes several play areas and interactive stations.
- Gaffield Children's Garden - a place for exploration and fun in a natural setting specially designed from a child's perspective. The garden features several play areas and interactive stations.
- Gateway Garden of New World Plants - ornamental plants native to the Americas, including coreopsis, cosmoCosmoCosmo may refer to:*Cosmo , a surnameCosmo may also refer to:-Anime:* Cosmo Police Justy, 1985 Japanese anime* Cosmo Ranger, alternate name of the 1982-1983 Japanese anime Baxinger...
s, marigoldTagetesTagetes is a genus of 56 species of annual and perennial mostly herbaceous plants in the sunflower family . The genus is native to North and South America, but some species have become naturalized around the world. One species, T...
s, ornamental pepperCapsicumCapsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Its species are native to the Americas where they have been cultivated for thousands of years, but they are now also cultivated worldwide, used as spices, vegetables, and medicines - and have become are a key element in...
s, petuniaPetuniaPetunia is a widely cultivated genus of flowering plants of South American origin, closely related with tobacco, cape gooseberries, tomatoes, deadly nightshades, potatoes and chili peppers; in the family Solanaceae. The popular flower derived its name from French, which took the word petun, meaning...
s, phloxPhloxPhlox is a genus of 67 species of perennial and annual plants found mostly in North America in diverse habitats from alpine tundra to open woodland and prairie. Some flower in spring, others in summer and autumn....
, 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...
s, tropical salviaSalviaSalvia is the largest genus of plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, with approximately 700-900 species of shrubs, herbaceous perennials, and annuals. It is one of several genera commonly referred to as sage. When used without modifiers, sage generally refers to Salvia officinalis ; however, it is...
s, and verbenaVerbenaVerbena , verbenas or vervains, is a genus in the family Verbenaceae. It contains about 250 species of annual and perennial herbaceous or semi-woody flowering plants. The majority of the species are native to the New World from Canada south to southern Chile, but some are also native in the Old...
s. - Helen V. Smith Woodland Wildflower Garden - more than 100 native species of 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, woody plants, and 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 of the southern Great Lakes Region. - Labyrinth - located in a quiet setting, the labyrinth provides the opportunity for walking meditation, contemplation, and tranquility
- Marie Azary Rock Garden - a rock gardenRock GardenThe Rock Garden or Rock Garden of Chandigarh is a Sculpture garden in Chandigarh, India, also known as Nek Chand's Rock Garden after its founder Nek Chand, a government official who started the garden secretly in his spare time in 1957. Today it is spread over an area of forty-acres , it is...
. - Matteson Farmstead and Historic Barns - the Matteson farmhouse dates to the 1860s. The smaller barn was built circa 1845-1865, while the larger, gambrel-roofed barn is circa 1875-1900. The farmstead and barns are curretnly closed to the public (August 2011).
- Norman Memorial Garden - The Norman Memorial Grove is a popular gathering place near the west entrance to the Sue Reichert Discovery Trail. The Grove has been expanded with new plantings of native oak, maple, hickory, and sassafras.
- Perennial Garden - Spring and summer bloom and a popular wedding spot.
- Sam Graham Trees - A special collection of major trees native to the state of Michigan.
- Transitions - entryway to trails and wetlands.
- Urban Pocket Garden - European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), eastern white pines (Pinus strobus), and Kentucky coffeetree (GymnocladusGymnocladusGymnocladus is a small genus of leguminous trees.There are three species:*Gymnocladus burmanicus*Gymnocladus chinensis - soap tree...
dioicus).
Conservatory
The 10,000+ square-foot conservatory was designed by architect Alden Dow, and completed in 1964. It is believed to be the largest university-operated display greenhouse in the United States. The conservatory contains three distinct areas:- Tropical house - Collections include AnanasAnanasThe genus Ananas belongs to the Bromeliad family . It is best known for the species Ananas comosus, the pineapple.This genus originated in Mesoamerica and was brought to the Caribbean Islands by the Carib natives...
comosus, AnnonaAnnonaAnnona is a genus of flowering plants in the pawpaw/sugar apple family, Annonaceae. It is the second largest genus in the family after Guatteria, containing approximately 110 species of mostly neotropical and afrotropical trees and shrubs....
muricata, bromeliads, CaryotaCaryotaCaryota is a genus of palm trees. They are often known as fishtail palms because of the shape of their leaves. There are about 13 species native to Asia and the South Pacific. One of the more widely known species is Caryota urens, which yields sap used to make an unrefined sugar called jaggery, and...
mitis, Cocos nucifera, CoffeaCoffeaCoffea is a genus of flowering plants in the Rubiaceae family. They are shrubs or small trees native to tropical and southern Africa and tropical Asia. Seeds of several species are the source of the popular beverage coffee. Coffee ranks as one of the world's most valuable and widely traded...
arabica, cycads (including a DioonDioonDioon is a genus of cycads in the family Zamiaceae. It contains 11 accepted species that are native to Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Their habitats include tropical forests, pine-oak forest, and dry hillsides, canyons and coastal dunes....
spinulosum given by Smith College in the 1920s), HeliconiaHeliconiaHeliconia, derived from the Greek word helikonios, is a genus of about 100 to 200 species of flowering plants native to the tropical Americas and the Pacific Ocean islands west to Indonesia. Many species of Heliconia are found in rainforests or tropical wet forests of these regions...
vellerigera, KigeliaKigeliaKigelia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae. The genus comprises only one species, Kigelia africana, which occurs throughout tropical Africa from Eritrea and Chad south to northern South Africa, and west to Senegal and Namibia.-Etymology:The genus name comes from the...
pinnata, MusaMušaMūša is a river in Northern Lithuania and Southern Latvia , having its confluence with river Nemunėlis , in Latvia, near city Bauska. Mūša is a tributary of the river Lielupė. Mūša is 164 kilometres long....
, orchids, OryzaOryzaOryza is a genus of seven to twenty species of grasses in the tribe Oryzeae, within the subfamily Bambusoideae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Northern Australia and Africa...
sativa, PiperPiper (genus)Piper, the pepper plants or pepper vines , are an economically and ecologically important genus in the family Piperaceae...
nigrum, RhizophoraRhizophoraRhizophora is a genus of tropical mangrove trees, sometimes collectively called true mangroves. The most notable species is the Red Mangrove but some other species and a few natural hybrids are known. Rhizophora species generally live in intertidal zones which are indundated daily by the ocean...
mangle, and TheobromaTheobromaTheobroma is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that is sometimes classified as a member of Sterculiaceae. It contains roughly 20 species of small understory trees native to the tropical forests of Central and South America...
cacao.
- Temperate house - representing the Mediterranean region and warm-temperate AsiaAsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Collections include bonsaiBonsaiis a Japanese art form using miniature trees grown in containers. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ...
displays (more than 40 specimens) and an Oriental camelliaCamelliaCamellia, the camellias, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalaya east to Korea and Indonesia. There are 100–250 described species, with some controversy over the exact number...
display, as well as CamelliaCamelliaCamellia, the camellias, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalaya east to Korea and Indonesia. There are 100–250 described species, with some controversy over the exact number...
sinensis, CeratoniaCeratoniaCeratonia is genus of flowering trees in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to the Mediterranean region. It belongs to the subfamily Caesalpinioideae, tribe Caesalpinieae.An obsolete name for Ceratonia was Acalis....
siliqua, CyperusCyperusCyperus is a large genus of about 600 species of sedges, distributed throughout all continents in both tropical and temperate regions. They are annual or perennial plants, mostly aquatic and growing in still or slow-moving water up to 0.5 m deep. The species vary greatly in size, with small species...
papyrus, FicusFicusFicus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
carica, GossypiumGossypiumGossypium is the cotton genus. It belongs to the tribe Gossypieae, in the mallow family, Malvaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions from both the Old and New World. The genus Gossypium comprises around 50 species , making it the largest in species number in the tribe Gosssypioieae....
arboreum, LaurusLaurus-Overview:Laurus is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the Laurel family, Lauraceae. The genus includes three species, whose diagnostic key characters often overlap ....
nobilis, OleaOleaOlea is a genus of about 40 species in the family Oleaceae, native to warm temperate and tropical regions of southern Europe, Africa, southern Asia and Australasia. They are evergreen trees and shrubs, with small, opposite, entire leaves...
europaea, PhoenixPhoenix (plant)Phoenix is a genus of 14 species of palms, native from the Canary Islands east across northern and central Africa, the extreme southeast of Europe , and southern Asia from Turkey east to southern China and Malaysia. The diverse habitats they occupy include swamps, deserts, and mangrove sea coasts...
dactylifera, PhyllostachysPhyllostachysPhyllostachys is a genus of bamboo. The species are native to Asia with a large number of species found in Central China, but can now be found in many temperate and semi-tropical areas around the world as cultivated plants or escapes from cultivation...
nigra, and Quercus suber.
- Arid house - representing hot deserts of the world. Collections include cactusCactusA cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
, succulents, euphorbia, and lithopsLithopsLithops is a genus of succulent plants in the ice plant family, Aizoaceae. Members of the genus are native to southern Africa. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek words λίθος , meaning "stone," and ὄψ , meaning "face," referring to the stone-like appearance of the plants...
, as well as 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....
americana, AloeAloeAloe , also Aloë, is a genus containing about 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera, or "true aloe"....
marlothii, BowieaBowieaBowiea is a bulbous genus of perennial, succulent plants which thrive in dry and desert regions of South Africa and America. The plants have many overlapping scales, which form a tight, pale green, spherical bulb that grows to 8 in above the soil, sending up a twining fresh-green branched stem...
volubilis, CyphostemmaCyphostemmaCyphostemma is a flowering plant genus belonging to the family Vitaceae. These species are caudiciform and used to belong to the genus Cissus...
juttae, and Euphorbia milii.
- Bonsai Collection - three bonsai trees or plants are always on display in the temperate house of the Conservatory. Plans are underway for a bonsai display garden and studio just outside the Conservatory, where the Botanical Gardens will be able to make available to the public more of its bonsai collection. To see more, go to http://bonsai.mbgna.umich.edu/welcome.htm
Natural areas and Trails
The natural areas include mature woodlands, wetlands, several ponds, and a constructed tall grass prairie, with four nature trails.- Dix Pond Trail - Nature reclaims old pastures, planted woodlots, and long-abandoned gravel pits.
- Fleming Creek Trail - Abundant habitat diversity along with smaller wildlife that can be seen and sometimes heard along the way.
- Marilyn Bland Prairie - a rich span of wildlife lives in the prairie, old fields, oak openings, and wetlands that are close to the historic Matteson farm and barns.
- Sam Graham Trees Trail - Find Michigan's important trees arrayed in wetland to upland woods and into savanna habitats along this trail..
- Sue Reichert Discovery Trail - Child-oriented signs and lots of activities make this a trail for kids of all ages. Discover animal tracks or explore a willow lodge.
See also
- Nichols ArboretumNichols ArboretumNichols Arboretum is an arboretum operated by the University of Michigan located on the eastern edge of its Central Campus at 1610 Washington Heights in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Huron River forms the northern border of the arboretum. The arboretum is open daily from sunrise to sunset with no...
- List of botanical gardens in the United States
- Tourism in metropolitan DetroitTourism in metropolitan DetroitTourism in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan is a significant factor for the region's culture and for its economy, comprising nine percent of the area's two million jobs. About 15.9 million people visit Metro Detroit annually, spending an estimated $4.8 billion. Detroit is one of the largest American...