University of Rochester Arboretum
Encyclopedia
The University of Rochester Arboretum is an arboretum
located across the River Campus of the University of Rochester
, 612 Wilson Boulevard, Rochester, New York
, USA.
The River Campus is located beside the Genesee River
on a site previously owned by the Oak Hill Country Club
. Famed landscape architect
Frederick Law Olmsted
, Sr. had designed a "River Walk" of oak
trees along the river; and after the university purchased the site in 1923, his son Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.
served as landscape designer and consultant to the campus architects. In 1999 certain areas of the campus were designated as the arboretum.
The River Walk was recently sold to the City of Rochester as public parkland along the river corridor. In a 1 km (¾ mile) area between Elmwood Avenue and Intercampus Drive are 197 oak trees representing 15 species
. Trees in the arboretum proper currently include: American Beech (Fagus grandifolia
), Amur corktree (Phellodendron amurense
), Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum
), Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica), Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides
), Goldenraintree (Koelreuteria paniculata
), Hally Jolivette cherry (Prunus
'Hally Jolivette'), Japanese Pagoda Tree (Styphnolobium japonicum
), Japanese Zelkova (Zelkova serrata
), Katsura Tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum
), Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus), Kanzan cherry (Prunus serrulata
'Kanzan'), Late Lilac (Syringa villosa), Miyabe's Maple (Acer miyabei
), Osage-orange (Maclura pomifera
), Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum), Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra), Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea), Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra), Shadblow serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis
), Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) and Tulip-tree (Liriodendron tulipifera
).
Although not located on the River Campus, the university grounds also contain two state champion trees, a weeping willow
and a Ponderosa Pine
. They are the largest known examples in the New York
state.
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...
located across the River Campus of the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
, 612 Wilson Boulevard, Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, USA.
The River Campus is located beside the Genesee River
Genesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
on a site previously owned by the Oak Hill Country Club
Oak Hill Country Club
Oak Hill Country Club, located in the Town of Pittsford, New York, a suburb of Rochester, has a rich history of golf. It started out in 1901 as only 9 holes on 85 acres on the banks of the Genesee River in Rochester. The clubhouse was no more than a converted farm house...
. Famed landscape architect
Landscape architect
A landscape architect is a person involved in the planning, design and sometimes direction of a landscape, garden, or distinct space. The professional practice is known as landscape architecture....
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
, Sr. had designed a "River Walk" of oak
Oak
An 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...
trees along the river; and after the university purchased the site in 1923, his son Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.
Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.
Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. was an American landscape architect best known for his wildlife conservation efforts. He had a lifetime commitment to national parks, and worked on projects in Acadia, the Everglades and Yosemite National Park. Olmsted Point in Yosemite and Olmsted Island at Great Falls...
served as landscape designer and consultant to the campus architects. In 1999 certain areas of the campus were designated as the arboretum.
The River Walk was recently sold to the City of Rochester as public parkland along the river corridor. In a 1 km (¾ mile) area between Elmwood Avenue and Intercampus Drive are 197 oak trees representing 15 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. Trees in the arboretum proper currently include: American Beech (Fagus grandifolia
American Beech
Fagus grandifolia, also known as American Beech or North american beech, is a species of beech native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario in southeastern Canada, west to Wisconsin and south to eastern Texas and northern Florida in the United States. Trees in the...
), Amur corktree (Phellodendron amurense
Phellodendron amurense
Phellodendron amurense Rupr. is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae, commonly called the Amur cork tree. It is a major source of huáng bò , one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine...
), Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum
Taxodium distichum
Taxodium distichum is a species of conifer native to the southeastern United States.-Characteristics:...
), Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica), Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Metasequoia
Metasequoia is a fast-growing, deciduous tree, and the sole living species, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, is one of three species of conifers known as redwoods. It is native to the Sichuan-Hubei region of China. Although the least tall of the redwoods, it grows to at least 200 feet in height...
), Goldenraintree (Koelreuteria paniculata
Koelreuteria paniculata
Koelreuteria paniculata, with the common name Goldenrain tree, is a species of Koelreuteria native to eastern Asia, in China and Korea...
), Hally Jolivette cherry (Prunus
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. There are around 430 species spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe. Many members of the genus are widely cultivated for fruit and ornament.-Botany:Members of the genus...
'Hally Jolivette'), Japanese Pagoda Tree (Styphnolobium japonicum
Styphnolobium
Styphnolobium is a small genus of three or four species of small trees and shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, formerly included within a broader interpretation of the genus Sophora. The species of Styphnolobium differ from Sophora in lacking the ability to form symbioses...
), Japanese Zelkova (Zelkova serrata
Zelkova serrata
Zelkova serrata is a species of Zelkova native to Japan, Korea, eastern China, and Taiwan. It is often grown as an ornamental tree, and used in bonsai.-Description:...
), Katsura Tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Cercidiphyllum japonicum, known as the Japanese Judas-tree, is a species of flowering tree in the Cercidiphyllaceae family that commonly goes by the name Katsura tree. It is native to China and Japan. The tree is deciduous and grows to 40 to 60 feet. Its leaves are round. The tree flowers in March...
), Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus), Kanzan cherry (Prunus serrulata
Prunus serrulata
Prunus serrulata or Japanese Cherry; also called Hill Cherry, Oriental Cherry or East Asian Cherry, is a species of cherry native to Japan, Korea and China. It is known for its spring cherry blossom displays and festivals....
'Kanzan'), Late Lilac (Syringa villosa), Miyabe's Maple (Acer miyabei
Acer miyabei
Acer miyabei is a species of maple native to Japan, where it occurs in Hokkaidō and the Tōhoku region in northern Honshū....
), Osage-orange (Maclura pomifera
Maclura
Maclura is a genus of flowering plants in the mulberry family, Moraceae. It includes the inedible Osage-orange, which is used as mosquito repellent and grown throughout the United States as a hedging plant.- Species :* Maclura africana...
), Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum), Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra), Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea), Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra), Shadblow serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis
Amelanchier canadensis
Amelanchier canadensis is a species of Amelanchier native to eastern North America in Canada from Newfoundland west to southern Ontario, and in the United...
), Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) and Tulip-tree (Liriodendron tulipifera
Liriodendron tulipifera
Liriodendron tulipifera, commonly known as the tulip tree, American tulip tree, tuliptree, tulip poplar or yellow poplar, is the Western Hemisphere representative of the two-species genus Liriodendron, and the tallest eastern hardwood...
).
Although not located on the River Campus, the university grounds also contain two state champion trees, a weeping willow
Willow
Willows, 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...
and a Ponderosa Pine
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...
. They are the largest known examples in the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state.