Two Longtime Morris Staff Members Retire The John J. Willaman Director of Plant Science Dr. Timothy A. Block and Jason Lubar, associate director of Urban Forestry, have retired after serving for decades at Morris Arboretum & Gardens.   The John J. Willaman Director of Plant Science Dr. Timothy A. Block and Jason Lubar, associate director of Urban Forestry, have retired after serving for decades at Morris Arboretum & Gardens.  Dr. Block was hired at the Morris as a post-doctoral candidate to help write the first edition of The Plants of Pennsylvania: An Illustrated Manual, along with botanist Dr. Ann Fowler Rhoads. He is a co-founder with Rhoads of the Pennsylvania Flora Project of Morris Arboretum. He became director of botany in 2002.  Block’s interest in plants was cultivated as a child growing up in Ohio.  Image Dr. Timothy Block “I didn’t know what everything was that I was looking at, but there was sort of a magic to being out in the woods and communing with nature,” he said.  At the Morris, Block focused on floristic botany, the study and the science of how vegetation and species are distributed across landscapes and through time. He also taught field botany and other classes at the University of Pennsylvania.  “I love teaching,” he said. “I always have. It’s the most rewarding piece of my career. I think I’ve touched a lot of people’s lives in a positive way.”  Block said there are botanical projects he will continue to work on because he likes to do them. He’s learning more about the slender rock-brake ( Crytogramma stelleri ) and he’ll continue the vegetation inventory and plant community mapping of Nescopeck State Park in Luzerne County, PA.  “I’ve been really fortunate to be able to get paid to do something that I would have happily done for free,” he said. “I'm not retiring so that I don't have to be a botanist anymore. It’s not a job. It’s what my life has become. And I wouldn't have it any other way.”                                                    …

Certificate in Ecological Horticulture Certificate in Ecological Horticulture Image Image     A Systems Approach to Sustainable Land Stewardship    We are thrilled to announce the launch of a new learning opportunity: The Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture will offer the opportunity to gain proficiency in creating and maintaining landscapes that are grounded in ecological principles and practice. Geared towards avid home gardeners and landscape professionals looking to develop a deep understanding of sustainable landscape design and management, this classroom and field-based program is a series of 12 courses that are open to the public. The program is self-paced and can be completed in one year of intensive learning or up to several years at a slower pace. The first four courses in the series will be offered in the fall of 2025.   What makes this Certificate Program unique?  The Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture is unique in our ecological systems-based approach to landscape design and maintenance. Our program approaches each garden as a complex living system, where plants, soil, water, animals, climate, human activity, and other elements interact with and influence each other. In hands-on and classroom instruction, our program teaches design and stewardship strategies that address these relationships holistically rather than focusing on individual components in isolation.  The program will focus on our region here in Southeast Pennsylvania. Drawing from our deep expertise in this region’s ecology, all instruction will speak to our local ecosystems. Here at the Morris we have a long history in the native plants of Pennsylvania — we have literally written THE book on this topic! Instructors in the Certificate Program will include Morris staff members as well as other local professionals that are regionally and nationally acclaimed in ecological horticulture.   What will I gain in completing this …

Collection Connection Collection Connection Image Collection Connection Search our Collection Connection to learn more about plants and garden features of interest to you and where you can find them at the Morris. You can also view a map to help identify what is nearby. Plant Collection More than 11,000 accessioned plants of over 2,500 taxa are growing in the Morris’s living collection. These include representatives of the temperate floras of North America, Asia, and Europe. This historic collection traces its foundation to John Morris’s interest in plants from around the world and includes plants collected in China by E.H. Wilson at the turn of the century. Many of the Delaware Valley’s "trees-of-record" (the largest of their kind) are found in the Morris. Most notable are the katsura and the trident maple.  Image Staff members have regularly engaged in plant collecting expeditions in Asia and the United States, increasing the different kinds of plants available for today’s urban and community landscapes. Currently, plants from 30 countries are represented in the collection with a primary focus on Asian temperate species. Significant plant groups in the Morris’s collection include maples, magnolia species, native azaleas, members of the witchhazel family, roses, hollies, and conifers.  Help Protect Our Trees  Please note, visitors are not allowed to climb or sit on the limbs of trees . The Morris is home to a number of  champion trees , some of which are very old. With 150,000 visitors annually, climbing becomes a safety issue for both children and the trees. We don’t want any visitors or trees to break a limb. Thank you!  Seasonal Plants  With the range of our collections, there is seasonal interest throughout the year, for all levels of gardeners. Look for the following plants throughout the year:  Image December through February  Paperbark maple, stewartia, kousa dogwoods, hollies, and rare and unusual conifers of all shapes, sizes and colors.  March through …

What's in Our Flower Pots What's in Our Flower Pots Image Image   Curious about what's growing in our containers this season? Learn more by downloading the  Seasonal Container Plants List → … What's in Our Flower Pots …

NEW! Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture The program is geared toward avid home gardeners and landscape professionals looking to develop a deep understanding of sustainable landscape design and management. We are thrilled to announce the launch of a new learning opportunity here at the Morris: The Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture will offer the opportunity to gain proficiency in creating and maintaining landscapes that are grounded in ecological principles and practice. Geared toward avid home gardeners and landscape professionals looking to develop a deep understanding of sustainable landscape design and management, this classroom and field-based program is a series of 12 courses that are open to the public. The program is self-paced and can be completed in one year of intensive learning or up to several years at a slower pace. The first four courses in the series will be offered in fall 2025.       Image The Plants of Pennsylvania by Ann Fowler Rhoads and Timothy Block. What makes this certificate program unique?    The Morris Arboretum & Gardens’ Certificate in Ecological Horticulture is unique in our ecological systems-based approach to landscape design and maintenance. Our program approaches each garden as a complex living system, where plants, soil, water, animals, climate, human activity, and other elements interact with and influence each other. In hands-on and classroom instruction, our program teaches design and stewardship strategies that address these relationships holistically rather than focusing on individual components in isolation.   The program will focus on our region here in Southeast Pennsylvania. Drawing from our deep expertise in this region’s ecology, all instruction will speak to our local ecosystems. Here at the Morris we have a long history in the native plants of Pennsylvania—we have literally written THE book on this topic! Instructors in the certificate program will …

Travel Abroad Travel Abroad Image Upcoming Trips Travel abroad with the Morris Arboretum & Gardens! Image Gardens, Wine, & Wilderness: A Tour of New Zealand January 10 – 28, 2026 Take the trip of a lifetime by traveling to New Zealand with friends from the Morris Arboretum & Gardens. Leave winter behind and head to the Southern Hemisphere for long summer days to experience stunning gardens and some of nature’s most spectacular scenery. For 30 years, local landscape architect Richard Lyon of Garden Adventures, LLC has been leading groups to experience his native New Zealand. Highlights of the trip include more than ten private garden visits, Auckland Botanical Gardens, Mount Cook, Doubtful Sound, and Mount Aspiring National Park, as well as opportunities to enjoy locally produced world-famous sauvignon blanc and pinot noir. Due to its popularity and reputation as an exceptional experience, this is the tenth time Morris is partnering with Garden Adventures. See Brochure Past Trips Image Lake Takepo, New Zealand, 2024. Image Dart River Tour, Queenstown, New Zealand, 2024. Image Government House, Wellington, New Zealand, 2024. Image Hooker Valley Track with Mt. Cook in the distance, New Zealand, 2024. Image Fisherman’s Bay, Long Bay, New Zealand, 2024. Image Fisherman’s Bay, Long Bay, New Zealand, 2024. Image Mt. Cook, New Zealand, 2024.  Image Travelers dining at Mincher, Auckland, New Zealand, 2024. Image Cook Strait, New Zealand, 2024.  Image Giant’s House, Akaroa, New Zealand, 2024.  Image Welton House, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2024.  1 / PREV NEXT … Travel …