Maps Maps Image Collections: Maps Maps of Compton Map of Compton 1909  with Overlay of Current Arboretum Features Map of Compton 1909  without Overlay of the Current Arboretum Features Map of Compton 1914  with Overlay of Current Arboretum (includes English Park) Image Soil Map of the Arboretum  - 2004.1.912LS Image Land Acquisition Title Search Image Land Acquisition Map  of Compton 1887 - 1912 … Maps …

About the Archives About the Archives Image The Archives serves the Arboretum education, development, horticulture, and marketing staff, and is also open to qualified researchers by appointment. It is staffed by an archivist and a team of dedicated volunteers. Scope The Morris Arboretum Archives was established in 1987 to acquire, conserve, and catalog one-of-a-kind documents, letters, maps, architectural blueprints, landscape drawings, financial ledgers, diaries, lantern slides, photos, and negatives. Historic books, newspapers, research material, reports, and artifacts are also cataloged at the Arboretum. The archives collection includes roughly 100 cubic feet of paper archives and manuscripts, 12,000 images, including photographs, drawings, prints, lantern slides and other visual materials and 10 cubic feet of memorabilia and other objects. After 1932, the botanic gardens owned by Penn became known as the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania. Since 1932, architectural blueprints, landscape drawings, lantern slides, negatives and photographs by the botanists and visitors at the gardens are housed here. Numerous papers about that period and about the staff, the plants, and the garden features are also in the Archives. Visiting the Archives Hours are by appointment. To arrange a visit, email  leslm@upenn.edu . Additional Information for Researchers or History Buffs The Morris Family of Philadelphia, Descendants of Anthony Morris, by Robert C. Moon, MD, Five volumes, 1898.  Learn more » A geneaology of the ancestors and cousins of John Thompson Morris and Lydia Thompson Morris may be found online.  Learn More » Finding aids for five of our collections are found on the Philadelphia Area Special Collections and Libraries (PACSCL) website as a result of a grant to the Hidden Collections Initiative/Small project at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania from the Mellon Foundation..  Learn More » The John T. Morris Travel Albums 1881-1906 are at the Hagley …

Wedding Vendors Wedding Vendors Image Approved Caterers Image Photo: Sharyn Frenkel Choose from a list of approved caterers that offer you a broad range of menu options, styles, and pricing. We have carefully pre-screened our caterers to assure that they are thoroughly familiar with the Arboretum's facilities and policies, while offering you the highest quality of support and service.  The preferred caterers can be contacted below: Catering by Brunos 267-240-5624 Feast Your Eyes Catering 215-634-3002 Joshua's Catering 215-224-1800 Power Events 267-254-9810 Seedling & Sage 215-885-2037 Tent Ceiling Décor If you are interested in decorating the ceiling of the reception tent, you will be required to work with our exclusive vendor: Image Wild Stems Wild Stems is a Philadelphia-based floral design studio that specializes in weddings and other large events. They create fantastical installations and offer several innovative tent options featuring floating linen fabrics, string lights and/or florals and greenery in a variety of styles. For more information contact: Wild Stems   tentdecor@wildstems.com   267-231-3487 Vendors  Any photographer, florist, band, DJ, or officiant is welcome to service your event and don’t require Arboretum approval. However, all vendors will be required to follow all Garden policies and procedures, with respect to load-in and load-out and garden code of conduct. For a list of our favorite vendors contact the Rentals Team directly.    … Wedding …

Thinking Ahead of Climate Change While the warmer winters in Philadelphia may not be normal in 2023, it could be normalized sooner than we think, and the Arboretum has been actively thinking ahead of climate change for over a decade.  If you've been outside recently, you've most likely noticed that early spring blooms are popping up much earlier than usual. Daffodils, red buds, and even cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom with this year's warm winter weather. Last week, Billy Penn at WHYY published the piece, " Flowers and trees are blooming super early in Philly after a warmer-than-usual winter ," featuring Vince Marrocco, Director of Horticulture at the Morris Arboretum. “It’s normal February activity — if you live in South Carolina,” says Vince in the piece.  Image A newly planted Compton oak. Credit: Bill Cullina,  F. Otto Haas Executive Director While the warmer winters in Philadelphia may not be normal in 2023, it could be normalized sooner than we think, and the Arboretum has been actively thinking ahead of climate change for over a decade.  Just this week we planted a Compton oak ( Quercus x Comptoniae ), a hybrid between live oak ( Q. virginiana ) and overcup oak ( Q. lyrata ), which was collected as an acorn on a Southeast VA trip by the Morris Arboretum and Arnold Arboretum in October 2012 and has been growing in our nursery since. The main purpose of this trip was to collect seeds from live oaks on the northeastern limit of their natural range with the hope that these trees that could eventually be planted in Southeastern PA. Most current climate models show our area having a similar climate to present day Richmond, VA , Charleston, SC, or even further south, where live oaks grow naturally. The Compton oak, being a hybrid of two southern species, has the advantage of hybrid vigor and even possibly greater adaptability than its parents: overcup oak tolerates wet, compacted soils and live oak tolerates dry soils. "When the Arboretum collects new plants …

Plant Names and Provenance: Edgeworthia chrysantha (paperbush) Edgeworthia chrysantha is a shrub that bears fragrant flowers in the winter. While most genus names honor one person who is often a man, Edgeworthia commemorates a brother and his half-sister, each notable in t h eir own right. Image Edgeworthia chysantha ( 2015-106*A) in the Pennock Flower Walk in September. The deciduous, green leaves are just starting to turn yellow. Photo by Katherine Wagner-Reiss. Edgeworthia chrysantha is a shrub that bears fragrant flowers in the winter. While most genus names honor one person who is often a man, Edgeworthia commemorates a brother and his half-sister, each notable in t h eir own right. . Michael Pakenham Edgeworth  (1812–1881) studied botany, among other subjects, at the University of Edinburgh. He worked for fifty years as an employee of the Indian Civil Service in various administrative posts, but he devoted his spare time to botany and photography. On one return trip to India, he collected forty plants in a two-hour stopover at Aden; eleven of these proved to be new to science. A member of the Linnean Society of London, he rubbed shoulders with the great biologists of the time, including Charles Darwin. Maria Edgeworth (1768–1849) was a prolific, much-admired novelist, praised by contemporary writers such as Sir Walter Scott and Jane Austen. Her novels are known for their moralistic tone, but she lived as she preached and cared for the welfare of the workers on the family estate during the Irish Potato Famine. Her first book, Letters for Literary Ladies , was a plea for womenʻs education. A co-ed secular school that she helped found in Edgeworthtown is now the Maria Edgeworth Centre. Image Edgeworthia chysantha (2015-106*A) in the Pennock Flower Walk in February. Notice the trichotomous branching, as opposed to the usual dichotomous branching of flowering plants. Photo by Nancy Matlack. Image Edgeworthia chysantha (2015-106*A) in the Pennock Flower Walk in …

History of Morris Arboretum & Gardens History of Morris Arboretum & Gardens Image The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania was once the private estate of siblings John (1847-1915) and Lydia Morris (1849-1932), children of a prominent Philadelphia Quaker family. Established in 1887 in Chestnut Hill, the estate was called Compton. The land the Morrises purchased for their estate was initially barren, with neglected soils and steep slopes. With diligent care, John and Lydia improved the land and began filling the property with collections of exotic and native trees and shrubs from across the temperate world. Between 1892 and 1910, the Morrises purchased adjacent parcels of land with the intent of expanding the gardens and features. With the purchase of Bloomfield Farm in 1914, their estate encompassed more than 166 acres in Chestnut Hill and adjacent Flourtown. Through the years, John and Lydia continued enhancing the grounds with architectural and horticultural features, borrowing ideas from the many cities and gardens they visited during their travels to foreign lands. Over time, the Morrises created a unique and eclectic mix of gardens unlike those found elsewhere in the U.S. and other countries by incorporating formal garden elements, open lawns, and European and Japanese influences into the classic English landscape model. John Morris also added several distinctive structures to the grounds, including a greenhouse called a fernery (now the only remaining freestanding Victorian fernery in North America), a log cabin built as a private retreat for Lydia, and the Mercury Loggia, constructed in 1913 to commemorate the Morrises’ 25th anniversary at Compton. John died in 1915, leaving their estate in trust to Lydia, with the understanding that Compton and Bloomfield would eventually become a botanical garden and school for horticulturists. Lydia continued to cultivate the grounds until her death in 1932. The Morrises’ plans to turn their property into a …

We are now Morris Arboretum & Gardens! New name, new look, the same commitment to connecting plants, people, and place... We have a new name, a new look, and the same commitment to connecting plants, people, and place...  Image We're always growing here at the Morris, and to kick off our 90th year of being open to the public we are unveiling a new name, a refreshed brand, a renewed emphasis on color and beauty, a more accessible Rose Garden, a new exuberant pop-up garden, and plenty of events and programs. We’ll also be sharing bits of our history every week on social media—follow along with  #90yearsofMorris  for a glimpse into our past with historic photos, documents, blog posts, and much more. Celebrate this milestone year with us! Visit our brand new website for more information about our rebrand, history, and upcoming events. We can't wait to welcome you back to the NEW Morris Arboretum & Gardens! Learn More → Blog Image March 29, 2023 … We are now Morris Arboretum & Gardens! …

90 Years of Morris: John & Lydia Morris Arboretum & Gardens began as Compton, the private estate of the siblings who purchased farmland in 1887 and began planning a garden where art and science would thrive together, and where stewardship would extend to caring for both plants and people. Image John and Lydia Morris on the Love Temple steps in the Swan Pond, circa 1910. The Swan Pond was constructed circa 1904, while the Love Temple was designed by Ernesto Ermete Gazzeri of Rome, Italy, and installed in 1906. We're kicking off #90YearsofMorris with the siblings that started it all: John Thompson Morris (1847-1915) and Lydia Thompson Morris (1849-1932). Morris Arboretum & Gardens began as Compton, the private estate of the siblings who purchased farmland in 1887 and began planning a garden where art and science would thrive together, and where stewardship would extend to caring for both plants and people. From the beginning, John and Lydia shared a vision and actively planned for their estate to become a public garden and educational institution. In 1933, after both siblings had passed, the Morris opened to the public for the first time and their vision came to life. In this series we'll be focusing on what followed the 1933 public opening. You can learn more about the Morrises and the Private Estate Era in our online archives , and in Joyce Munro's article, "The Origins of Morris Arboretum & The Mansion From Which It Bloomed." As part of our 90th anniversary celebration, we’ll be sharing bits of our history every week on social media—follow #90yearsofMorris to get a glimpse into our past with historic photos, documents, blog posts, and more! Courtesy of the Morris Arboretum & Gardens Archives Blog Image April 6, 2023 … 90 Years of Morris: John & …