Arnold Arboretum's Plant Program Brings Rare Woody Plants to Home Gardens

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The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University runs a program called Arnold Selects, launched in 2022, that identifies exceptional trees and shrubs from its living collection of 17,000 specimens and distributes them to partner nurseries in the Northeast and Ohio. The goal is to move unusual, rigorously evaluated plants — including long-overlooked historic introductions and newly discovered chance mutations — into the hands of home gardeners. Chris Copeland, the Arboretum's manager of plant production, explained that plants must prove hardy and stable across Boston's harsh summers and winters before they are considered for release, and that invasive potential is also carefully weighed before any introduction moves forward.

Recent introductions include 'Prostrate Beauty' Korean fir, a ground-hugging dwarf form of a normally large upright tree that was first propagated at the Arboretum around 1940 and is now being actively promoted, and 'Arnold Banner' eastern redbud, a native tree with a white-flowering mutation selected from the Arboretum's grounds and added to the 2024 introduction list. Partner nurseries where these plants may be found include Broken Arrow Nursery and Cricket Hill in Connecticut, Tranquil Lake in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, West End Nurseries in Massachusetts, and Heritage Broughtman's in Madison, Ohio. Gardeners interested in unusual, vetted woody plants can watch those nurseries or follow updates at the Arboretum.