Tree Markers
In 1972, the BTG installed 1,000 tree markers around Chautauqua. Some of those markers can still be found, but most have disappeared. Fifty years later, in 2022, the board of the BTG approved funding for 1,000 tree markers. Working with the Garden Team of Chautauqua Institution, we have installed hundreds of them already and more are installed each week. The new markers identify each tree by its common and scientific name and have a scannable QR code that takes you to a webpage about the tree containing photos and information about the species and - in many cases - information about that particular tree - when it was planted, whom it memorializes, etc. You can learn about the trees in a one-off fashion or jump into themed tours with maps to help you locate particularly impressive examples of different species.
The Arboretum
Plant List
View a list of all the trees, shrubs, and perennials in the Arboretum. The tree canopy has been diversified; non-native invasive shrubs removed, and perennials added.
Historic Elements
See the Edison Bird Bath, Amelia Earhart's sugar maple, the BTG arch, the dedication stone, and other historic trees as you stroll through the peaceful Arboretum. South trams and buses travel regularly to the Arboretum.
Plant Markers
It's a priority to share both the English and scientific name of perennials, shrubs and trees. At select gardens throughout the grounds, markers are being added to perennials, shrubs, and trees. Financial contributions welcomed!
Quiet Garden
Amidst the activity-packed Chautauqua Institution, busy with lectures, conversation, music, and bike riding, sits a 'Quiet Room' at the 100+ year old Bird and Tree Arboretum located across 'Thunder Bridge.’
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Slow down and appreciate nature. Seated upon a generous sized bench nestled within the perennials, shrubs, and shade of a diverse tree canopy, take in the greenery and quiet. Based on the 'quiet garden movement' started in England, this is a perfect place for reading, reflection, and engaging with the environment. As the seasons go by, the shrubs will make this shady spot more secluded. Please bring a book and enjoy!
‘South’ buses and trams transport visitors to and from the Arboretum on a regular basis. This section of Chautauqua is known locally as ‘The Overlook.’
REDEDICATION CEREMONY 2018 CELEBRATING THE NEXT CENTURY
On Sunday, July 8, 2018 at 2 pm, The Reverend Maureen Rovegno, Director of the Department of Religion and 'perennial pastor' to the BTG, recognized the 100th anniversary of the Arboretum Dedication, referencing aspects of the service held a century ago.
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Betsy Burgeson, Supervisor of Landscapes and Gardens, completed a 3 year restoration project of this space. This dedication ushered in a series of events leading up to the July 12, 2018 BTG House & Garden Tour, chaired by Rosemary Rappole. The Arboretum was a key feature of this special biennial event. BTG Board members Dennis McNair and Master Gardener Chris Flanders led Arboretum tours. The large crowd that gathered enjoyed refreshments and celebrated BTG's restored 'outdoor nature classroom.’
The Bird, Tree & Garden (BTG) Club Arboretum is located at the southernmost end of the grounds between Longfellow and Whittier Avenues. It is accredited as a Level I Arboretum by ArbNet, a global registry of arboreta maintained by the Morton Arboretum near Chicago. ArbNet is a global network of tree-focused gardens that promotes advances in conservation, collaboration on scientific study, and education regarding trees. In order to be accredited the BTG Arboretum had to meet standards of tree and plant diversity, care, and permanence established by ArbNet and to submit an application verifying that those criteria will be scrupulously maintained. BTG received certification of its accreditation from ArbNet in March 2019.
A 2011 PLAN OF THE ARBORETUM
Today's tree canopy is much more diverse, the perennials are mostly native and the non-native invasive shrubs have been removed. Visit the Arboretum today and see the improvement plus the addition of many new trees along Massey Ave.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND ARBORETUM HISTORY
Originally acquired as a gift from Henrietta Ord Jones to the Chautauqua Bird Tree and Garden Club in 1915 for the propagation and diversification of trees, the Arboretum is a focal point again in Chautauqua. It was dedicated in 1917 and populated with small trees brought to Chautauqua from all over the country by the summer residents. It also had several memorial trees: a Red Leaf Maple brought in by Bishop Vincent and a Ginkgo Tree in honor of the Bishop. In 1929, a Sugar Maple was planted for the visit of Amelia Earhart. This tree was planted from a seed of the sugar maple outside her childhood bedroom window and grown by the American Forests Historic Tree Program. There are a number of other historic elements such as a bird bath given by Thomas and Mina Edison. A ceremony on July 8th, 2018 commemorates the re-dedication of the Arboretum, ushering in its second century. The Reverend Maureen Rovegno presiding used elements of the original dedication, Aug 7th, 1917.
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Disease and age have caused the removal of many of the trees in recent years, part of a Chautauqua-wide culling of old dangerous trees. Some healthy duplicate trees were actually moved to more suitable locations within the grounds. A renovation took place in 2006-7, and a more complete renovation is ongoing from 2016 to the present. The number of tree varieties was limited, and the hedges surrounding the Arboretum were foreboding, blocking people from enjoying the area. Snowplow damage also made the hedges very unattractive. This has been addressed by removing the non-native, invasive privet hedge. Planting privet is banned in the state of New York.
Under the direction of Betsy Burgeson, Supervisor of Gardens and Landscapes, a plan was developed to make the Arboretum a place of tree diversity, to showcase under-tree shade plants, and allow it to serve as a location to test varieties of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants in our Zone 5 weather patterns. Drought resistance is now one of the more important qualities in plants. Shade is something that all Chautauqua residents deal with because of our dense tree canopy, so the Arboretum is a living catalog of shade plants to reference and inspect.
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The Bird Tree and Garden Club works closely with Betsy to make the Arboretum a destination for visitors and residents to enjoy the outdoor classroom and relax in the open ‘rooms’ of the Arboretum plan. Entering from the iron gate dedicated to Henrietta Ord Jones, you can wander through the shade and relax on the benches, or read the labels on the trees, shrubs, and plants. Along the 394 fence line, shrubs and flowering plants have been placed with the secondary function of blocking road noise from the main road as they mature.
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The Arboretum is easily accessible to visitors and residents of Chautauqua. Just cross over Thunder Bridge, and it is just up the road to the right. During the season, trams and buses regularly travel this South route. It is an example of upper and lower tree canopy, hedgerows inviting you to walk under the trees rather than a hedge to keep you out. Beautiful shade plantings and alcoves provide spaces to rest and relax with friends.
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
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The charming redbud is not native to Western New York - it is a southern tree, but does quite well here. It is an understory tree, meaning it does not grow tall (usually topping out at 20-25 feet) and lives happily in the shade of taller trees.
The redbud has beautiful heart-shaped leaves. A close look between them will reveal dangling seed pods that look like flattened snap peas, which tell us that the redbud is in the legume family.
The nature writer Donald Peattie wrote that George Washington “confided many times to his diary that he had transplanted redbuds from the woods to his garden.” Don't worry - the redbuds in Chautauqua were purchased from nurseries and not stolen from the woods.
The name redbud is confusing to many because what we notice is the flower - a beatutiful and bright purplish-pink early spring display on a leafless tree. The leaf buds are in fact a blackish-red and I suppose that was notable to whoever got naming rights on this tree, but I never really even notice the buds. Odd name aside, redbuds are perhaps most appreciated because they bloom at the first whiff of good weather, and since they are still leafless, the effect is spectacular and very welcome in the otherwise still-bleak landscape. The flowers are edible and quite tasty.
Redbuds also exhibit an unusual botanical trait called cauliflory, which means the flowers can develop on any part of the tree, including the main trunk or large branches. It's especially eye-catching on the redbud because the bark tends to be quite dark.
After the spring flower display, the little trees all but disappear in summer in the sea of green, but they shine again in the fall when their leaves turn a clear, bright yellow.
There are many redbuds on the grounds of Chautauqua - a reminder that the summer season is not the only time that Chautauqua is worth visiting.
And while I am usually a fan of the "straight native" (meaning a tree that evolved in nature without the cross-breeding help of nurserymen and horticulturalists), there are a few redbud cultivars that are truly spectacular and seem to do better in Chautauqua that the straight natives. The most common of those is the Forest Pansy Redbud, which has a purplish leaf. The Forest Pansy is the one in the photo above in front of the Women's Club.
But the most exciting redbud cultivar in Chautauqua can be found in the Sterman Garden near Miller Park. It is a weeping variety called the Covey Redbud or the Lavender Twist Redbud, but I have heard some people refer to the little tree as the "Cousin It" tree. The original tree was grown from a seedling planted in about 1965 right here in Westfield, New York by Connie Covey. Propagated and patented, it can now be purchased most anywhere. Click here to hear Betsy Burgeson getting pretty excited about the Covey Redbud on a garden tour last summer. This tree will never get very tall. Horticulturalist Michael Dirr reports that a 30-year old tree is 5 ft. high with an 8 ft. diameter and a 5 inch trunk.
Spotlight on Trees
