Scott Arboretum & Gardens

Scott Arboretum & Gardens "garden of ideas" to sustain the body, enchant the eye, & soothe the spirit

Three Garden Treats 1. & 2. If you have visited the Scott Arboretum & Gardens recently, you’re sure to have seen the gia...
09/09/2026

Three Garden Treats

1. & 2. If you have visited the Scott Arboretum & Gardens recently, you’re sure to have seen the giant drift of bright yellow flowers in the Harry Wood Garden. These, of course, are the Rudbeckia ‘American Gold Rush’, or black-eyed Susan. This plant is a herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae family, and the parent species is a common member of many a sunny home garden. Black-eyed susans are as hardy as they are pretty, and boast distinctive blooms with daisy-like yellow flowers that usually feature a dark brown or black ‘eye’ of florets.

3. & 4. Just on the edge of the Dean Bond Rose Garden lies a small flowering tree with beautiful mottled brown bark. This is Stewartia sinensis, or Chinese stewartia, a member of the Theaceae family. This plant can be found as a small tree or large multi-stemmed shrub, and is native to central and southeast China. Within the garden, Stewartia sinensis is usually selected for its ornamental value, as the bark is particularly eye-catching. Paper-like strips feature a variety of reds and browns, leaving a lighter brown to sand colored trunk underneath. Given its mature size, branching habits, and woody nature, this plant is usually favored for an accent in a home or pollinator garden, or a stand-alone in your yard.

5. & 6. Last this week, but certainly not least, is Euscaphis japonica, commonly known as the Korean sweetheart tree (and recently going as Staphylea japonica). This hardy perennial shrub/small tree is pretty rare to have in cultivation. Currently in its own genus within the bladdernut family, taxonomists are considering reclassifying it as a member of the specific bladdernut genus Staphylea. Visually, the Korean sweetheart tree has irregular, open-form branching, with striking white-striped brown bark. The big draw of this plant, besides the bark, are its heart-shaped seed capsules – hence the “sweetheart” title! They turn an intense hot pink to red color in the fall and pop open to reveal shiny black seeds within.

Text and image credit: K. Lytle

September at the Arboretum feels like a slow exhale between seasons. Mornings carry a hint of crispness, the light shine...
09/03/2026

September at the Arboretum feels like a slow exhale between seasons. Mornings carry a hint of crispness, the light shines softer, and the garden begins its subtle shift from green to gold.

It’s a good month to slow down and enjoy the change of seasons. Swipe through for a glimpse of what September has in store ➡️

Full details are on our calendar, scottarboretum.org/calendar. Most events are free and open to the public. 🌸

September has arrived, and while gardeners are swapping out summer containers and tucking beds in for fall, Colchicum au...
09/01/2026

September has arrived, and while gardeners are swapping out summer containers and tucking beds in for fall, Colchicum autumnale has other plans.

Colchicum autumnale will soon be sending up its leafless, goblet-shaped flowers across campus, a welcome burst of lilac-pink color. Commonly called autumn crocus, it is not a true crocus at all. It belongs to the family Colchicaceae rather than the iris family, and its flowers carry six stamens compared to a true crocus’s three.

Its growth cycle runs in reverse of what visitors might expect. Broad, strap-like leaves emerge each spring and die back by early summer, leaving the corm dormant underground until autumn, when the bare flower stems appear on their own.

Every part of the plant is toxic, a trait that keeps deer and squirrels from bothering it and makes it a reliable, low-maintenance performer in the fall landscape.

Keep an eye out over the coming weeks as these flowers begin to open. The garden is open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year. 🌸

08/31/2026

Planning a visit? The Scott Arboretum’s Explorer Map is a free interactive tool that lets you search our entire collection by scientific or common name and pinpoint exactly where each plant is growing on campus. Whether you are chasing a specific bloom or just want to wander with a plan, it is the easiest way to scout the grounds before you arrive, or to look something up while you are here.

Try it yourself: arboretumexplorer.scottarboretum.org.

Open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year.

What if it all works out?
08/29/2026

What if it all works out?

08/26/2026

Slow down and breathe deep in the Crum Woods. Join Campus Engagement Manager Sue MacQueen on September 18 from 10:00 to 12:00 pm for a guided shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) walk, a gentle Japanese practice built around noticing the forest through all five senses.

This adults-only outing keeps an easy pace, and takes you 1.5 miles into the woods along uneven trails, with plenty of moments to settle onto the forest floor and just be still. A members-only treat, so bring your curiosity and register at HTTPS://tinyurl.com/2TUKBX4C 🌿

Rhus spp., commonly known as sumac, is an underutilized native worth a closer look, and you can find it growing across t...
08/25/2026

Rhus spp., commonly known as sumac, is an underutilized native worth a closer look, and you can find it growing across the Arboretum’s collection this season.

Four species are native to the United States, each with its own habit. Fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica) stays low and shrubby at around six feet, with leaves that release a pleasant scent when crushed. Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) grows into a large shrub or small tree up to fifteen feet and was historically used to produce black dye. Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), the largest of the group, can reach thirty feet and is easily identified by the velvety hairs coating its new stem growth. Winged sumac (Rhus copallinum) rounds out the group as a sun loving large shrub to small tree, also reaching about fifteen feet. All four are drought tolerant.

We recently harvested this year’s sumac fruits to brew a tart, citrusy tea, one of the plant’s many underappreciated uses.

But the real show is still ahead. Come fall, sumac puts on some of the most spectacular color of any native plant. Mark your calendar and come back to see it for yourself. The garden is open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year.

Address

500 College Avenue
Ridley, PA
19081

Telephone

+16103288025

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Scott Arboretum & Gardens posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share