ARBORETUM PICTURE OF THE WEEK Do you know what this is? Click here to find out. To perform a custom search of the Arboretum site - type in a keyword or phrase. Or, go to our Site Map page to browse our page links. DIRECT ARBORETUM SUPPORT Donations -- Volunteering PRIVATE SUPPORT GROUPS Friends of the National Arboretum Herb Society of America National Capital Area Garden Clubs, Inc. National Bonsai Foundation

U.S. National Seed Herbarium Now at U.S. National Arboretum The world’s largest and most diverse systematic collection of seeds of flowering and coniferous plants is now part of the U.S. National Arboretum. This collection contains approximately 125,000 dried seed and fruit samples from plants throughout the world. The collection is focused on economically important plants and the germplasm accessions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture over the last 110 years. Over 27,000 different species of plants representing 397 families and 13,000 genera of plants are represented in this extraordinarily valuable collection. The samples are now stored in either glass vials or plastic bags. The collection is maintained in a secure, moveable, compact storage facility. The U.S. National Seed Herbarium serves several important roles including helping to document biodiversity, seed types of species, varieties and cultivars some of which may be extinct, servicing as a tool to help identify unknown seeds, and to support research programs relating to seeds. This collection served as the primary source of information for the most important references for seed identification of all legumes to genus and all seed plants to family published by the USDA. For more information about the seed herbarium, click here. The seed collection was transferred to the arboretum in late 2007 from the Plant Science Institute of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland where it resided for many years. The U.S. National Seed Herbarium is a companion to and compliments the arboretum herbarium of over 600,000 dried specimens containing twigs, branches, flowers and fruits of the world’s flora. Emphasis is placed on documenting the cultivated plants of North America and materials used in research projects throughout the Agricultural Research Service. For more information about the arboretum herbarium, click here.

EDUCATION Workshop: Ikebana I September 20, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Lecture/Demonstration Center Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, is an integral part of Japanese culture. It blends imagination and creativity with the arrangement of natural materials. This class will introduce you to the history and philosophy of ikebana and provide hands-on instruction on basic design and techniques. All materials provided. Fee $34. Registration is required.   Workshop: Ikebana II September 27, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Lecture/Demonstration Center Improve your skills and expand your knowledge in this class that will build on Ikebana I or another basic class. Prerequisite: At least one previous lesson in Japanese flower arranging. All materials provided. Fee $34. Registration is required.   View Arboretum Calendar of Events

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RESEARCH New Arboretum Posters Highlight Introductions With support from the Friends of the National Arboretum and design expertise from ARS’s Information Services Unit, the U.S. National Arboretum is pleased to unveil three new full-color posters featuring some of our best woody plant introductions. One poster features our superior tree introductions, while a second one focuses on our most outstanding shrub cultivars. The third poster is devoted solely to our well-known crape myrtle introductions. These posters were designed to help inform growers, retailers, and the public about the results of our tree and shrub breeding programs. The posters will be distributed to stakeholders primarily at trade shows and other industry functions, but are also available for viewing and printing from our website here.    Read Full Story   View Plant Introductions and Award Winners

Arboretum Information || Events & Education || Gardens & Horticulture || Research Activities Support the Arboretum || New Plant Introductions || USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map || Comments Search Our Site United States National Arboretum 3501 New York Avenue, NE; Washington, D. C. 20002-1958 Tel: 202-245-2726    Fax: 202-245-4575 The U.S. National Arboretum is a division of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center of the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Government System Usage Policy || USDA Nondiscrimination Statement || Privacy and Security Policy || Endorsement Disclaimer || Accessibility Disclaimer Last Updated September 2, 2008 5:05 PM URL= http://www.usna.usda.gov *###*