Assessment and Review of the Morris Arboretum Magnolia Collection

The magnolia collection at the Morris Arboretum is comprised of an enticing blend of attractive horticultural specimens, historically significant plants and cultivars, and species of importance to conservation. This project aims to assess the magnolia collection and produce a well-informed review of future improvements to the collection. The comprehensive assessment includes three objectives: to evaluate plant condition, to appraise age and species richness, and to compare our collection with other major magnolia collections. This assessment, combined with information from relevant literature, allows us to predict the expected longevity of the collection, to forecast future re-propagation, to locate gaps within the collection, to assign value to our trees that are unusual, special, or rarely present in other collections, and to recommend additions to the collection over the next several years. Due to the challenges of limited planting space, improvement recommendations are made with the goal of shaping a collection that is representative, rather than all-inclusive, of major groups of wild-collected species and cultivars.