Discover the visual appeal of Ohio’s ecological diversity as you tour the Arboretum’s native tree collection. The state’s historic glacial activity, its rolling Appalachian hills, its Lake Erie coastline and its wide plains have created unique growing environments to host a broad array of trees. The collection’s 1,000 trees are grouped according to the state’s four ecological regions. In the unglaciated Appalachian plateau, you’ll find chestnuts and hemlocks of this rugged, heavily wooded hill country. The lake plains section features a variety of oak trees. The glaciated plateau area of northeastern Ohio includes a variety of pines while the till plains section of western Ohio displays beech and maple trees.
Initially dedicated on Arbor Day of 1998 with a subsequent dedication for additional trees on Arbor Day of 2003, the collection features selected cultivars of specimen trees such as Magnolia virginiana ‘Jim Wilson’ honoring Jim Wilson, co-host of PBS The Victory Garden.