An important aspect of the Arboretum’s Mission is to preserve Laurelwood Arboretum as an oasis for the enjoyment of nature. Our Plant Collection Management Committee was established in 2014 to maintain, develop and interpret the Arboretum’s plant collections to provide a setting for people to learn about plants and their associated environmental importance. With the assistance and guidance of our Horticultural Manager, this volunteer committee is responsible for the cataloging and tracking of trees, shrubs, rhododendrons, and other woody plants. The current documented plant collection contains approximately 2,100 trees, rhododendrons, and shrubs of over 200 native and exotic species.
Computerized Database
Our volunteer committee has developed a computerized database containing a detailed record for each plant that has been identified and cataloged. Each record (example at right) contains the plant’s proper botanical name, common name, geographic origin, location in the arboretum, year planted, photographs, accession number, and other detailed information.
Plant Accession
Laurelwood Arboretum, like all museums and most arboreta, has developed a numbering system so that each plant can be treated as an individual. The unique accession number assigned to each plant record in our database corresponds to the 12-digit number on the plant label affixed to trees, shrubs, rhododendrons, and other woody plants.
Accession numbers are crucial for tracking plant materials, ensuring accurate records, and maintaining the integrity of botanical collections. They help in identifying plants, managing their history, and ensuring proper identification.
Plant Labels
Plant labels are vital to the curation of the Arboretum’s plant collections. Not only are they a convenient way of providing information to the Arboretum’s staff, but they also link the individual plant to a record stored on the Arboretum’s computerized plant database.
Our plant collection database is an important management tool. The plant collection management team maintains and updates the database monthly during the year. New plants added to the arboretum, and additional plants identified and cataloged, are added to the database each year