Connecticut College Arboretum

The underlying bedrock of granite, schist and gneiss was scoured by glaciers about 26,000 years ago.

[1] The resulting glacial till has produced a brown soil of stony fine sandy loam texture.

It contains 288 taxa, including trees, shrubs, and woody vines indigenous to the forested region of Eastern North America, such as shadbush, dogwood, azaleas, mountain laurel, giant rhododendron, sourwood, sweet pepperbush, and evergreens and conifers.

Of particular interest are: The Caroline Black Garden contains a mature collection of ornamental trees, shrubs, and grasses from across the world, including 187 different woody taxa such as azaleas, Crimson Queen Japanese maple, sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), Japanese stewartia, fragrant viburnum, weeping cherry, and many other specimens.

The 280 m2 (3,000 square foot) Greenhouse includes a tropical house, a cactus collection, and an experimentation area.