What makes a tree or shrub exceptional – something worthy of introduction into the nursery trade, and eventually maybe making its way into your garden? There are many pathways a plant can travel to get there, including one unique one from the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.
As part of its 150th anniversary celebration in 2022, the arboretum announced its Arnold Selects program for identifying and launching such potential treasures, each with its own provenance or story to tell, inspired by the arboretum’s vast and historic living collections. I wanted to know what catches the eyes of the modern-day experts there and why.
My guest today is Chris Copeland, Manager of plant production at the Arnold Arboretum, who did his bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees at UMass Amherst. His role at the arboretum includes a focus on the Arnold Selects program that each year distributes extraordinary woody plant selections to nurseries it partners with, in the hopes that more gardeners will in time come to know these special plants.
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