Botany enthusiasts visiting or residing in Maryland should be aware that the state houses six arboreta, greenhouses and botanical gardens. Although collections vary from venue to venue, most feature both indigenous and foreign species, and several are still used today for research. Some are free and others charge an entrance fee, but all are open to members of the public.
Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre garden open daily that charges a nominal admissions fee. The facility's stated objective is to provide a sanctuary for plants native to the Delmarva Peninsula, and to this end it features several miniature ecosystems which, together, incorporate most of the region's native fauna. Adkins Arboretum also offers education programs to guests.
Adkins Arboretum
12610 Eveland Rd.
Ridgely, MD 21660
410-634-2847
adkinsarboretum.org
Brookside Gardens, a 50-acre public garden within Wheaton Regional Park, is open daily at no charge. The garden features a variety of areas, including an aquatic garden, a butterfly garden, a fragrance garden and a maple tree garden. Brookside Gardens also features a memorial to the victims of the 2002 Washington sniper shootings.
Brookside Gardens
1800 Glenallan Ave.
Wheaton, MD 20902
301-962-1400
brooksidegardens.org
Cylburn Arboretum, a Baltimore city park, is a 207-acre arboretum and garden open daily without charge. It began as a private estate and remained as such throughout the 19th and early 20th century, until it was converted by the city into a wildflower preserve in 1954. Cylburn Arboretum is notable for its wide array of trees and shrubs, as well as several greenhouses.
Cylburn Arboretum
4915 Greenspring Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21209
410-367-2217
cylburnassociation
Ladew Topiary Gardens comprises 22 acres of gardens and topiary, open daily with a nominal admissions fee. While the Garden Club of America has praised it as the country's finest topiary, the grounds also feature a variety of themed rooms, each dedicated to a particular color or species of plant.
Ladew Topiary Gardens
3535 Jarrettsville Pike
Monkton, MD 21111
410-557-9570
ladewgardens.com
The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens of Baltimore is an historic garden and conservatory, open daily with the exception of Mondays. The conservatory features five themed rooms displaying foreign flora, including the Tropical House, the Mediterranean House and the Desert House.
Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory
3100 Swann Dr.
Baltimore, MD 21215
410-396-0008
baltimoreconservatory.org
Salisbury University Arboretum is a 125-acre arboretum on the campus of Salisbury University. It is relatively modern, having received the designation of arboretum in 1988, and still under active development today. At last count, the arboretum features 2,000 species of plants, as well as an extensive collection of sculptures in the Beaux Arts style.
Salisbury University Arboretum
1101 Camden Ave
Salisbury, MD 21801
410-543-6000
salisbury.edu/arboretum
