travelerc’s guide to gardens Additional Information Cornell Botanic Gardens, 124 Comstock Knoll Dr., Ithaca, NY 14850. (607) 255-2400. Cornell Botanic Gardens www.cornellbotanicgardens.org. n Hours: The Nevin Welcome Center by Alejandra Vansant and Garden Gift Shop are open Sunday through Thursday from 9 a.m. –5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m.–6 p.m. n Gardens and natural areas are open every day of the week from sunrise to sunset, free of charge. n Cornell Botanic Gardens participates in the American Horticultural Society’s Reciprocal Admissions Program. AHS members showing a current member- ship card receive discounts in the gift shop and for select programs. The F.R. Newman Arboretum is a 100-acre expanse of majestic trees and pastoral landscapes.

areas for shade-tolerant plants, those that Hiking the Cascadilla Gorge trail will sessing plant phenology changes in our do well on slopes, and sun-loving species. provide a taste of the pristine natural areas Mundy Wildflower Garden over the The adjacent F.R. Newman Arbore- in CBG’s purview. The trail connects past 30 years to determine the magnitude tum also houses impressive collections, Cornell’s campus with downtown Ithaca, of bloom change in response to climate.” such as nearly 200 species and cultivars of traversing an elevation change of 400 feet The Climate Change Demonstration maples (Acer spp.) and over 70 oak spe- while winding through woodlands, exposed Garden vividly illustrates the effects future cies, hybrids, and cultivars (Quercus spp.). bedrock formations, and creek habitats. climate conditions may have on plants that Other species-specific collections include are important to people and pollinators. lilacs (Syringa spp.), dogwoods (Cornus RESEARCH AND RESOURCES Created in 2014, it features one set of raised spp.), and crabapples (Malus spp.). Sever- Research is a fundamental aspect of beds open to ambient conditions, and an- al garden areas weave among the groves of CBG’s work, and its cultivated and natu- other set that is enclosed in a high-ceiling trees, such as the Zucker Shrub Collec- ral areas are equally important in tracking tunnel that simulates temperatures as they tion, which blends flowering shrubs that and explaining complex environmental are expected to be in 2050. Through this boast multi-seasonal interest with orna- issues. “For instance,” Todd Bittner, simulation, visitors can see that the food mental grasses and perennials, including a CBG’s director of natural areas, explains, crops and pollinator plants exposed to ris- daylily display that peaks in midsummer. “on climate change, we have been as- ing temperatures suffer dramatically. A student takes a break to admire the plants in one of Cornell Botanic Garden’s themed areas situated on Cornell University’s campus. Other current projects include the de- velopment of mobile-enabled GPS maps outlining 240 miles of public hiking trails ornell Botanic Gardens founding in 1865. Even then, preserving human cultural diversity,” says Christo- in the county surrounding the garden, and (CBG) in Ithaca, New York, and studying the area’s natural beauty were pher Dunn, the garden’s Elizabeth New- a Wildflower Explorations program de- Csprawls across one of the na- key goals of its establishment. Numerous man Wilds Director. signed to teach third-graders how to iden- tion’s foremost research universities, alumni and faculty, including famed bot- tify native wildflowers. allowing convenient access to students, anist Liberty Hyde Bailey, who was a pro- DIVERSE GARDENS AND COLLECTIONS faculty, and visitors alike. It comprises fessor of horticulture and director of the The Brian C. Nevin Welcome Center PLANTS AND PEOPLE 35 acres of cultivated gardens, a 100-acre College of Agriculture at the time, helped serves as CBG’s hub. From here, visitors CBG seamlessly blends the cultivated arboretum filled with magnificent speci- lay the foundations for what it is today. can explore 12 different specialty gardens and natural worlds into a dynamic ex- men trees and shrubs, and miles of trails As part of its recent sesquicentennial, that surround the award-winning, sustain- perience for visitors of all ages. Through through numerous nature preserves. To- CBG created a new strategic plan that able building. For example, the Robison its various gardens, extensive collections, gether, these areas showcase the incred- builds upon this rich legacy to make a York State Herb Garden is home to 500 and scenic nature areas, it inspires an ible natural beauty of the Finger Lakes positive impact on the planet by cultivat- varieties of herbs curated to represent 17 appreciation for plants that extends far region and contribute to its conservation. ing plants, conserving nature, and edu- themes, including Herbs of the Ancients, beyond the Cornell campus. m CBG, which welcomes more than cating people. “The role of this botanic Edible Flowers, Medicinal Herbs, Herbs of 70,000 visitors a year, began to take shape garden is to raise awareness of the con- Native Americans, and Economic Herbs. Alejandra Vansant is an editorial intern for top: lindsay france. bottom: brian maley. both courtesy of cornell botanic gardens about a decade after Cornell University’s nection between biological diversity and The Groundcover Collection comprises jason koski, courtesy of cornell botanic gardens The Cascadilla Gorge features intriguing rock formations and flowing sheets of white water. The American Gardener.

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