Tricolor beech at the entrance to Dawes

Dawes Arboretum
A Museum Without Walls
By Laura Kaparoff, Dawes Arboretum

Nature weaves a majestic tapestry in a “Museum without Walls” at The Dawes Arboretum in Newark, Ohio. The Arboretum, now celebrating its 75th year, is "…dedicated to increasing the love and knowledge of trees, history and the natural world..."

The Dawes Arboretum was established on June 1, 1929, when Beman G. Dawes (1870-1953) and his wife Bertie (1872-1958), deeded 293 acres to the Trustees of The Dawes Arboretum. Development began by transplanting 50 large sugar maples from the wooded area to the grove. Five years later 30,000 trees were added.

With over 300,000 visitors per year, the arboretum includes 1,710 acres of horticulture collections, natural areas and research fields. Eight collections boast over 15,000 plants on the arboretum grounds alone. Azaleas, crab apples, oaks and holly are just a few of the collections visitors can access by a 4-mile auto tour or eight miles of hiking trails.

“An arboretum, in the strictest sense, collects and displays trees and shrubs. Admittedly many arboreta include herbaceous annuals and perennials to draw more visitors,” said Mike Ecker, Director of Horticulture. “Mr. Dawes said to plant woody trees and shrubs, and we try to stand by his word. We do, however, have a limited planting of herbaceous plants in the All Seasons Garden.”

“Just as art museums collect certain artists – we collect all hardy members of certain plant families such as holly, witch-hazel and maple,” Ecker said. “People go to an art museum to enjoy an artist’s expression in the form of a painting or sculpture. The same could be said for people who come to Dawes – they come to enjoy both the natural and arboretum staff’s pruning interpretations of a tree’s appearance.”

Japanese garden

“The general public, researchers and plant industries truly benefit from the research at Dawes,” Ecker said. “The public benefits from the beauty as well as enthusiastic gardeners doing their own plant comparisons. Researchers contact us when some of our collections can be used in their research projects such as hybridizing or insect control.”

“Research at Dawes is empirical, utilizing observations,” Ecker said. “Since we do very little spraying, plants that look and perform well here will in all likelihood look and do well in central Ohio landscapes.”

“One of the greatest traditions at The Dawes Arboretum is the Tree Dedication Program,” said Ecker. The tradition actually began before The Arboretum was opened to the public with dedications in June1927 to Governor James Cox and General Charles Dawes.

Since that time tree dedications have been made to such famous individuals as Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Olympic Gold Medalist Jesse Owens, State Forester Edmund Secrest, former Astronaut John H. Glenn, Jr. and Jack Hanna, director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo.

	The Dawes name spelled out in shrubs

Many people come to Dawes just because it’s beautiful. Few American countrysides are more befitting than the rolling hills of south-central Ohio. “While the general public benefits from the natural beauty at Dawes, gardeners benefit from making plant comparisons, getting landscape ideas and tips from our Plant Clinic,” Ecker said. “Unless people ask, I can only presume they are taking home ideas to there own garden from what they see. Hopefully they are taking home observations on how plants here may improve their own landscapes.”

Horticulture students at The Ohio State University benefit from numerous field trips, internships and post-graduate research projects at Dawes, said Dr. Bobby Moser, dean of Agriculture at Ohio State and Dawes’ Trustee. The OSU extension landscape nursery team is also involved in programs at the arboretum and will sometimes serve as guest speakers. The Dawes Arboretum and OSU also benefit each other in the exchange of ideas and plant materials.

Stately Daweswood House

“A unique research project is on apple germplasm,” Moser said. The Ohio State University, The Dawes Arboretum, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Apple Germplasm Repository and the Midwest Apple Growers Improvement Association are cooperating to bring apple tree collections to the arboretum from all over the world. The project, named “Kazakhstan” after the reported “center of origin” of Malus germplasm, hopes to improve the genetic qualities necessary for the Midwest apple growers.

“The seeds were gathered during three collection trips (1993, 1995 and 1996) in Central Asia, specifically Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan,” said Dr. Diane Miller, Department of Horticulture and Crop Science at OSU. “The apple germplasm, which has appeared at Dawes in the last five years, probably contains the genetic answers to Midwest fruit growing needs: fruit quality, disease-resistance, environmental adaptability and accessibility,” Miller said. “The challenge is to get the desirable traits all packaged together genetically.”

It is hopeful that the new hybrid will allow central Ohio fruit growers a chance of competing with China and Oregon. One late frost can put Ohio growers out of business for the year, Ecker said.

	Cypress swamp

Ochre, olive, amber and plum weave a majestic tapestry of autumn color in the rolling hills of The Dawes Arboretum. A symphony of pine, holly and maple trees make the first-time visitor feel in touch with nature and beckon them to return again and again. “There’s nothing like running down a path and having a rabbit join you,” says David Fredo of Heath, who comes to Dawes to exercise and to connect with nature.

“Dawes has really enhanced my appreciation of nature,” says Marge Woolard of Heath. Marge says her first trip to Dawes was with her 4-H group while she was a young girl. She has loved it ever since. She and her husband Jesse are both charter members and volunteers. A retired 4th Grade teacher; Marge knows the importance of learning.

“When I come here I am challenged to think of new and interesting things.” Besides a broadened social circle the benefits of becoming a member, she and her husband enjoy discounts at the visitor center, taking classes and relaxing while fishing. “Being around nature has been very therapeutic for me and my husband.”

Winter snow on the branches

The Dawes Arboretum’s grounds are open free of charge from dawn until dusk every day, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Tours of the Daweswood House, the Victorian-era home purchased by Beman and Bertie Dawes, take place every Saturday and Sunday at 3:15pm (requires a small fee). Free narrated tours of the grounds are scheduled every Saturday at 2pm, June through October, provide a great way to learn more about the history, plants and natural areas of The Dawes Arboretum.

A Visitors Center, including information desk, gift shop and Nature Center with a Bird-Watching Garden, is open Monday - Saturday from 8am - 5pm; Sundays and holidays from 1 - 5pm. The Arboretum is located 30 miles east of Columbus on Ohio Route 13, five miles south of Newark, and three miles north of Interstate 70, Exit 132.

For more information on Dawes Arboretum, you can visit their website at www.dawesarb.org.

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