The Upper Tahija Arboretum Trails wind through a thoughtfully curated landscape of native and ornamental plantings, offering visitors an immersive experience in the beauty and biodiversity of the gardens. These trails provide an inviting space for reflection, education and connection with nature, featuring gently sloping pathways and shaded walkways.
The Lower Tahija Arboretum Trails weave through the more naturalized areas of the gardens, offering a serene retreat into the diverse plant life and ecosystems that define the Tahija Arboretum & LaCross Botanical Gardens. These trails follow the contours of the landscape, leading visitors through woodland areas, riparian habitats, and native plant groupings, creating an experience that highlights the intersection of conservation and education.
Gift of Steven C. Voorhees (MBA ’80, Parent ’14) & Celia Voorhees — The quality of our Darden experience is enhanced by the opportunities we have to connect with each other.
Viburnums are a large group of flowering tree and shrub species in the Adoxacee, or Moschatel, plant family. Almost all viburnums display composite white flowers, which are formed by hundreds of individual florets. Depending on the species, these composite flowers can appear as umbels, a flat curved flower, or round (like a snowball). Most viburnums also produce red, blue or black drupes, which are fleshy fruits with a hard single seed at the center.
Gift of Donald E. Morel Jr., Ph.D. (TEP’97) & Lauren Morel — The Thomas Jefferson Garden displays some of the plants documented by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark during the Corps of Discovery expedition (1804-1806) at the request of then President Jefferson. On August 2, 1805, Lewis described what is thought to be the Saskatoon Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) when he wrote, “The service berry grows on a smaller bush and differs from ours only in colour and the superior excellence of its flavor and size; it is of a deep purple.”
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is usually found in the shady understory of our native Virginia woodlands but can also tolerate full sun. The common name refers to the sweet, spicy, lemony fragrance of the stems, leaves and fruits. Spicebush is deer-resistant with early-season nectar for butterflies and bright red berries for migratory birds. The Spicebush Swallowtail lays eggs on the plant, signaling the symbiotic relationship between our native plants and migratory birds.
The Prehistoric Plants Garden displays a selection of plant species that were present on Earth before humans. Specifically, the Ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba), Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) and Rough Horsetail (Equisetum hymale) found in the garden are known as "living fossils" because they are all relatively unchanged from the earliest known records of the species. Most scientists regard the Ginkgo tree as the only known living tree that co-existed with dinosaurs up to 200 million years ago, with some speculating that dinosaurs likely ate the tree's distinctly odorous fruit.
The Magnolia Garden showcases Magnolia trees found in the Piedmont region. Members of the Magnoliaceae family are recognized by their large and fragrant flowers present in the spring and summer, as well as their fruits with “arils,” a bright red outer layer that protects the seeds in late summer and early fall. Magnolias found in undeveloped areas, including Cucumber Magnolia (Magnolia acuminata) and Bigleaf Magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla), are most often found along the banks of streams and rivers.
The International Garden is composed of ornamental plants originating from Asia, Europe and North America. The selected species are found in gardens and streetscapes across the world and are familiar to both domestic and international travelers. Some of the tree species found in the International Garden such as European Beech (Fagus sylvatica), have native counterparts American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) planted elsewhere in the Arboretum.
Dedication forthcoming — The Prehistoric Plants Garden displays a selection of plant species that were present on Earth before humans. Specifically, the Ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba), Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) and Rough Horsetail (Equisetum hymale) found in the garden are known as "living fossils" because they are all relatively unchanged from the earliest known records of the species.
