Out and About in the Arboretum

Commonly known as flame azalea, Rhododendron calendulaceum is an upright, loosely branched deciduous shrub that typically grows to 4-8′. It is native primarily to woodland slopes and areas within the Appalachian Mountains from Pennsylvania to Georgia.

Cornus florida, flowering dogwoods, are coming into their prime at this time. The dogwood, one of the most popular trees in the country, offers an unmatched four-season display of beauty.

Visions of rosy colored pink blooms cover the Centurion Crabapple trees that are along the perimeter of the Medford Campus Community Building Parking Lot. These cold hardy flower buds burst open in early spring to masses of rose-red blossoms that mature to cherry red fruit in fall. The foliage then emerges in a reddish green color and matures to a bronze-green.

It may be a bit off your regular route as you tour the Courtyard Gardens on the Medford Campus, but make sure to take a look at Courtyard Garden 17. It is alive with early spring color, including camellias, daffodils, and hellebores — all great plants for you to enjoy the spring color.

We encourage residents and staff alike to get out and enjoy our beautiful collection of Daffodils, which began when a former resident, Midge Ilgenfritz, arrived at Medford Leas in 1978, with prized bulbs from her garden in New York. Over the past four years, over 4000 additional bulbs have been planted on the Medford Campus.

The graceful, arching branches of forsythia are graceful and showy. This fast-growing, hardy shrub blooms early, providing a sunny sight before the rest of the landscape greens up.