Fagus sylvatica

PEM’s copper beech is visible as a ten-year-old sapling in a photograph taken in the Ropes Mansion Garden in 1913, making this tree at least 120 years old. This beech was recently treated for a fungal infection, which remains under control.

Tilia vulgaris

This tree was included on the plant list for the original garden designed by botanist John Robinson in 1913. A picture taken in 1915-1916 shows a tree approximately the height of the Ropes Mansion roof in this same spot, putting the age of this linden tree at somewhere around 150 years.

Aesculus parviflora

This tree is on the original list of plantings compiled by botanist John Robinson in 1913. This dwarf buckeye is a relatively rare form of this shrub known for its feathery, fragrant blooms.

Metasequoia glyptostroboides

One of the world’s few deciduous conifers, dawn redwoods are so highly prized that they are under strict legal protection in China and may soon be extinct in the wild except for mature specimens. These trees are a popular planting in arboreta and botanical gardens across the world.

Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo trees are one of the oldest tree species on Earth, and have been cultivated in Japan, China and Korea for centuries. They were thought to be extinct in the wild until plant collector Frank Meyer rediscovered a grove in Southeastern China in 1915. Female ginkgos produce a strong-smelling fruit that can be eaten when properly cooked.

Ulmus americana

This variety is nicknamed the “future of elms” for its resistance to Dutch elm disease, the highly invasive fungus that has killed off many other American elm trees.

Oxydendrum arboreum

Sourwoods are native to North America, found from southwest Pennsylvania to northwest Florida and as far west as Illinois. Various Native American communities have used it as a laxative (leaves) and in jellies (blooms).

Vitis vinifera

PEM’s ​​heritage grape varieties include Salem, Goethe, Lindsey, Massasoit, Baco Blanc, Cascade and Diana. The vines were introduced to the museum in 2022 by J. Stephen Casscles, author of Grapes of the Hudson Valley.

Hamamelis virginiana

Witch hazel may have gotten its name from the Old English word wych, meaning pliant or flexible. This plant is a natural astringent, used to treat skin irritations, and can also be brewed into tea.

Koelreuteria paniculata

Native to China and Korea, the Golden Rain Tree is valued as an ornamental planting for its attractive leaves, flowers and seeds. PEM planted a golden rain tree inside Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese Home.

Cercidiphyllum japonicum

When dried, this Japanese tree smells like cotton candy or burnt sugar. This smell gave katsura trees the German name “kuchenbaum,” or “cake tree.”