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  Winterfire

  It’s time for one of our most popular family events: Winterfire! Winterfire combines lightscape with landscape to highlight the arboretum’s signature trees and garden features against a deep mid-winter sky. Enjoy the gardens in the winter twilight while sipping some hot chocolate around an open fire. This is a fun, family-friendly event.

  Register here

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  Mushroom Workshop

  This workshop will show you how to grow delicious mushrooms at home. There is a slide presentation then participants will inoculate logs and bring them home! The workshop is between our carriage barn and outdoors, please dress appropriately. All supplies are included in the cost of the workshop. This is a family-friendly event.

  Sign up here!

• January Plant of the Month

  Pinus sylvestris ‘Green Penguin’ – Green Penguin Scots Pine

  

  Pinus sylvestris ‘Green Penguin’ is a charming dwarf specimen Scots Pine. Known for its small, squat appearance, hence the name Green Pegnuin. This specific cultivar was found as a seedling in Park Rapids, Minnesota, by Jim Lewis. This cultivar is also known for its extreme hardiness with it being able to withstand temperatures as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit.

  

  Photo courtesy of Conifer Kingdom

  This specific dwarf cultivar boasts a vibrant green that hardly fades in the winter. ‘Green Penguin’ grows 3-5 inches a year and tops out at about 4 feet tall. Our specimen resides in the Brook Garden at the arboretum across from the Elizabeth Magnolia and neighbors a three-flowered maple. This garden features a menagerie of unique and adorable dwarf conifers. This time of year, especially when there is snow on the ground, is the perfect time to enjoy these wacky conifers.

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  Holiday party success! Thank you!

  The holiday party was a huge success! We would like to thank all the folks who came out and enjoyed the festive decorations and lively atmosphere. We also wanted to thank the Milton High School Jazz quartet, who filled the mansion with wonderful music. We wish everyone a safe and joy-filled holiday season and new year.

• December Plant of the Month

  Ilex verticillata ‘Wintergold’ – Wintergold Winterberry

  

  Ilex verticillata ‘Wintergold’, commonly known as Wintergold winterberry, has unique salmon-colored fruit. The berries begin to ripen in late summer to early fall and can last all the way into the new year. The snowy photo was taken on December 20, 2024. Winterberry is a dioecious species, which means there are separate male and female plants. Wintergold winterberry is a female plant, which is why it produces fruit. This specific cultivar came from a red-fruited cultivar called ‘Winter Red’, known for its dense, heavy fruiting—traits that Wintergold also possesses.

  

  Winterberry is a common native shrub in Massachusetts. When it is leafed out, it is harder to spot compared to in the winter. In mid-summer, winterberries have nondescript dark-green leaves, and if you look closely, you may find small green berries beginning to form. The straight species of winterberry can grow up to 15 feet tall and form large clumps that can be equally as wide.

  

  Some of the fruit naturally falls off the plant and is eaten by small rodents, such as mice and chipmunks. In the photo above, you can see how they eat just the pulp and part of the seed, leaving the outer skin of the fruit behind. With the low temperatures in the first week of winter, birds were covering the Wintergold winterberry, eating all of the available fruit.

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  Enjoy our December e-newsletter

  Click here to check it out!