Arboretum Suspends Plans to Destroy Azaleas

The U.S. National Arboretum in Washington has to destroy azaleas located on a hill adjacent to the facility that were cultivated and grown by Benjamin Morrison, a Takoma Park resident who was the arboretum’s first director.

Current Arboretum Director Colien Hefferan posted a statement on the facility’s website saying, “The U. S. National Arboretum is suspending actions to remove the Glenn Dale azaleas from our extensive collection of azaleas, as well as the National Boxwood Collection and Perennials Collection, subject to further discussions with stakeholders about the process and criteria for decisions about our collections.”

Hefferan made the announcement just as the Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA), a non-profit organization that provides the arboretum with financial and volunteer support, said it will use a $1 million donation made to FONA to establish an endowment to help preserve the Azalea and Boxwood Collections at the arboretum. “We have heard and appreciate the public outpouring of comments and concerns about deaccessioning the Glenn Dale azaleas and the boxwood and perennials collections,” she said.

In addition, FONA said it will launch a major fundraising campaign during the Spring of 2011 to raise the additional $1 million needed to maintain the “treasured” azaleas and the boxwood collections. “The Azalea Collection has long been a landmark in Washington. The lesser known but nationally recognized Boxwood Collection is the most complete collection in the world,” FONA said in a written statement.

The arboretum’s decision to destroy the azaleas on its property—possibly as soon as the summer of 2011—would destroy a substantial part of Benjamin Y. Morrison’s work, according to supporters of the azaleas. From 1929 to 1954 Morrison—who lived from 1891 to 1966—did much of his work breeding azaleas, and was able to cross breed the large flowers and exciting colors of tender azaleas in the Indica group with the hardiness of more northerly species. Many of the more than 10,000 hybrid azaleas bred by Morrison are on the south slopes of Mount Hamilton in the area known as the Glenn Dale Hillside adjacent to the National Arboretum located at 3501 New York Avenue, NE, Washington, D.C.

Hefferan’s statement says it was the lack of funds that led to the arboretum’s decision to destroy those flowers, and while the initial plan is on suspension, the flowers could still be destroyed. “The resource challenges facing the arboretum which initially led to these decisions are still very real and in need of solution, we want to reassess our current resource use and opportunities to expand private support before we reduce or eliminate collections the public so values,” Herreran says.

In addition, Hefferan acknowledges the moves by FONA to find funding that will pay to care for the collection. “FONA’s efforts in support of the arboretum pave the way for us to work toward a new, vibrant future for this treasured place,” she said. Hefferan adds that she plans to meet with key stakeholders during the spring to discuss the future of the collections.

Jeanne Connelly, the chairwoman of FONA’s board of directors, applauded the arboretum’s announcement saying, “We are delighted that Dr. Hefferan has listened to the arboretum’s constituents and are heartened by the willingness of the arboretum’s new leadership to engage the public in an open discussion about decisions relating to its collections.”

In addition, FONA is “hopeful that funding from this major donation, along with additional support raised in the coming months, will ensure these popular and important collections will be enjoyed by future generations,” Connelly said.