YELLOWSTONE ARBORETUM
" Stewards of the Natural Environment "
Billings, Montana @ ZooMontana
Yellowstone Arboretum
Quarterly Newsletter - Winter Edition
Winter at the Arboretum
"New Season, New Evaluations"
Homestead Collection
Bark Inspection Time
Long Shadows, Long Nights
After a long autumn season we are finally seeing hints of the coming short days and lengthy nights let alone the dropping temperatures and white stuff. Winter holds some unique challenges for tree lovers. The green may be gone, except conifers, but a new image emerges when inspecting trees. It's a great time to enjoy the unique bark and branch structures of your favorite trees. As we can now get a different view of a tree's crown, it can also a great time to do a little pruning. Don't forget if it's an open dry season you may consider winter watering especially conifers as they go into limited dormancy and continue to grow. Also, if decorating outdoor trees ,remember the old rule...if you put up lights please take them down. Not doing so can prove unhealthy ,if not permanently damaging, to the life of your favorite tree !
Bitterroot - State Flower
Lewis and Clark Collection
The discoveries of Lewis and Clark included 178 plants, shrubs, trees and herbs not previously recorded for science. Lewis and Clark collected hundreds of different specimens of plants and recorded descriptions and information on their habitat, growth, and their uses by Native American Indians.
Plants Discovered by Lewis and Clark
The explorers made significant additions to the botanical knowledge of the North American continent. President Thomas Jefferson believed that the new plants found on the voyages of discovery would add to the supply of food crops and medicinal qualities of new plants that would prove to be beneficial to the human race.
Connections to the Arboretum
The Yellowstone Arboretum contains 36 species of the many trees and plants that were discovered or re-affirmed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. We've included many of those on our newest collection page and where they can be discovered by visitors. This is a perfect opportunity for your own scavenger hunt. Plant names and locations are listed on the webpage. Use the arboretum map found inside to make your hunt a little easier.
New Legacy Collection
The "Legacy Collection" was created in 2024 in honor of those tree specimens that have a personal connection to the Yellowstone Arboretum or historical value to arboreta lineage. These specimens will be notes by signage when visiting the arboretum and more information can be attained by entering the common name or accession record number on the website search box (found on home page). One example of the collection includes the Reger Family legacy.
"Reger Family Collection"
Pinus sylvestris - Scotch Pine (0098-123)
These trees originated from the Reger home garden. Jane and Jim Reger were the driving forces behind the formation of ZooMontana and the arboretum. Of the original seven specimens planted in 1998 three survive today (2025). They are located at Wolverine Junction and visible from the main pathway.
Ginkgo biloba (0097-029)
Jane Reger was instrumental in introducing the first Ginkgo trees to the arboretum. One tree is located across from the Schoolhouse Entry.
Other plants include the Frank Skinner Nursery Collection, J.H. Skinner Nursery Collection, J.F. Schmidt Nursery and Wyman Collection.
What is the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit?
The Award of Garden Merit is a mark of quality awarded to garden plants (including trees, vegetables and decorative plants) by the United Kingdom, Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Awards are made annually after plant trials intended to judge the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. Most of these trials can be applied to our growing climate here in Montana as well.
The RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) was introduced in the 1920’s by the Royal Horticultural Society and represents the mark of excellence for plants. This exists to help gardeners choose the best all round garden value varieties. The RHS run professional and well executed AGM trials are a helpful guide for the gardening public.
These trials are undertaken with a limited range of plants, chosen for comparative purposes, and not necessarily conducted on a wide range of site and soil situations. It is a useful guide but far from exhaustive. Trials can take years to find a suitable variety. These plants are mostly selected for their availability from specialist growers. This does not mean that trees that do not have this recognition are less desirable or do not perform as well. The Yellowstone Arboretum has a number of trees and/or shrubs that have trialed successfully according to RHS standards. We have listed them on a new webpage with location and the year of RHS award.
Paul's Scarlet Hawthorne
New planting-Parking lot island
Winter Campaign
Arboretum volunteers have over wintered 50 seedlings, acorns, buckeyes and bulbs in anticipation of next spring's plantings and up-potting. The seedlings were propagated this last season and include various species starts from South Dakota, Minnesota, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Michigan, Maryland and the grounds of ZooMontana. Thanks to the Finch Arboretum, Spokane, for their seeds and Evergreen IGA for their bulb donation. We will also be working and sharing seeds in the future with Maple River Nursery, Owosso Michigan, on the propagation of Yellowhorn trees.
CLICK HERE for Winter Tree Tips
Website Upgrades Continue....
In the next 30 days you may witness some new upgrades to make your arboretum website visit easier. We are changing some navigational procedures which will make movement around the site more seamless. After all there is a lot of information on our site.
Our site has been viewed throughout the U.S., Canada and northern Europe.
COMINGS & GOINGS
New Feature !
"Ask the Tree Guy"
Have a question about trees? What tree to plant and where, how do I plant a tree, how to water my tree, bugs and other things I found in my tree ? Here's a great opportunity to let your own tree guru answer any question you may have. Just use the email link below with your questions. Photos are also welcomed !
COMING for 2025
Can you imagine all three of these celebrations on the same day in April and all at the same time at ZooMontana ? The date has been reserved for what should prove as a huge community celebration. Watch for more details as they come available !
Mark Your Calendars
Just a reminder, the 2025 National Iris Convention will be held in Billings June 2nd-7th. Stop by the Koi Ponds and South Plaza to get a sneak preview of the Iris Gardens maintained by the Big Sky Iris Club !
The city of Billings will be host to the 2025 National Extension Agents Convention
June 29 - July 3.
Organizers have already requested and booked tours of the native plants in the Foster Waterfowl Refuge and the trees of the Yellowstone Arboretum !
Seeking Volunteers !
Are you looking for a great volunteer opportunity that gets you outdoors, where you can meet new people, help a worthy cause and enjoy nature ? If so, consider volunteering at the Yellowstone Arboretum. We perform all facets of tree maintenance on some of the coolest trees in Montana. Work at your own pace and schedule and the pay is priceless.
or
email: billingsbotanical1@gmail.com
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OUR MISSION STATEMENT
"The mission of the Yellowstone Arboretum is to cultivate arboreta appreciation and understanding of our local heritage through public education, organic preservation and stewardship of our natural environment."
