The Design of the New Zealand Forest
Silver beech (Nothofagus menziesii), one of the iconic plants in the New Zealand Forest. (Photo by Kahuroa; courtesy Wikipedia Commons.)
The Arboretum’s new, 2-acre, New Zealand-themed eco-geographic forest is more than just forest! It is composed of seven distinct vegetation sections: two southern beech (Nothofagus) forests, three shrublands, and two alpine grasslands. All of them are modeled on actual plant communities found in mid- to high-elevation zones on the South Island of New Zealand.
In the summer 2013 issue of the Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin, the Foundation’s communications manager Niall Dunne discusses the design of the new forest garden and its different vegetation zones and plants. Read the full article.
