Arboretum

visit the District's Donohoe Center Arboretum!

The four-acre Arboretum features 75 different species of trees. Most of the trees are cultivated varieties of "cultivars" which are basically our native trees which have been genetically altered for different shapes, fall colors, fruit production, etc. Some examples include: "Sugar Tyme" Crabapple which has abundant white blossoms in the spring, and red fruit in the fall that persists into winter. Also notable is the Dawn Redwood, a conifer with a conical shape and fernlike texture, and needs that turn a golden yellow-brown in autumn before they fall. Dawn Redwood may date back to the age of dinosaurs. The very hardy Patmore ash which tolerates acid to alkaline soils, salt, drought and compaction also makes its home in the Arboretum.

Portions of the arboretum have definite functions. The trees which are planted around the building were selected for both shading in the summer and shelter in the winter. Trees along the road have showy flowers and fruits and are excellent selections for under power lines, as most only grow  to about 20 feet in height. The trees along the northwest side of the building function both as a screen from the county maintenance shed and equipment lot and also as a windbreak in winter. The trees around the pond and back towards the Ann Rudd Saxman Nature Park have qualities which make them beneficial to wildlife.