Arboretum

A large area to the west of the Schmuckhof is taken up by the arboretum (from the Latin arbor = tree), a collection of woody plants from all over the world. Essentially, groups of trees and shrubs are loosely arranged here in colorful meadows according to their relationship.

Woody plants that thrive here come from Europe, temperate Asia – especially China and Japan – and North America. They are arranged according to systematic criteria for better comparison. Thus, on one area you can find many maple species, on another different ash trees, on a third wild apple and pear species. The southeastern part of the arboretum is mainly devoted to deciduous trees, the northwestern part to conifers. 90% of the tree and shrub species planted in the arboretum do not originate from Germany.

Besides mighty beeches, exotic tulip trees and rare magnolias with huge flowers, the variety of different conifers is impressive. In the arboretum you will not only get to know interesting tree species, but you can also observe many birds and squirrels.

Certain sections of the large meadows remain unmowed and show their flowering splendor unhindered.

Deadwood: Basis for a new life

Old trees and dead wood provide homes and food for many specialized birds, beetles and other insects. They are an important part of nature’s cycle. For example, many rare species of beetles depend on rotten wood in their larval stage. Detailed records are kept on each of our trees, from planting to cause of death. This information is part of our research database.