Keeping track of plants in a living landscape is never a finished job. Plants grow, change, and sometimes disappear, and new discoveries are always waiting around the corner. Still, documenting what we have is essential for caring for the Arboretum, sharing it with our visitors, and planning for the future. This year, we reached a major milestone: completing our survey of all Arboretum specimens with historic documentation.
We began this work last year by moving our plant records from a Microsoft Access database into Hortis, a modern online platform built for botanic gardens. This new system opened the door for easier data entry, mapping, and record-keeping.
At the beginning of 2025, our Maine Conservation Corp Stewards, together with our Land Manager, began the careful work of surveying every documented specimen across the Arboretum.
Over months of fieldwork, the team located, assessed, and recorded hundreds of plants. In total we have 1,11 living plants documented, 716 unique taxa represented, and about 400 plants recorded as dead or missing. It's important to note that these numbers reflect plants that are officially part of the Arboretum's living collection: plants that were diliberately planted, donated, or otherwise recorded in our history. Beyond those, there are countless other trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants that make up the Arboretum's natural landscape. While they aren't included in the collection database, they are just as vital to the beauty and ecology of the property.
By focusing on the documented collection, we're able to preserve records of plants with known histories and educational value. Thanks to Hortis, each of these specimens now has GPS coordinates and can be viewed on a digital map, making it easier for staff and stewards to manage the collection. It also provides visitors a way to explore our plants online. The public version is still in its early stages, but we're excited for how it will grow. 
Digital records are only part of the picture. Visitors often connect most directly through plant tags, which have
long been a feature at the Arboretum. Our current system for producing tags is outdated. The tags can be difficult to read, and they don't hold up well outdoors. Rather than continuing with a method that isn't working, we're exploring new options for sharing plant information in ways that are visitor-friendly, durable, and efficient for staff to produce. In the meantime, we encourage you to dive into the online plant database when you're curious about what you see on the trails. And of course, you can always ask us, we love to talk plants!
While the work of a documenting a living landscape never truly ends, finishing this survey marks a huge step forward. We're now better equipped to care for the Arboretum's plant collection, share them with visitors, and plan for the years ahead.
