The Arboretum

The Arboretum which is located in the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, displays a wide range of well-established trees and shrubs, some dating back to 1889, the date that the Arboretum was established. The Arboretum covers about 26 hectares of rolling land between Prince of Wales Drive and the Rideau Canal and comprises various soil types and moisture levels.

Many of the trees and shrubs planted in 1889 are now among the largest specimens of their species in Canada. In 1889, little was known about the hardiness of exotic plants in the Ottawa area, so most of the trees were obtained from the famous nurseries of Spaeth in Germany, Louis Freres in France, Ellwanger and Barry in Rochester, N.Y., and the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plains, Mass. Some of the plants from the Arnold Arboretum were from explorers in China, including Drs. E.Wilson and J. Rock.

Ottawa has a temperate, continental climate with a moderating influence in the winter because of the proximity of the Great Lakes. Large changes in the weather are often experienced from day to day and relatively large temperature variations occur from season to season. The mean annual temperature of 16°C, and January is the coldest month, with a mean temperature of -11ºC. During an average year, the normal minimum, and maximum temperatures are -16°C in January and 27ºC in July. Temperatures can range from above 35ºC in the summer, to below -32ºC in the winter. The average dates of the last frost in the spring and the first frost in the fall are May 13 and September 28; an average frost-free period of 137 days. ⁽²⁾

The Arboretum is open, free of charge, to the public from sunrise to sunset everyday. It is a popular spot for family picnics and walks during the summer.

⁽²⁾ extracted from: Buckley, A.R., Trees and Shrubs of the Dominion Arboretum, Agriculture Canada, 1980