Mary M.B. Wakefield Estate & Arboretum

Search again Edit this page
United States of America - Massachusetts - Milton

Institution Code:

BGCI Member: Yes

ArbNet Accredited: Level II

About the Mary M.B. Wakefield Estate & Arboretum

The Wakefield Estate & Arboretum was home to ten consecutive generations of the same family, beginning with John Davenport in 1706 and continuing through Mary “Polly” Wakefield, who died in 2004. Before her death, Polly created the Mary M. B. Wakefield Charitable Trust to preserve and restore the buildings and gardens that she and her predecessors built.

Polly Wakefield trained as a landscape architect and plant propagator. She developed her plant collection over a 50-year period, working closely with the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University where she studied propagation techniques. She developed her own collection from seeds and cuttings from trees of the Arnold Arboretum. Polly loved the Kousa dogwood and patented 8 cultivars that are cold hardy and have lovely fruit and flower displays. The Wakefield collection consists of more than 500 species and cultivars of woody plants. Plant material includes many Cornus, Acer, Magnolias and a large collection of conifers.

Main Address:
Mary M.B. Wakefield Estate & Arboretum
1465 Brush Hill Road
Milton
Massachusetts 02186 United States of America

Telephone:
Fax:
URL: http://wakefieldtrust.org/
Primary Email: dmerriam@comcast.net

Staff Details

  • Director's Name: Mark Smith
    Curator's Name: Debbie Merriam
    Plant Records Officer's Name: Debbie Merriam
  • Total Staff:
    Horticultural Staff Number: 2
    Educational Staff Number: 1
    Research Staff Number:
    Administration Staff Number: 1

About the Garden

  • Institution Type: Botanic Garden
  • Status
  • Status: Private: No
    Status: State: No
    Status: Educational: Yes
    Status: Municipal: No
    Status: Satellite: No
    Status: Trust: Yes
  • Date founded: 2004
  • Physical Data
  • Natural Vegetation Area: Yes
    Natural vegetation area: Size: 8 Hectares
  • Landscaped Area: Yes
    Landscaped Area: Size: 5 Hectares
  • Total Area: 15 Hectares
    Latitude: 42.224148
    Longitude: -71.119977
    Annual Rainfall: 1346 mm
    Altitude: 40.00 Metres
  • Locality: Information
  • Locality: Garden Name: Wakefield Estate & Arboretum
  • Local Address: 1465 Brush Hill Road
  • Locality: City: Milton
  • Locality: State: Massachusetts

Features and Facilities

  • Arboretum: Yes
    Arboretum Size: 14
  • Micropropagation/ Tissue Culture Facilities: No
    Seed Bank: No
    Published Plant Catalogue: Yes
    Computer Plant Record System: Yes
  • Open to public: Yes
    Friends society: No
    Retail Outlet: Shop: No
    Retail Outlet: Plant Sales: No
    Disabled access: Yes
  • Number of Visitors: 5000
    Number of Volunteers: 28

Plant Collections

  • Accession Number: 600
    Cultivation Taxa Num: 30
  • Invasive Species Monitoring: Yes
    Invasive Species Policy: Yes
    ABS Policy: Yes
    Plant Collection Policy: Yes

Conservation Programmes

  • Conservation Programme: No
    Medicinal Plant Programme: No
    Ex Situ Conservation Programme: No
    Reintroduction Programme: Yes

Research Programmes

  • Biotechnology: No
    Plant Breeding: Yes
    Conservation - Biology: Yes
    Conservation - Genetics: No
    Data Management Systems and Information Technology: No
    Ecology: Yes
    Ecosystem Conservation: Yes
    Education: Yes
    Ethnobotany: No
    Exploration: No
    Floristics: No
    Horticulture: Yes
    Invasive Species Biology and Control: Yes
    Molecular Genetics: Yes
    Pollination Biology: No
    Restoration Ecology: Yes
    Seed/Spore Biology: No
    Systematics and Taxonomy: No
    Sustainability: Yes
    Pharmacology: No
    Agriculture: No
    Land Restoration: Yes
    Urban Environments: Yes

Education Programmes

  • Visitor/Education Centre: No
    Education Signs in Garden: Yes
    Public Lectures/Talks: Yes
    Education Booklets/Leaflets: Yes
    Guided Tours: Yes
    Permanent Public Displays: Yes
    Special Exhibitions: Yes
    Courses for School Children: No
    Courses for University/College Students: No
    Courses for General Public: Yes
    Education Programme: Yes