BOTANIC GARDEN of SMITH COLLEGE 

On April 19, 2014 my family and I visited Smith College in Northampton, MA.  This women’s college is on 143 acres and dates back to 1871.  My daughter was accepted to the school and we went to tour the campus to help us definitively decide if this was the school for her in the Fall.  

No visit would be complete without touring some of the gardens comprising the Botanic Garden of Smith College.  

The entire campus is an informal arboretum with most all plants and trees labeled and there is a campus map highlighting the more significant ones.  There are a series of specialty gardens throughout campus.  Check out their website for history, detailed maps and information at:  http://www.smith.edu/garden/home.html

In the late 1880’s Frederick Law Olmsted’s design firm was hired to spec out a comprehensive landscape design.  Over the years, through expansion and through a devastating hurricane in the 1930s that leveled over 200 trees, several people have had a hand in the landscape planning and the direction of the collections.  

Here is a link to the various gardens on campus:

http://www.smith.edu/garden/Gardens/gardens.html

The over 100 year old Lyman Conservatory houses over 2500 species of plants, specializing in tropical, subtropical and desert plants installed in a variety of greenhouses dating from 1895 to 1981.    They have an herbarium with over 60,000 pressed specimens.  

But as a true “Begoniac”, I could not resist eyeing their begonia collection a little longer than most visitors.  Herewith is a collection of pictures taken at a very fast pace so that I could also keep up with the rest of my family on college tour.

Their begonia collection can be found in their Warm Temperate House, along with Gesneriads and some citrus.

Begonia listada

Begonia molleri in bloom

Begonia molleri

Begonia molleri flower

Begonia stipulacea

Begonia sizemoreae

Begonia bradei

Another of Begonia bradei

Begonia glabra

Begonia echinosepala

Begonia ‘Snowcap’

Begonia mannii

Begonia manicata ‘Aureomaculata’
Mexico, Guatemala

Begonia friburgensis

Begonia heracheofolia ‘Sonderbruchii’

Begonia phyllomaniaca
common name: Crazy Leaf Begonia
Brazil

Begonia ‘Alto Scharff’

Begonia floccifera in bloom

Begonia floccifera

Begonia acetosa

Begonia foliosa var. miniata
common name: Fuchsia Begonia
Venezuela

Begonia brevirimosa

Begonia ‘Immense’

Begonia burklii in bloom

Begonia ‘Chantilly Lace’

Begonia limmingheiana
Common name Shrimp Begonia
Brazil

Begonia limmingheiana

Begonia ‘Black Raspberry’
Begonia glabra
Begonia epipsala
Begonia ‘Chantilly Lace’
Begonia ‘Immense’

Begonia hispada

Begonia epipsila

Begonia ‘Rudy’s Luxurians’

Same Begonia ‘Rudy’s luxurians’

Begonia echinosepala

Begonia luxurians var ziesenhenne

Begonia carolinifolia
Mexico, Guatemala

Begonia metallica

For the next begonia photos, I do not have names as I failed to photograph the plant markers.  Guess I’ll just have to go back and visit to document their identities!   😉

Begonia nelumbifolia from Mexico?!

 

Begonia (Rex cultivar)

Here are more pictures of a few of their greenhouses and some of the plants that caught my eye in the Orchid House, and other greenhouses.

Araceae Amorphophalius yunnanensis                                       Southern China, N. Thailand, N. Vietnam

Exhibition Gallery leading to the Main Lobby/Reception Area

Myrsinaceae Ardisia crenata                                                               Common name Coralberry                                                                         Japan to India

African violets within their gesneriad collection.

Melastomataceae
Medinilla sedifolia
Madagascar

Plectranthus oertendahlii

Ponytail Palm in the Succulent House

Fern House

Asclepiadaceae Dischidia platyphylla    Phillipine Island

Oh, and the college tour was great too!