With fall colors just starting to appear, the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum is offering free arboretum tours in the southeast corner of the state. Almost a dozen gardens will be toured, all very different in appearance and mission, but each offering helpful ideas about plant selection, landscape design and management. Participants are encouraged to come with questions, or even photos, for discussion during the informal tours.
Thursday, October 10
10 a.m. to noon. Governor Furnas Arboretum in Brownville has a wonderful collection of more than 100 species of trees and shrubs appropriate to southeastern Nebraska.
2-4 p.m. Itha Krumme Arboretum in Falls City (near Stanton Lake Park in northwest part of town) features a diverse collection of Nebraska native trees, shrubs and prairie plants.
4-6 p.m. FALL FESTIVAL at Maxwell Arboretum in Lincoln. Lots of food samples & activities for the whole family.
5 p.m. Tour native woodlands and some burn-management areas at Indian Cave State Park.
Friday, October 11
9-11 a.m. Peru State college, “Campus of a Thousand Oaks,” is nestled into wooded bluffs off the Missouri River. It is home to thousands of oaks, hickories, maples, ashes, redbuds, ironwood and other wonderful native trees.
1-4 p.m. Nebraska City’s Arbor Lodge, High School Arboretum and other community sites. Many of the trees around Arbor Lodge were originally planted by J. Sterling Morton, so it’s a great place to see mature trees. The High School converted 7,200 square feet of parking lot into islands that provide opportunities to study ecosystems, habitat and species diversity.
Thursday, October 17
9 a.m. CABG Patch Arboretum in Omaha’s Rolling Hills area has many mature trees from its original days as a nursery. Curators Robert and Carol Lynch have added hundreds more trees and shrubs as well as many perennial beds. Unusual trees include dawn redwood, Swiss stone and lacebark pin.
10:30 a.m. Forest Lawn Cemetery was laid out in a “park-like” fashion with canopied roads to shade horse-drawn buggies and later automobiles and has a wonderful variety of mature trees.
Noon. Metro Community College, originally a military site with parade grounds, has some beautiful trees, shrubs and perennial beds. Participants can purchase lunch at the college’s highly-acclaimed Culinary Arts Institute Bistro.
2 p.m. Elmwood Park dates back to the late 1880s and was originally envisioned as a place to escape the gritty sights and sounds of the thriving prairie city. It contains a stone grotto, meandering stream, a pavilion, golf course and lots of tree-lined pathways.
3:30-6 p.m. Omaha Public Power Department Arboretum was designed to demonstrate proper tree-planting, particularly around power lines, and the value of trees in terms of beauty and energy conservation. A plant sale will be held after the tour.

For more information about the tours, call 402.472.2971. Arboretum locations and more can be found at arboretum.unl.edu/southeast-nebraska.