arboretum

Garden at the United States National Arboretum, Washington, D.C.

arboretum, place where trees, shrubs, and sometimes herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes. An arboretum may be a collection in its own right or a part of a botanical garden. Important U.S. arboretums include the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University (Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts) and the United States National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.