Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Walk through the visitor center to the large patio that leads out to the gardens, all of which are well-
marked. Visit the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum on your left. On display here are bonsai trees
and plants placed in four peaceful courtyards. This is a nice quiet place to begin or end your hike.
From here, head out onto Meadow Road and into the Herb Garden.
The Herb Garden contains herbs used for culinary, medicinal, and other common purposes, as well
as herbs used for industrial, spiritual, and artistic uses. These are displayed in sections by the way in
which they are used and by their cultural significance—for example, those used by Native Americans.
In fall, the many varieties of peppers provide a colorful display. The garden is designed in a circular
shape with benches for resting and enjoying the fragrance.
From this garden, you get your first views of the National Capitol Columns across the meadow. This
large meadow was created because budget cuts in the 1990s prevented management of this area. Since
then, it has become an open space to allow native grasses and plants to grow and is only fully mowed
once a year to promote new growth. Pathways are kept mowed to encourage visitors to explore the
meadow.
Leave the Herb Garden and continue along Meadow Road to the path leading up to Mount
Hamilton. As you climb, look for deer and foxes. From the 236-foot summit of the mountain, you can
see as far as the US Capitol building on a clear day.
Return from the summit via the same path, then go right and immediately left into the entrance to
the Boxwood and Perennial Collections. About 150 varieties of boxwood can be found here. This
garden is especially beautiful in winter when the bushes are bright green, and in spring when the box-
woods bloom. Boxwoods are primarily used for framing gardens, and here they frame the arboretum's
Perennial Collection, which includes spring-blooming daffodils and peonies and summer-blooming
daylilies.
As you exit the National Boxwood Collection, turn right and walk down Meadow Road, which
changes name to Azalea Road when it curves to the left. The Azalea Collection is most spectacular in
spring when thousands of bushes explode into vibrant colors. If they are not in bloom, the walk is still
nice as it gets into the woods and has information along the way about azaleas.
Thanks to Washington, D.C.'s temperate climate, it was possible for most of the fifty state trees to
be planted here in the National Grove of State Trees. Only a few (Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Hawaii,
and South Carolina) are not included. However, “substitute” trees from each state are presented. Each
tree is marked with a plaque naming the state that it represents. There are restrooms and a picnic area
here as well.
The original columns that held up the dome of the US Capitol have found their final home at the ar-
boretum. When the Capitol was being built, the dome was larger than anticipated, creating an illusion
that the columns on the east side could not support the dome. While this was not the case, in 1958, the
columns were taken away and replaced with larger ones that stand today. The original columns were
put in storage. In 1984, the Friends of the National Arboretum raised the money to bring the columns
here. Russell Page, a prominent landscape architect, designed the pool and fountain area that surrounds
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