Queens Botanical Garden
43-50 Main Street, Flushing, Queens
39 acres

Directions:

Long Island Expressway to exit 23-Main Street and follow north for seven traffic lights. Make a left on Dahlia Avenue.

Or take the IRT #7 subway.

History:

The Queens Botanical Garden is located at the northeast corner of Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

1939-40 -- the Garden begins as a five-acre horticultural exhibit at the New York World's Fair.

World War II -- the gardens allowed to become overgrown.

1946 -- citizens and Parks Commissioner Robert Moses establish the Queens Botanical Garden Society and develop a 20 acre area for the display of plants.

1960s -- the Garden relocated to its present site to accommodate plans for the 1964-65 New York World's Fair.

A FEW PLANTS:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney and Phillip Duckett
* = blooming on 4/16/02

Trees:
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Betula populifolia (gray birch)
Cedrus (blue atlas cedar)
Cercidiphyllum japonicum (Katsura tree)
Chionanthus retusus (fringe tree)
Crataegus sp. (hawthorn) *
Gleditsia triacanthos (honey locust)
Ilex opaca (American holly)
Magnolia grandiflora (southern magnolia)
Magnolia macrophylla (bigleaf magnolia)
Prunus ‘Kwanzan' (Kwanzan cherry)
Prunus mackii (Manchurian cherry)
Quercus palustris (pin oak)
Quercus phellos (willow oak)
Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock)

Shrubs:
Aronia arbutifolia (red chokeberry)
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Calycanthus floridus (Carolina allspice)
Cercis canadensis (redbud)
Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepperbush)
Cornus kousa (kousa dogwood)
Corylopsis spicata (winter hazel)
Fothergilla (fothergilla)
Hibiscus syriacus (rose of Sharon)
Ilex verticillata (winterberry holly)
Rhododendron maximum (rosebay rhododendron) *
Sarcococca hookeriana (sweet-box) China
Viburnum lantana (wayfaring tree)
Viburnum lentago (nannyberry viburnum) *
Viburnum plicatum (double file viburnum) *
Vinca minor (periwinkle)

Vines:
Clematis sp. (clematis) *
Clematis virginiana (virgin's bower)
Euonymus fortunii (Fortune's euonymus)

Herbs:
Ajuga repens (bugleweed) *
Aquilegia vulgaris (garden columbine) *
Aster stelleriana (dusty miller)
Convallaria majalis (lily of the valley) *
Dicentra eximia (bleeding heart)
Duchesnea indica (Indian strawberry) *
Geranium maculatum (wild geranium) *
Helonias bullata (swamp pink)
Hosta spp. (hosta)
Lamium maculatum (dead nettle)
Narcissus sp. (daffodil)
Polygonatum biflorum (smooth true Solomon's seal) *
Tiarella sp. (foamflower)


Ferns and Fern Allies:
Equisetum hyemale
Matteuccia struthiopteris (ostrich fern)

Torrey Botanical Society field trip report.

October 12, 1974. Queens Botanic Garden, Flushing, N.Y. Despite the fact that this was a long holiday weekend, a good representation of the club members attended the trip. Mr. John Giaconi, in charge of the garden's program of childrens' programs, was our guide and host. The Queens Botanic Garden has been at its present site for some 10 years but already has a lively program and many features of beauty and interest. Some which particularly caught our attention were the dahlia display, entirely cared for by one woman volunteer; a unique fasciated Cryptomeria japonica; and two so-called Chinese date or jujube tree (Zizyphus jujuba) bearing small brownish, tasty fruits. We also munched on late-bearing red raspberry and cherry tomatoes.

One serious problem faced by the garden was pointed out to us. Built on a land-fill site, certain areas are sinking, but even worse, methane resulting from decomposition, going on in the fill is causing severe damage to many of the trees, including the flowering cherries.

After lunch in the administration building, Dr. Peter Nelson showed slides during the seminar on tropical ecology at the Asa Wright Nature Center in Trinidad last summer. Attendance was 15. Trip leader was Dr. Peter K. Nelson.