Hebert Arboretum at Springside Park
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| Elm Allee In the 1800’s, a wealthy copper merchant from New York City built a “cottage” on land he owned on upper North Street, now Springside House at Springside Park. Elmhurst, as his home was known, was an opulent place and the grounds were highly manicured and the two entryways, the original carriage road, were lined with elegant Elms. Since that time the Elm trees died out and were replaced with Silver Maples, now in decline. The Arboretum Master Plan envisioned a re-establishment of the Elms along the historic Elm Allee which has been restored with the help of two generous grants from the Lenox Garden Club and donations from the Friends of Hebert Arboretum. |
The Hebert Arboretum is a living tree library located within one of Pittsfield’s premier city resources, Springside Park, at 874 North Street in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, off Route 7, just north of downtown. The mission of Hebert Arboretum is to display a wide diversity of trees and other plants in formal landscapes and larger natural areas for people’s enjoyment, refreshment, inspiration and better understanding of the living world. Throughout a city park, it offers educational programs, promotes land preservation and environmentally sound gardening and landscape practices, and is compatible with a variety of other community activities.
Springside Park is a unique sanctuary for plant and animal life, located in the middle of a city on over 231 acres of land. Hebert Arboretum is a living laboratory with Relic New England woods comprising more than 50 species of native trees and shrubs and Upland New England field succession; complete with herb, forb, and pioneer species. The Arboretum is host to a migratory bird ‘migration funnel’ where migrating warblers, vireos, and songbirds come for sanctuary and rest. Micro-niches and vernal pools for frogs and salamanders exist as well as wetland habitats that are home to dozens of mammal and bird species. As well as host to over 34 families and 338 species of trees and plant life there is a tremendous wildflower diversity of over 135 species.
Established by Vincent J. Hebert, longtime director of the Pittsfield Parks Department, and Pittsfield Beautiful, the Arboretum serves his vision by creating a special place where visitors can discover and enjoy their natural world. Here a visitor will find a treasure of ornamental trees and perennial gardens as well as native ecosystems and diverse ecological habitats throughout Springside Parks rolling hills, meadows, woodlands, streams, marshes and ponds; home to innumerable types of flora and fauna.
Over the past several years, with the help of numerous volunteers and community organizations, Hebert Arboretum has focused on providing guided tours, educational programs and outdoor activities for the community as well as improving the grounds.
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| Elm Planting Members of the Hebert Arboretum Board of Directors and Friends of the Arboretum planted twenty disease resistant Princeton elms to complete the restoration of the Historic Elm Allee. |