Arboretum Ellerhoop-Thiensen
Encyclopedia
The Ellerhoop-Thiensen Arboretum (17 hectares, of which about 7.5 hectares are open to the public) is an arboretum
and botanical garden
located at Thiensen 4, Ellerhoop
, Schleswig-Holstein
, Germany
. It is open daily; an admission fee is charged.
The arboretum dates to 1943 when Timm & Co. formed a nursery on the site. In 1956 its last owner, Erich Frahm, established an arboretum (3.5 hectares) in cooperation with dendrologist Dr. Gerd Krüssman. In 1980 the site was acquired by the state, along with 10 hectares for expansion, and a group including the Botanical Garden of the University of Hamburg
helped plan its future. In 1989 the non-profit Arboretum Förderkreis Baumbark Ellerhoop-Thiensen eV was established to support the arboretum, and in 1996 responsibility was handed to this organization.
Today the arboretum serves to help teach practical and theoretical biology, including both training in horticulture and academic botanical research. Its areas include:
The arboretum's main focus is on the genera
Prunus
, Malus
, and Hydrangea
. Tree specimens include Acer rubrum, Aronia arbutifolia, Cephalanthus occidentalis
, Chamaecyparis thyoides
, Ilex glabra
, Magnolia virginiana, and Taxodium distichum
. It also includes various bamboo
species (Phyllostachys
, Fargesia
, Pseudosasa
, and Sasa
), as well as Alnus glutinosa 'Imperialis', various Salix species
, and Miscanthus
varieties.
A secondary research focus is the breeding and selection of tree peonies
. In recent years, the arboretum has amassed the largest tree peony collection in Germany
, with a total of 245 taxa
.
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
and botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
located at Thiensen 4, Ellerhoop
Ellerhoop
Ellerhoop is a municipality in the district of Pinneberg in Schleswig Holstein, Germany. It is twinned with the village of Hurst Green, East Sussex, UK.-Geography:Ellerhoop is situated to the north of Hamburg, close to the A23 Autobahn.-Points of interest:...
, Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is open daily; an admission fee is charged.
The arboretum dates to 1943 when Timm & Co. formed a nursery on the site. In 1956 its last owner, Erich Frahm, established an arboretum (3.5 hectares) in cooperation with dendrologist Dr. Gerd Krüssman. In 1980 the site was acquired by the state, along with 10 hectares for expansion, and a group including the Botanical Garden of the University of Hamburg
University of Hamburg
The University of Hamburg is a university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by Wilhelm Stern and others. It grew out of the previous Allgemeines Vorlesungswesen and the Kolonialinstitut as well as the Akademisches Gymnasium. There are around 38,000 students as of the start of...
helped plan its future. In 1989 the non-profit Arboretum Förderkreis Baumbark Ellerhoop-Thiensen eV was established to support the arboretum, and in 1996 responsibility was handed to this organization.
Today the arboretum serves to help teach practical and theoretical biology, including both training in horticulture and academic botanical research. Its areas include:
- The development history of the trees dating to the CarboniferousCarboniferousThe Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
period, - A herbivorous dinosaurDinosaurDinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
from the TriassicTriassicThe Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
period, - A large cypressCypressCypress is the name applied to many plants in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is a conifer of northern temperate regions. Most cypress species are trees, while a few are shrubs...
swamp forest of the TertiaryTertiaryThe Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
period, - A cropCropCrop may refer to:* Crop, a plant grown and harvested for agricultural use* Crop , part of the alimentary tract of some animals* Crop , a modified whip used in horseback riding or disciplining humans...
area with heritage grains, - Other topics such as carnivorous plantCarnivorous plantCarnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants appear adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic...
s.
The arboretum's main focus is on the genera
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Prunus
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. There are around 430 species spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe. Many members of the genus are widely cultivated for fruit and ornament.-Botany:Members of the genus...
, Malus
Malus
Malus , the apples, are a genus of about 30–35 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae. Other studies go as far as 55 species including the domesticated Orchard Apple, or Table apple as it was formerly called...
, and Hydrangea
Hydrangea
Hydrangea is a genus of about 70 to 75 species of flowering plants native to southern and eastern Asia and North and South America. By far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Japan, and Korea...
. Tree specimens include Acer rubrum, Aronia arbutifolia, Cephalanthus occidentalis
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Cephalanthus occidentalis is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, that is native to eastern and southern North America. Common names include Buttonbush, Common Buttonbush, Button-willow and Honey-bells....
, Chamaecyparis thyoides
Chamaecyparis thyoides
Chamaecyparis thyoides , is a species of Chamaecyparis, native to the Atlantic coast of North America from Maine south to Georgia, with a disjunct population on the Mexican Gulf coast from Florida to Mississippi...
, Ilex glabra
Ilex glabra
Ilex glabra, also known as Appalachian Tea, Dye-leaves, Evergreen Winterberry, Gallberry, Inkberry, is a species of holly native to the Eastern and the South Central United States and southern Canada . This plant is often used as an ornamental plant...
, Magnolia virginiana, and Taxodium distichum
Taxodium distichum
Taxodium distichum is a species of conifer native to the southeastern United States.-Characteristics:...
. It also includes various bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
species (Phyllostachys
Phyllostachys
Phyllostachys is a genus of bamboo. The species are native to Asia with a large number of species found in Central China, but can now be found in many temperate and semi-tropical areas around the world as cultivated plants or escapes from cultivation...
, Fargesia
Fargesia
Fargesia is a genus of medium to small mountain clumping bamboos, found in alpine conifer forests of East Asia. They are known in Chinese as jian zhu , meaning "arrow bamboo". They can be found in China south to Vietnam and west to the eastern slopes of the Himalayas...
, Pseudosasa
Pseudosasa
Pseudosasa is a genus of small to medium running bamboo. These species usually have one branch at a node. Its name comes from its resemblance to the genus Sasa....
, and Sasa
Sasa (genus)
Sasa is a genus of running bamboo. These species have at most one branch per node....
), as well as Alnus glutinosa 'Imperialis', various Salix species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, and Miscanthus
Miscanthus
Miscanthus is a genus of about 15 species of perennial grasses native to subtropical and tropical regions of Africa and southern Asia, with one species Miscanthus is a genus of about 15 species of perennial grasses native to subtropical and tropical regions of Africa and southern Asia, with one...
varieties.
A secondary research focus is the breeding and selection of tree peonies
Tree peony
Tree peony can refer to any member of the plant genus Paeonia that has a woody habit, including:*Paeonia delavayi, Delavay's tree peony*Paeonia ludlowii, Ludlow's tree peony*Paeonia rockii, Rock's tree peony...
. In recent years, the arboretum has amassed the largest tree peony collection in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, with a total of 245 taxa
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
.