Schedule set for 2024 Woody Plant Conference

This year’s Woody Plant Conference takes place Friday, July 19, at the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.

An all-day conference from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., the goal is to learn about woody plants while stimulating conversation among nursery and garden center personnel, landscape designers, horticulturists and gardeners.

Available in-person or virtually, tickets to the conference are $119.

What to expect, schedule, speakers

The conference kicks off with registration and a tour of Scott Arboretum. After a welcome from Claire Sawyers, director of the Scott Arboretum, the first speaker will be Mark Weathington, director of the JC Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University.

Weathington will speak on native plants and invasive plants and talk about their underlying causes.

Next up will be Anthony Aiello, associate director of collections at Longwood Gardens. Aiello’s topic is “Japanese Flowering Cherries in America: A love affair for more than 100 years.” He will also speak on botanic gardens.

Led by Andrea Brennan, ArbNet Leader at the Morton Arboretum, the next topic at the Woody Plant Conference will be ArbNet, an award-winning international community of arboreta and woody plant professionals.

After lunch, Mike Karkowski, director of horticulture at Tyler Arboretum, and Ethan Dropkin, a life-long naturalist, will host “Garden Voices” to talk about hazard trees and workhorse plants.

Bryce Lane, award-winning teacher currently at NC State and the JC Raulston Arboretum, will then speak on soil health, specifically relating to tips that maximize woody plant success. Lane also produced and hosted a three-time Emmy-winning show called “In the Garden with Bryce Lane.”

Following a break and raffle winner announcements, Rebecca McMackin, arboretum curator for Woodlawn Cemetery, and Christopher Roddick, ISA-certified arborist, will lead “Ecological Arboriculture” where they will introduce attendees to a holistic approach to caring for trees, woody plants and landscapes.

The conference will conclude with closing comments, and in-person participants will have the option to attend an hour-long reception, for an additional fee of $20.

Sponsors of the Woody Plant Conference include Longwood Gardens, Typer Arboretum, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, The Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College, Morris Arboretum of University of Pennsylvania and Chanticleer.