| Collections and exhibitions of Dendrology Department of Botanic Garden of Tver State University have not only scientific but also historical and cultural significance. The Park Garden includes f the trees planted at its birth such as the historic oaks and larches, whose age is over 130 years. Not coincidentally, a lump of European larch, as a symbol of continuity of tradition and a tribute to one of the old-timers of the Garden became the official logo of the Garden since the early 90-ies of XX century.
Restoration and maintenance of dendrological collection resumed in 1989, since the restoration of the garden in the structure of the Tver State University. Arboretum territory is planned as a landscape-scenery park, plants are located on the phyto-geographical basis. Within the park are marked divisions of North America, South and Central Europe, Siberia and Altai, the Far East and South-East Asia. Collection of Dendrology Department contains of about 400 species and cultivars belonging to 102 genera, and 1942 families.
The formation of collections is based on the use of methods of climate analogues and introduction of generic systems. As the stock collections are formed the following: genera Barberry (Berberis), spirea (Spirea), lilac (Syringa), willow (Salix), maple (Acer), heather family (Ericaceae), ornamental forms of conifers. In addition to the park-arboretum the trees and shrubs form the basis of the exhibitions "The Heather Garden", "The Tver estate Romantic Garden", "Oriental Garden (Maple exposition)", "French garden", many modular compositions of barberry and decorative forms of conifers are in the ground floor of the garden.
Within the project "Introduction as a way to preserve biodiversity," one of the main activities of the Department of Dendrology is the work on the conservation of rare and endangered trees and shrubs of Tver region.
Major stock collections of the department:
The collection of the genus Acer (curator EV Boykova): more than 30 species and cultivars. Research on seed production of the collection is carried out. The pride of the collection is the rare species – Komarov’s maple. Its natural habitat is in South Primorye, Korea and the surrounding part of northeast China. According to the catalog of cultivated arboreal plants of Russia this kind of maple along with a botanical garden of TSU is cultivated in 2 botanic institutions: the Botanic Garden of FED RSA and the Sakhalin Botanic Garden of RSA.
The collection of ornamental conifers (curator M.A. Sinitenkova) consists of more than 63 species and 105 decorative forms of 12 genera, representing three families: Cupressaceae, Pinaceae, Taxaceae. Particular attention in the formation of the collection is now being given to rarely encountered in nature, species and dwarf ornamental forms.
The collection of representatives of the family Ericaceae (curator NS Platonov) is represented by 5 genera; CallunaSalisb. (12 varieties), EricaL. (3 varieties), RhododendronL. (More than 30 species and more than 10 kinds), Andromeda L (2 sorts), GaulteriaL. (2 species). |
