Explore the Stumpery: The Newest Garden Addition to the Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum | Trees Atlanta

Explore the Stumpery: The Newest Garden Addition to the Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum

Trees Atlanta is showcasing the Stumpery, a new whimsical garden space within the Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum, as part of National Public Gardens Week from May 8 – 17, with a virtual tour. The Stumpery is located in Reynoldstown on the Eastside Trail between Kirkwood Avenue and Wylie Street, and is a unique collection of repurposed logs and tree roots from construction sites around Atlanta.

Hosted by the American Public Gardens Association, of which Trees Atlanta is a member organization, National Public Gardens Week is a celebration of botanical gardens, including the Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum. The introduction of delightful garden spaces, such as the Stumpery, creates botanical learning places that also provide natural beauty and a source of resilience in our communities. As explained in a blog post by Rachel Bergman, one of Trees Atlanta staff dedicated to its Arboretum program:

“Stumperies provide a living space for nontraditional plants, such as mosses with their vibrant color and soft textures that thrive in shady stumperies. Stumperies are curated works of art. Smooth swooping roots contrast with soft mosses, craggy stumps hide shade in their cracks while frilly fern leaves poke out to shimmer in the light.”

Stumperies also provide habitat for an extensive diversity of wildlife and mushrooms.

Sections of logs on the ground

Over the next few months, Trees Atlanta will continue to bring new life to the Stumpery with the addition of over 80 species of woodland plants and mushrooms. In the meantime, you can virtually explore the Stumpery by joining Trees Atlanta in celebrating National Public Gardens Week with the following opportunities:

Take a virtual tour of the Longleaf Pine Savanna with Greg Levine, Trees Atlanta, Co-Executive Director on May 13 from 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Take a virtual tour of the Stumpery with Kelly Ridenhour, Trees Atlanta, Associate Director of Design on May 16 from 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Follow along Trees Atlanta’s social media channels @TreesAtlanta for a behind-the-scenes look at the building of the Stumpery
Engage children in the celebration with Trees Atlanta’s free virtual youth activities, including live and on-demand programs, as well as printable coloring pages designed by Rachel Bergman

Published May 6, 2020

Written by Audrey Pruitt

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1. Magnolia Collection

Magnolias are part of an ancient lineage of flowering plants dating back approximately 95 million years. The Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum is home to 18 types of magnolias from evergreen to flowering. Two magnolias in particular have witnessed history as they were planted just beyond the outfield wall for the former Ponce de Leon Park, where the Atlanta Crackers played baseball. Babe Ruth and Eddie Matthews both hit home runs that were caught in the canopy of one of these magnolia trees. As part of Arboretum experimentation, we have taken cuttings from these historic magnolias and grown them into new trees so that this piece of history can live on the Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum and in new parks and baseball fields around Atlanta.

2. 33 Oaks

The oak trees on this slope and throughout the Arboretum represent many ecosystems in Georgia, from bottomland hardwood swamps to granite outcrops. Of the approximately 90 species of oaks native to the United States, 33 are native to Georgia. All 33 oaks are growing on this slope and between them dance 33 stainless steel leaf sculptures – one for each tree.

These metal oaks were designed and crafted by David Landis of Landis Sculpture Studio. Learn more about David’s work here. For more information about the individual oaks featured, see our fact sheet here.

To learn more general information about our Georgia oaks, check out this video here.

3. Beech Circle

Among the stateliest of our native trees, beeches are indicative of a mature forest. Though they can take around 40 years to produce a large quantity of nuts, beech trees are critical for wildlife. Beeches provide food and shelter for all kinds of birds and mammals, such as the red-headed woodpecker. Dubbed the fairy ring, the circle of beech trees here surrounds a granite outdoor classroom and gathering place where you can contemplate how the beech trees will look in 3, 5, and 10 years!

4. Eastside Azalea Collection

Despite the native azalea holding the title of Georgia’s State Wildflower, it is underused in the landscape. The Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum is now home to the largest public native azalea collection in the Atlanta Area with over 300 azaleas on display. The collection highlights over 25 species, cultivars, and varieties, and is home to all 13 azaleas native to the state of Georgia. This collection focuses on named cultivars (varieties that have been selected for depending on color, size, bloom time, etc.) within two series called the Georgia Moon Series and the Sunrise to Sunset Series. The Georgia Moon Series will have fragrant white-blooming Georgia native species, and the Sunrise to Sunset Series will be comprised of Georgia native species in warm orange, reds, and soft yellows blooming from March – July.

5. Stumpery Garden

The Stumpery Garden is a horticultural oddity, serving as a public place for learning and exploration and demonstrating how trees can be utilized in a beautiful way. Stumpery gardens utilize dead, fallen, and storm-damaged trees as an asset to the garden – providing critical habitat for beetles, frogs, birds, and small mammals such as chipmunks. Whole logs are placed upside down to display their root structure, and logs, branches, and pieces of bark are arranged to form walls and archways. Plants such as ferns, lichen, mosses, soft grasses, and trailing plants are encouraged to grow on and around them.

Take a virtual tour of the Stumpery Garden here.

6. Westside Azalea Collection

Different from the Eastside collection, the Westside collection has all straight species and natural varieties that encourage free hybridization. These azaleas are all grown from seed so there are many variations in the hues even between the same species.

7. Persimmon Woods

Home to the largest American persimmon tree in the state of Georgia, this remnant old growth forest on 1.3 acres provides habitat to a variety of deep forest flora. Walking through a nature trail and over a few bridges will bring you up close and personal with woodland groundcovers, rare spring ephemerals (plants with a short life cycle) such as trillium, and a large collection of native woody species. Enjoy the seasonal blooms, learn from plant identification signs, and get hands-on with volunteer opportunities to plant, divide woodland perennials, and collect seed.

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