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N° 207 — July 31, 2024

Enjoy regular updates and insights from FONA, the U.S. National Arboretum, and our award-winning Washington Youth Garden.

We are taking next week off from FONA Field Notes so our team can enjoy their summer vacations. See you on August 14th!

'Becky Lynn' daylily cultivar.

Stories from the Field

We are excited to introduce Stories from the Field, FONA's new article series about the U.S. National Arboretum. These stories will highlight the people, collections, and research that make the National Arboretum such a special and important place. We'll deliver these articles straight to your inbox through FONA Field Notes, so there's no need for extra emails or mail.


We are constantly looking for new ways to share the National Arboretum's story. We hope that Stories from the Field will better connect you to the Arboretum’s cutting-edge research, plant conservation efforts, history, collections, scientists, horticulturists, and more.

Our first article, Unsung Heroes of Summer, explores the Arboretum’s daylilies and the curator in charge of caring for them. Chris von Kohn is the curator of the Arboretum’s National Boxwood Collection, Perennial Collection, and Friendship Garden. He is also very passionate about daylilies, and has been hybridizing them since he was a teenager. Read the article to learn more about Chris’ dedication to daylilies and his approach to caring for the Arboretum’s daylilies.


Read Unsung Heroes of Summer >

'Cherry Disposition' is a daylily cultivar hybridized by Chris von Kohn. Photo courtesy of Chris von Kohn.

Join FONA's Team

Join our team as an Event Coordinator! This part-time seasonal position will implement FONA's venue rental program and community events. The position requires mostly weekend work, with the occasional weekday shift.


Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with an expected cutoff of August 12th. The start date is negotiable, and the position ends in early December with a possibility of renewing in 2025.


Apply for the Event Coordinator Position >

Family Fishing Events

Come fish along the Anacostia River at the National Arboretum! Two daytime family fishing events are coming up — one on Saturday, August 24th from 9 AM to 12 PM and the other on Sunday, September 15th from 1 PM to 4 PM. These events are co-hosted with Anacostia Riverkeeper.


No fishing experience is necessary and all ages are welcome to join! Anacostia Riverkeeper will provide all supplies and fishing instruction. This event is free, but reservations are required. Please sign up early — spots fill quickly!


August 24th Registration >

September 15th Registration >

Photo by Anacostia Riverkeeper.

Fall Concert Tickets Now Available

Registration is officially open for our fall Music in the Meadow concert with Rochelle Rice! Join us on Friday, September 6th from 7 PM to 8:30 PM in the Ellipse Meadow and hear Rochelle's beautiful blend of jazz, folk, and soul music.


Tickets are required for this event, but pay-what-you-can tickets are available. Our requested ticket price is $25 (or $20 for FONA members). This ticket revenue helps us cover what we pay the band, Arboretum security and facilities, and the cost of our staff to organize this event. However, if this requested price would prohibit you from attending, please pay what you can to attend. Children 12 and under are free, but tickets are required. Only the Ellipse Meadow, Capitol Columns, and the National Herb Garden will be open to attendees for this event.


Concert Details & Tickets >

Plant Spotlight

Pepperbush — also called summersweet — is a tough plant native to the eastern United States and is resistant to salt, fire, soil compaction, and root rot. The fragrant flower spikes of Clethra alnifolia are a valuable food source for pollinators, including native bees, and the fruit is eaten by birds and small mammals. The blooms are generally white, though pink-flowered cultivars are available on the market. This is a water-loving plant that would go well in a moist pollinator or shade garden, and even in rain gardens if they don’t stay wet for too long. You can see many summerweet cultivars in Fern Valley, and large groups of wild-collected plants along Springhouse Run. The USNA has developed and introduced two varieties, the yellow-green-foliaged ‘Firefly’ and the pink-flowered ‘Pinkspire,’ though neither are planted on the grounds quite yet.


Kamala Codrington-White, an ORISE fellow at the National Arboretum, shares plants of note at the Arboretum in this recurring segment. Find these plants on your next trip to the Arboretum. Photo by U.S. National Arboretum.

Summer Movie Update

Due to scheduling difficulties, we are postponing our Movie in the Meadow showing of The Hidden Life of Trees until 2025. This event was originally scheduled for July 20th, but was cancelled due to rain. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

Upcoming FONA Events

4th Fridays Summer Evening Hours

August 23, 5 PM - 8 PM

Arboretum grounds stay open to the public


Community Fishing

August 24, 9 AM - 12 PM

Free fishing along the Anacostia

Details & Registration >


Music in the Meadow: Rochelle Rice

September 6, 7 PM - 8:30 PM

Outdoor concert with jazz, folk, & soul vibes

Purchase a Ticket >

Community Fishing

September 15, 1 PM - 4 PM

Free fishing along the Anacostia

Details & Registration >


Dinner Under the Stars

September 17, 5:30 PM - 9 PM

Cocktails & tented dinner in the Meadow

Purchase a Ticket or Table >


Fall 5K

November 10, 8:30 AM

Run or walk through stunning fall foliage

Race Registration >


Forest Bathing Walks

Various dates and times

Meditation and mindfulness

Upcoming Dates & Registration >

The Arboretum is open every day from 8 AM to 5 PM except December 25th.

Check Our Website for Full Details >

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Friends of the National Arboretum
3501 New York Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002
202.544.8733
FONA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization with the mission to preserve and enhance a vibrant public space and support experiential programming that instills a love of plants, nature and the outdoors in all who visit, while promoting the overarching research and education mission of the U.S. National Arboretum.

Since its inception, FONA has helped support the Washington Youth Garden, Capitol Columns, Flowering Tree Walk, horticultural and research internships, restoration of Springhouse Run, and much more.

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