Located along the Delaware River in Philadelphia, the Penn Treaty Park Arboretum is a community-supported urban arboretum that celebrates the ecological, cultural, educational, and community benefits of trees in an urban environment. The collection encompasses the park’s existing mature trees as well as an expanding collection of newly planted native species. With an emphasis on shade trees, flowering trees, native edible trees and shrubs, and species that support pollinators and urban wildlife, the arboretum is helping to grow a healthier, more diverse, and more resilient urban tree canopy.

The arboretum connects Penn Treaty Park’s living modern landscape to its history. The park is home to the Penn Treaty Elm: American Elm cultivar Ulmus americana ‘Penn Treaty’. The tree is a direct lineage descendant of the historic Shackamaxon Treaty Elm. The Penn Treaty Elm is a cultural symbol and reminder of the park’s deeply rooted historical significance. While the original elm is no longer standing, the park’s ongoing stewardship of the elm’s descendent honors its legacy.

A growing highlight of the arboretum is the park’s community orchard, planted in partnership with the Philadelphia Orchard Project. The orchard contains native edible trees and shrubs. This space is envisioned not only as a source of food, but also as an outdoor classroom and gathering space. Friends of Penn Treaty Park hopes to use the orchard to provide hands-on education while ultimately helping provide fresh food to the surrounding Philadelphia community.