The Polly Hill Arboretum

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West Tisbury, MA
The Polly Hill Arboretum

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A Martha's Vineyard horticultural and historical landmark, open to the public sunrise to sunset.

10/22/2026

Every season brings something new to discover at the Arboretum! Join PHA Curator and Assistant Director, Emily Ellingson, on Saturday morning for guided tour of the grounds focused on the emerging fall color and seasonal changes.

Members: Free; Non-Members: Included with Arboretum Admission

10/20/2026

Nipponanthemum nipponicum, known as the Montauk daisy or the Nippon daisy, is one of the blooms you can still spot around our grounds as the fall temps set in. The cluster of them near the Cow Barn is currently very popular with pollinators and often has an array of butterflies, bees, and more flitting around it 🐝

10/18/2026

You may have noticed West Field and North Field are looking a little different!

We strategically mow our fields each fall to help control the spread of Rhus copallinum, known as winged sumac. While winged sumac is a native plant, it grows aggressively and outcompetes the other native plants we want to grow in our meadows. Winged sumac blooms in the late summer so we mow in early fall before it has a chance to produce seeds. By mowing portions of the fields each year, the number of sumac plants is slowly reduced and other native plants like butterfly w**d and Liatris aspera have the opportunity to thrive.

10/16/2026

Tricyrtis formosana ‘Gilt Edge’, known as the toad lily, gets its common name from its reddish-purple spotted flowers that resemble the mottled skin of a toad. Similarly to a toad, this lily thrives in a damp, shady environment. The cultivar ‘Gilt Edge’ has variegated foliage with cream-white to chartreuse margins, as the cultivar name suggests. This plant is featured in our Halloween-themed six plant tour and can be found next to the entrance to the Homestead.

10/15/2026

Join the PHA team! The Arboretum is seeking an Education Manager to lead our youth and adult educational programming. From leading school field trips to coordinating lectures, workshops, and guided tours, this role offers the opportunity to share the wonders of the Arboretum with learners of all ages.

To learn more about the position and apply, visit pollyhillarboretum.org.

10/14/2026

In addition to the changing leaves, fall brings an array of colorful blooms. See the bright pink flowers of Chrysanthemum 'Hillside Sheffield Pink' by the Visitor Center and the Cow Barn.

10/09/2026

Somehow it is already time for our summer season to come to an end! The last day of the Visitor Center and the Plant Sale is this Monday, October 12th. Stop by this weekend to take advantage of the final days of our end of season sale! All plants in our Plant Sale and all styles of shirts in the Visitor Center are discounted.

Although the Visitor Center may be closing for the season, our grounds remain open to the public, sunrise to sunset. Please stop at the kiosk upon arrival to pay admission with cash or with card by scanning the QR code.

Photo by Ray Ewing

10/07/2026

Our final six plant tour of the season is Halloween-themed! The first plant featured is Aconitum sinomontanum, climbing monkshood. All parts of Aconitum plants are toxic, with the highest concentration of toxins in the roots and tubers. Plants of the genus Aconitum are sometimes broadly referred to as wolfsbane, which gets its name from its historical use in Europe to poison and kill wolves. Likely because of that, wolfsbane became associated with mythological werewolves—an association that persists in modern media. Stop by the Visitor Center this week to learn about all six plants!

10/01/2026

The Franklin tree, Franklinia alatamaha, has been extinct in the wild for over 200 years. The last documented sighting in the wild occurred in 1803. Less than fifty years prior, on October 1, 1765, botanist John Bartram and his son William came across a small grove of trees they did not recognize on a river bank in southeast Georgia while on a plant exploration trip. These trees would come to be known as Franklinia alatamaha, part of the Theaceae family. The Bartrams named the tree after their close family friend, Benjamin Franklin.

William Bartram returned to the trees several times in the following years and in 1776 collected seed that he then grew at his home in Philadelphia. All living Franklin trees, including PHA's, are descended from the seeds Bartram collected.

Visit PHA's Franklin trees in Polly's Play Pen and near the West Field.

09/28/2026

We've added two additional Balance in Nature sessions! Join Kanta Lipsky on October 1st and October 8th at 9:30am for the final classes of the year. Based on the movement practice of Qigong, Balance in Nature features relaxing, focused movements to strengthen your core, quiet your mind, and help ground you. Learn more and register at pollyhillarboretum.org.

Address

795 State Road
West Tisbury, MA
02568

Telephone

+15086939426

Website

http://www.pollyhillarboretum.org/

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