Upperville, Virgina

New Arboretum, Oak Spring Garden Foundation

The Arboretum at Oak Spring Garden re-imagines a former agricultural landscape in Virginia’s Piedmont as a dynamic public arboretum that integrates curated tree collections with ecological restoration. As lead designer, Phyto Studio developed a canopy framework that emphasizes succession and long-term resilience, arranging diverse woody species in ecologically compatible assemblages that highlight both taxonomic breadth and landscape character. Circulation and landform strategies create immersive visitor experiences while linking collections to surrounding meadows, woodlands, and wetlands to enhance habitat connectivity and biodiversity. The arboretum advances Oak Spring’s mission of connecting plants, people, and place, modeling how arboreta can adapt to ecological change and serve as vital cultural landscapes for the future. Images below show arboretum after first season of planting.