Arboretum in Zuiderpark restored

The ‘Landengebied’ arboretum in Zuiderpark is now ready following a 10-year major overhaul. More than 2,900 new trees and shrubs have been planted.

The facelift was badly needed because the arboretum had become so overgrown that it had turned into a park forest. Many trees and plant species had disappeared as a result of dense forestation. Over the past ten years, gardeners have recreated the conditions for better growth in all of the 63 planting sections.

Trees from Japan to the Himalayas

The 14-hectare arboretum is a tribute to Simon Doorenbos, former director of the municipality’s department of parks, who founded the arboretum in 1926.

Doorenbos got many different plants, cuttings, graft trees and seeds from foreign nurseries and botanical gardens or brought them back from faraway lands. He planted the plants and bushes by region: China, Japan, Himalaya, Western Asia, Northern Europe, Southern Europe and North America. The arboretum now has 695 different species of trees, including 41 extremely rare species such as the Japanese horse chestnut, weeping silver lime and Japanese persimmon.

More information

Information signs can be found by the entrances and by the various regional areas. You can also download a Dutch-language brochure about the arboretum.

Folder Landengebied Zuiderpark  (PDF, 704 kB)

The brochure is also available at the city's sub-municipal offices.