Want to shop early at FONA's annual Garden Fair & Plant Sale on Saturday, April 26th? Become a FONA member to get access to members-only hours (9 AM to 11 AM) in the Plant Sale tent! It's never been easier to join. Make a one-time donation of any amount, or donate monthly to become a Sustaining Member and support our work all year long.

Donate to Join FONA >

Digital membership cards are now available for all members. This card is added to your digital phone wallet, and is the most convenient and accurate way to keep your membership information with you at all times. The digital card can unlock reciprocal discounts at arboreta and botanic gardens nationwide, offered through the American Horticultural Society. It also grants access to member perks at the National Arboretum, including members-only hours at the Garden Fair & Plant Sale.

To download your digital membership card, simply look up your card from your phone. Enter your last name and either your member number or the email address of the primary FONA member in your household. Once you have located it, download it directly to your Apple or Google wallet.

Look Up Your FONA Membership Card >

FONA's Board of Directors invite you to a special Spring Cocktail Reception in the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum on Friday, April 25th from 6 PM to 8:30 PM. This fundraising event, held on the eve of FONA's annual Garden Fair & Plant Sale, is a great way to support the work of FONA and the U.S. National Arboretum. Come enjoy light bites and delicious drinks in this one-of-a-kind collection.

Purchase a Ticket >

Learn about all the ways you can volunteer with FONA at the National Arboretum. From gardening in the Washington Youth Garden, to supporting community events like the Garden Fair & Plant Sale, volunteers play a crucial role in FONA’s work.

The Volunteer Open House will be held in the Washington Youth Garden on Saturday, April 5th from 10 AM to 12 PM. All interested volunteers will need to complete a volunteer interest form. Please also register for the event to let us know you’re coming.

Learn More & Register >

Redbuds are known for the bright clusters of flowers clinging to their branches and trunk in early spring. With their pea-like flowers and peapod fruits, it may come as no surprise that genus Cercis is in the legume family. Cercis chinensis, commonly called a Chinese redbud, is a small multi-stemmed shrub in cultivation with heart-shaped leaves and purple flowers (though white, reddish, and pink selections exist).

The cultivar ‘Don Egolf,’ named in honor of the illustrious American shrub breeder, was introduced by the National Arboretum in 2000. It was selected because it produces no fruit (seed pods), grows slowly into a compact vase shape offering dense clusters of hot pink blooms, and is resistant to Botryosphaeria cankers. Visit the Introduction Garden at the National Arboretum in early spring to see Cercis chinensis ‘Don Egolf’ in all its glory.

Kamala Codrington-White, an Agricultural Science Research Technician 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. Photos by the National Arboretum.

Don't forget to apply for the 2025 Summer Institute for Garden-based Teaching! This four-day training for D.C. educators will be held July 15th to 18th. Participants will learn from fellow garden educators about outdoor group management techniques, standards-aligned activities, how to sustain garden programs, and more.

All participants will receive a stipend (amount contingent upon final funding). Applications received by April 2nd will receive a notification of acceptance by April 11th. Applications received after April 2nd will be notified of acceptance on a rolling basis until full.

Learn More & Apply for the Summer Institute >

The National Arboretum recently hosted a workshop that highlighted different techniques used in Japan and the United States to conserve flowering cherry trees. Japanese Master Gardener Kurato Fujimoto and his American apprentice, Hans Friedl, led the workshop. They shared the history and culture behind these practices, and demonstrated traditional Japanese techniques.

Learn more these Japanese techniques and how they are being employed at the National Arboretum in an article written by our friends at Casey Trees.

Read the Casey Trees Article >

Join Small Planes Coffee for In Bloom, an artisan pop-up market on Saturday, April 5th from 12 PM to 5 PM. Small Planes is located right around the corner from the National Arboretum in the R Street neighborhood. It is about a 10 minute walk from the Visitor Center. In Bloom will feature artisan and food vendors, a pop-up cafe, and live music.

Learn More About the Event >

Volunteer Open House

Saturday, April 5, 10 AM - 12 PM

Learn about FONA's volunteer opportunities

Learn More & Register >

Forest Bathing

Saturday, April 12, 9 AM - 11 AM

Meditation and mindfulness

Learn More & Register >

Spring Cocktails in the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Friday, April 25, 6 PM - 8:30 PM

Evening event serving light bites and delicious drinks

Purchase a Ticket >

Garden Fair & Plant Sale

Saturday, April 26, 9 AM - 4 PM

Shop thousands of plants and local vendors

Learn More & Register >

Community Fishing

May 9, 5 PM - 8 PM

Free fishing along the Anacostia

Save the date — more info coming soon

Extended Evening Hours

May 9, May 30, June 20, 5 PM - 8 PM

Arboretum grounds day open to the public

Mother's Day Forest Bathing

Sunday, May 11, 9 AM - 11 AM

Meditation and mindfulness

Learn More & Register >