The Kalsnava Arboretum features the largest collection of decorative trees and shrubs in the Eastern parts of Latvia.

An arboretum is a collection of trees, shrubs and ivies, with specialists engaged in long-term surveys of the development of trees, of their appropriateness in the specific climate which exists, and in the production and reproduction of seeds.  The Kalsnava Arboretum is located 150 km to the South-East of Rīga, in the town of Jaunkalsnava.  Latvia’s highest hill, Gaiziņkalns, is at a distance of 25 km.  Installation of the Kalsnava Arboretum began in 1975.  It covers 133.25 ha of territory, and stands of trees and shrubs take up 94.1 ha of the land.  The arboretum features the largest collection of firs in all of Latvia and the largest collection of trees in Eastern Latvia.  The collection can be visited from early spring until late autumn.  The arboretum, however, is under very specific environmental protection as a collection of dendrological plants.

A new plan for environmental protection and management is being drafted in 2005.

News

1. The Kalsnava Arboretum is celebrating its 30^th anniversary in 2005.
2. During the winter, visitors can see the surprising “magician’s hazelnut tree”, which also blooms during winter months.

At this time the arboretum features no fewer than 2,382 taxons of tree, shrub and ivy, from 183 different species.  There are 428 kinds of coniferous and 1,954 kinds of deciduous trees, with 46,120 plants in all:

• Juniperus (juniper) – 84 taxons
• Picea (fir) – 106
• Thuja (thuja) – 49
• Crataegus (hawthorn) – 71
• Malus (apple tree) – 103
• Salix (osier and willow) – 134
• Sorbus (mountain ash) – 86
• Syringa (lilac) – 137

• Since 1981, the Kalsnava Arboretum has taken part in a tree and bush seed exchange programme at the international level.
• Since 1997, the Kalsnava Arboretum has attended conferences of the Nordic Association of Arboretums.
• Visitors to the Kalsnava Arboretum can study a large and interesting collection of ivies which are appropriate for the climate in Eastern Latvia.
• Visitors can purchase seeds for decorative trees and shrubs which have been collected on-site.
• High-quality seeds are available for the Aristolohija durio Hiil, the Celastrus flagellaris Rupr., the Tripterygium regelli Sprague et Takeda, the Calyptranthe petiolaris (Siebold et Zucc.) Nakai, and others.  These and other kinds of trees and shrubs that are available at Kalsnava do very well in the winter.
• Only the Kalsnava Arboretum offers visitors a chance to see true rarities such as the Liriodendron tulipifera L, the Chionanthus virginicus L., the Magnolia kobus DC, and the Nothofagus Antarctica (Forest) Oerst.
• The arboretum offers tours, consultations on the growing of trees and shrubs, sales of materials for florists (pine cones and the like), sale of seeds for decorative trees, sale of water-lily plants, training for students of forestry, biology and landscape architecture, as well as advice on landscape design.

Jaunkalsnava, Madona District, Latvia, LV-4860

Phone/fax:  +371 4837668, mob.phone: 8380280, 9135557, 9233063

E-mail:  arboretum.kalsnava@lvm.lv

NB! Tours and consultations are offered by all LVM tree plantations.