The Flower City: Exploring Rochester’s Extraordinary Flowers and Trees

Rochester became a global hub for flower and tree nurseries in the mid-1800s, shaping our identity as The Flower City. George Ellwanger from Germany and Patrick Barry from Ireland led the effort. Their nursery catalog was published in 1843, selling fruit trees, ornamentals, flowers, and greenhouse plants worldwide. In 1888, they donated some land and trees to the City of Rochester to create their first public park, Highland Park.

Want to explore Highland Park more deeply?

Prefer digital? Get the ebook on Amazon or Kindle Unlimited. By April 26—Frederick Law Olmsted’s birthday—the hardcover and paperback will be available through more booksellers.

Rochester, Louisville, Boston, and Buffalo are the only four cities with park systems designed solely by Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. Admire his carefully planned landscapes along the river in Genesee Valley Park, Maplewood Park, Seneca Park, and Highland Park.

1. Highland Park

Host to Rochester’s renowned Lilac Festival in May, Highland Park features the most extensive collection of lilacs in the country, with over 500 varieties across 1,200 shrubs. You will also find a large Japanese Maple collection, 35 varieties of magnolias, 700 rhododendron specimens, and 300 conifer varieties in the pinetum. Many of the trees are the tallest of their kind in the state, although few are native. Some have even called Highland Park a museum or zoo of exotic plants and trees. Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University sent the original specimens to Rochester for scientific study at the same time. Walk along paved and mown-grass pathways to discover Lamberton Conservatory, the Poet’s Garden, Highland Bowl, and Warner Castle’s Sunken Garden.

2. Maplewood Rose Garden

Maplewood Park showcases 300 rose varieties that bloom between mid-June and late November. While Olmsted’s 1888 landscape design included a rose garden, the Greater Rochester Rose Society formally dedicated it in 1951 and has lovingly cared for the fragrant flowers ever since.

3. Eastman Estate Gardens

Enjoy a variety of colors at the George Eastman Museum, from luxurious purple wisteria in May to bold yellow ginkgo leaves in November. While you need to pay for museum admission to walk through the Italianate Terrace and Library Gardens, designed by landscape architect Alling Stephen DeForest, the West Garden, created by architect Claude Bragdon, and the Rock Garden, also by DeForest, are open to the public all year.

4. Durand Eastman Park

Durand Eastman Park covers 977 acres, including Durand Lake, Eastman Lake, and a swimming beach on Lake Ontario. Landscape architect Bernard Slavin applied knowledge gained from working with Olmsted to design Durand Eastman, as evidenced by the variety of mature trees in the arboretum between Zoo and Sweet Fern Roads in Pine Valley, Rhododendron Valley, Fruit Valley, and Katsura Glen.

5, Mount Hope Cemetery

Mount Hope Cemetery, founded in 1838, is a favorite spot for Rochester residents looking for a peaceful escape from the busy city. Walkers, runners, and bikers frequently use the well-kept main roads, even in the colder months. While the scenery is lovely all year, this stunning Victorian cemetery stands out in October. The variety of trees in the arboretum shows a lively mix of colors, with bright yellows and reds covering the ground before the snow begins.

More Around Monroe County

Greater Rochester & Surrounding Counties

Flower Shows & Events

• Jan-Feb – Buffalo Botanical Gardens Lumagination
• February – Dutch Connection at Eastman Museum
• March – Annual Spring Orchid Show
• March – Orchid Show at Buffalo Botanical Gardens
• March – Plantasia
• March – Rochester Home & Garden Show
• March – Central New York Home & Garden Show
• March – Gardenscape
• April – Spring Wildflower & Orchid Show at Sonnenberg Gardens
• April – Spring Flower Exhibit Buffalo Botanical Gardens
• April-May – Lamberton Conservatory Holiday and Spring Shows
• May – Lilac Festival
• May – Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival
• May – Tulip Festival of Holland, NY
• May – Daffodil Trail in Powder Mills Park
• May – Williamson Apple Blossom Festival
• May-June – Flower City Days at the Market
• June –Maplewood Rose Celebration
• July – Lavender Festival at Ol’Factory Lavender Farm
• Aug-Sep – Sunflowers

Nurseries

There are dozens of incredible nurseries in the Rochester area to begin your own garden or arboretum. These are a few places you can visit for inspiration:

• Sara’s Garden & Nursery
• Garden Factory
• Bergen Water Gardens & Nursery
• Van Putte Gardens
• Wayside Garden Center
• Frear’s Garden Center

Fun Finds: Rochester’s 1st Christmas Tree

While researching a topic, I often find intriguing information that deserves to be shared. From The Flower City – George Ellwanger and Patrick Barry:

George Ellwanger celebrated the nursery’s founding with a fitting ceremony a week later, when Vice-Chancellor Frederick Whittlesey sealed Ellwanger’s final citizenship papers, officially welcoming him as a new American.  

A little over a year later, Ellwanger joined with other Rochester associates from the Old Country in setting up the first Christmas tree in Rochester. Hundreds of older Americans gathered to watch the unusual ceremony in front of the little German Lutheran Church on Grove Street, where the tree was lit with candles.

Rochesterians were so pleased with the ceremony that it became a staple of the Christmas season and helped turn a purely religious day into a social and family celebration.

See also Rochester’s First Christmas Tree.

Where are your favorite places in our Flower City?

I’d love to hear from you—please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.