About Us
Collections. Horticulture. Conservation. Community Engagment.
About Lovett Pinetum
What is a Pinetum?
Etymology
From Latin pīnētum (“pine grove”)
Noun
pinetum (plural pineta or pinetums)
An arboretum, or part of an arboretum or garden, devoted to growing conifers
Lovett Pinetum is an arboretum focused on conifers. Located near Springfield, Missouri in the scenic Ozarks, the grounds include thousands of conifers planted across a diverse terrain. Two natural springs on the property form the headwaters of Pearson Creek which winds around the pinetum and was significant in the history of the region. The Pinetum’s primary mission is to experiment with growing all possible conifers that are adaptable to the region and display them with our beautiful native flora to create a place where people can both learn about conifers and the plants of our native landscape and appreciate the importance of plants and nature to our world.
The Pinetum seeks to develop a collection that is both horticulturally interesting and scientifically valuable to the study and conservation of conifers. Additionally, the Pinetum is near an increasingly urban area and seeks to conserve a green space that has historical significance and showcases the natural springs the area is known for. We desire to be a resource for the community and engage with visitors through scheduled visits from interested groups.
History
The pinetum began with Dr. Robert Lovett’s enthusiasm for conifers. On 14 acres near Springfield, Missouri, he began experimenting with planting several different species of pine starting in 1970 and continuing through today.Early plantings included loblolly, shortleaf and eastern white pine. Some of these are now over 90 feet tall. In this area there are currently about 23 species and subspecies of pine. Over 80 species have been tested at various locations in this area of the pinetum with varying degrees of success. The great majority of successful pines are from North America.
In 1997, desiring to expand the collection, the Lovett Pinetum Charitable Foundation was formed with the primary mission of creating preserves of many conifer species and the development of practical methods of establishing sustainable conifer collections outside their normal geographic ranges. Dr. Lovett donated his original property to the pinetum and additional properties were purchased to expand our collection.
Our mission has expanded to include all conifer species and other gymnosperms. At present the pinetum is comprised of 108 acres at our site in Missouri.
Pearson Creek
One of the key features of the original pinetum is Danforth Spring. This is the largest of the two springs at the pinetum that form the headwaters of Pearson Creek. Springs such as these are one of the defining features of our area but many have been lost or covered over by development. Sadly, before being acquired by Dr. Lovett, much of the Danforth Spring had been filled with garbage and other debris by previous owners but after a great deal of cleanup, the spring now looks much as it did over a hundred years ago.
The first major expansion of Pearson Creek came in 2007 with the purchase of the property north of the pinetum. In this area, the Pinetum began trialing conifers of all potential genera. Some pines that have previously proven unsuccessful are being planted again because the greatly expanded area provides for more diverse planting sites. In 2016, another adjacent property was added to Pearson Creek to complete the present property.
