Deep Dive Tours at Leach Research Station
Join us each month for a deep dive into the thousands of plants in our collection at Leach Research Station. This April, we're exploring Magnolias!
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With over 2,300 accessioned plants, the David G. Leach Research Station is a treasure trove of unique trees, shrubs, and other botanical gems.
New this spring, join Rhododendron Collections Manager Connor Ryan for a monthly tour of the grounds, focusing on a different plant group or theme each time. Learn about each plant’s biology, identification, and use in the landscape, then join us for light refreshments and conversation after the tour. All tours include informational handouts to help bring your learning home.
Terrain: up to 1.0 mile, natural surface and grass, mostly flat, potential mud and wet spots depending on weather.
Time: 10 a.m. – noon
Location: Leach Research Station in Madison, Ohio (Directions will be sent by email to prior to the program date.)
Dates:
April 17 | Golden Oldies: Magnolias at Leach Research Station
May 15 | Rhododendrons & Azaleas to Know & Grow
June 19 | After the Dust Settles: Plants to Continue the Show
Summer dates coming soon!
Golden Oldies: Magnolias at Leach Research Station
Friday, April 17, 2026
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Price: $10 per member, $20 per nonmember
With over 75 magnolias in the Leach Station collection, including many with yellow flowers, there is much to see of this ancient flowering plant lineage on our 22 acres. Explore the diversity of magnolias adapted to our climate and gardens, learn about David Leach’s work breeding magnolias, and see one of the largest cucumber magnolias (Magnolia acuminata) in Ohio.
Rhododendrons & Azaleas to Know & Grow
Friday, May 15, 2026
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Price: $10 per member, $20 per nonmember
With over 30,000 named varieties and 1000 species, rhododendron is a huge and diverse group of plants. On this tour, wander through the 1600 accessioned rhododendrons and azaleas at the station to learn about their different classifications, staff efforts to collect and study them, advice on growing them, and top choices for the home garden.
After the Dust Settles: Plants to Continue the Show
Friday, June 19, 2026
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Price: $10 per member, $20 per nonmember
As the uproar of spring in our rhododendron garden settles down, some plants continue to bloom or are just beginning. Explore the collections at the Leach Research Station to see later blooming rhododendrons and azaleas, as well as numerous other companion plants that extend the spring show in late spring and early summer.
Connor Ryan, MS
Rhododendron Collections Manager
My group is engaged in three things at Holden: curating the Rhododendron collection, breeding landscape plants, and stewarding the David G. Leach Research Station. Current collections focuses include North American native rhododendrons and azaleas, especially R. flammeum, R. prunifolium, and the Ohio natives, as well as any non-native species that may be adapted to our climate. Breeding focuses are on broader adaptability in elepidote rhododendrons, reblooming in evergreen azaleas, and a few smaller projects with Pieris and Hamamelis. We strongly believe in the value of living collections and are happy to share non-proprietary germplasm or accommodate collections-based scholarship. If you work for a botanical garden or nursery interested in rhododendrons (or azaleas) or are a scholar studying them, please get in touch. We would love to help with your work.
Here’s more to explore at David G. Leach Research Station
Mother’s Day Open House @ Leach Research Station
Treat mom to a self-guided stroll through the beautiful blooms at Leach Research Station more
