The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is proud to share that Peter Del Tredici, Senior Research Scientist Emeritus, has been named the 2025 recipient of the prestigious Cary Award by the New England Botanical Garden. This distinguished honor recognizes individuals who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in the field of horticulture, with a special emphasis on sustainability.
A leading figure in American horticulture, Del Tredici began his career in 1972 at the Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts. Over the next four decades, he played a transformative role at the Arnold Arboretum, serving in numerous roles including plant propagator, curator of the Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection, editor of Arnoldia, director of living collections, and ultimately as senior research scientist. His work took him across East Asia on seed collecting and ecological research expeditions, and his scholarship—spanning more than 100 publications—has had a lasting impact on the field.
Del Tredici joins a growing list of honorees recognized by the Worcester County Horticultural Society for their lifelong contributions to the field. Named for Shrewsbury plantsman Ed Cary, the Cary Award was established to spotlight exceptional plants suited to New England gardens. In 2020, the the award shifted focus to celebrate the people behind the plants—those whose careers have advanced the art and science of horticulture.
Del Tredici’s research integrates aspects of botany, ecology, and horticultural practice, and has focused most notably on Ginkgo, conifers in the genera Tsuga and Sequoia, Magnolia, and Stewartia. He is also the author of Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field Guide, a pioneering work that details the botanical features and ecological value of spontaneous vegetation in urban environments.