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A Location of Beauty and Study
A Location of Beauty and Study
Photo of W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden. Photo courtesy: University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum
by Noelle Elzinga
Acclaimed to be one of the world’s premier collections, the W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden at Nichols Arboretum comprises over 10,000 flowers at peak bloom and nearly 800 peonies in shades of red, pink, and white (“Peony Garden Past & Future”). Located within the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus, this stunning attraction is open to the public seven days a week from sunrise to sunset; students, faculty, city residents, and visitors alike are encouraged to explore this botanical wonder during the late spring and early summer months (Sprague). Its recognition as North America’s largest collection of antique and heirloom herbaceous peonies is evidence of the “leaders and best” trademark that defines this educational institution (Sprague).
Prized for its “graceful beauty” and “delicate fragrance,” the peony is a flowering plant that is frequently interpreted as a symbol of happiness, honor, prosperity, and good fortune (McKie). In China, its nation of origin, the term “peony” directly translates to the phrase “most beautiful flower” (McKie). In 1922, the Regents at the University of Michigan dedicated $2,000 toward the establishment of a peony garden at the Nichols Arboretum for the purposes of beauty and study (“Peony Garden Past & Future”). According to a U-M publication titled “Peony Garden Past & Future,” the creation of this landscape was intended to “increase one’s understanding, knowledge, and appreciation of peonies."
Designed by U-M Professor of Landscape Architecture and Nichols Arboretum Director Aubrey Tealdi, the peony garden was uniquely organized in accordance with bloom progression, a tactical feat ensuring that flowers planted on the western perimeter of the garden blossom first (“Peony Garden Past & Future”). In 1928, the Regents at the University of Michigan acknowledged the anticipated significance of the newly developed Peony Garden at the Nichols Arboretum by addressing a declaration drafted by the Directors of the American Peony Society, an association founded in Detroit, Michigan, in 1903 (“Peony Garden Past & Future”). Presently, this organization aims to unite the people and the peony through involvement in both informational and interactive pursuits; this objective is achieved through a variety of programs, publications, electronic media, events, and cultivar registrations (“Peony Garden Past & Future”).
Dr. William E. Upjohn was a University of Michigan alumnus, philanthropist, and affiliate of the American Peony Society (“Peony Garden Past & Future”). Effectively demonstrating his immense passion for peonies, Upjohn’s personal estate in Kalamazoo, Michigan, consisted of an excess of 600 cultivars across a minimum of 14 acres of flower beds; he enjoyed charitably opening his private collection to the public during the bloom season (Sprague). Furthermore, he published a booklet titled “Brook Lodge Gardens - Peonies” that detailed his opinions about the “virtues and facts” of the plant’s distinct varieties (“Peony Garden Past & Future”). Dr. W.E. Upjohn contributed a "critically-evaluated and grand assortment of herbaceous peonies from his own substantial collection to his alma mater" (“Peony Garden Past & Future”). Nursery owners and nationally recognized florists also allocated exceptional selections (“Peony Garden Past & Future”).
Dr. William E. Upjohn. Photo courtesy: University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library Image Bank
The last name Upjohn means son of John, coming from the Welsh word ap, meaning son, joined with the name John, according to Ancestry.com. The name William comes from the German name Willehelm, which was made up of the words willo, meaning "will, desire" and helm, meaning "helmet" and "protection," according to BehindTheName.com.
In recognition of the collective gifts awarded to the University of Michigan by members of the benevolent Upjohn family, the Board of Regents formally approved designating the location as the “W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden” in 2022, a century after his original donation (Sprague). Prior to this recent resolution, the attraction was imprecisely referred to as the “Nichols Arboretum Peony Garden” (“Peony Garden Past & Future”).
Since its inception in 1922 and public debut in 1928, the W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden at Nichols Arboretum has functioned as an exquisite location of beauty and study for the University of Michigan and greater city of Ann Arbor (“Peony Garden Past & Future”). By honoring Dr. W.E. Upjohn as the namesake of this gorgeous attraction, his generous contribution and fascination for flora will be celebrated eternally.
Works Cited
“Dr. William E. Upjohn.” University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library Image Bank, 16
March 2016, https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?id=S-BHL-X-HS11805
%5DHS11805. Accessed 8 April 2023
Sprague, Kerry. “U-M Peony Garden Named After W. E. Upjohn 100 Years After His Original
Gift.” University of Michigan News, The Regents of the University of Michigan, 19 May 2022, news.umich.edu/u-m-peony-garden-named-after-w-e-upjohn-100-years-after-his-
original-gift/. Accessed 8 April 2023
McKie, Cindy. “All You Need to Know About the Peony Meaning.” Houseplant Central, 9 Feb.
2023, houseplantcentral.com/language-of-flowers/peony-meaning/. Accessed 8 April 2023
“Peony Garden Past & Future.” W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden, Matthaei Botanical Gardens and
Nichols Arboretum, https://peony.mbgna.umich.edu/peony-garden-history-future/. Accessed 8 April 2023
Photo of W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden. University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens and
Nichols Arboretum, https://mbgna.umich.edu/nichols-arboretum/nichols-arboretum
-gardens-collections/peony-garden/. Accessed 8 April 2023
"Upjohn." Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=upjohn. Accessed 20 April 2023
"William." BehindTheName.com. https://www.behindthename.com/name/william. Accessed 20 April 2023
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