We frequently hear some variation of this question from visitors: “How do I find [describes a tree or bench] in the gardens?” Sometimes people are interested in seeing a particular species or type of tree, and often they are looking for a specific tree or bench that has been named in honor of a loved one.

The Longenecker Horticultural Gardens (LHG) living collection of woody plants houses the largest and most diverse assortment of trees and shrubs in Wisconsin, with more than 2,600 plant types and roughly 4,000 specimens displayed across 40 acres. While the collection is an amazing resource, its size and scope can make it daunting for both visitors and researchers to locate specific plants of interest. To date, the only way to access the collections inventory has been by contacting the Arboretum.

When I became the LHG curator in 2015, one of my top priorities was to digitize the collection’s planting records and make them accessible online with an interactive GPS map so visitors could easily find plants using their cell phones. Little did I know what a big undertaking that would be.

First, we had to digitize the collection records (which include both living and dead plant accessions). These were documented primarily on four-by-six-inch index cards dating to 1935, much like a library’s old card catalog system. There were over 8,000 records, but staff and volunteers completed the data entry in about three years.

We also needed to find a digital database designed to meet the needs of botanical collections. After surveying and visiting other arboreta, we decided on the IrisBG collections management system. It offered all the features we wanted, including a user-friendly interface for both staff and visitors.

With the database program identified, we next sought funding to purchase it. Fortunately, a grant opportunity came to us from the Maihaugen Foundation. The Maihaugen Foundation is the legacy of Merrydelle and Howard May, who lived in Ephraim, Wisconsin and named their cottage “Maihaugen,” which in Norwegian loosely translated means “May House.”

The foundation is managed by the Burton family, who have a deep connection to LHG and its power to enhance visitors’ lives. The family’s son Charlie found solace in LHG during his senior year at UW–Madison and toward the end of an eight-year battle with Ewing’s sarcoma, a pediatric bone cancer. His family commemorated his life and connection to UW–Madison, as the fourth generation of his family to attend the University, with a memorial tree and bench in a garden area where he spent time during his last few months of life.

Another coincidental connection emerged after the foundation approved the grant to help purchase the IrisBG software. As it happens, IrisBG is based in Norway, founded by Øyvind and Mari Rustan. When I told them the name of our funding source, Mari shared that Maihaugen is also the name of a beloved open-air museum in Lillehammer, Norway, that offers natural elements like those that bring visitors to LHG.

Once we acquired IrisBG in 2021, the plant accession data needed to be sorted, formatted, and uploaded. This process, complicated by the COVID pandemic, took several years. Christy Lowney, former Arboretum research specialist, spearheaded the painstaking work.

Most recently, we have worked through the final steps of checking data for accuracy and creating a web explorer landing page to provide public access to the collections and an interactive GPS map. Danielle Tanzer, the Arboretum’s data and GIS coordinator, has been instrumental in completing the project.

After eight years of researching collections management systems, entering data, obtaining funding, checking and cleaning up digital records, and finishing other preparations, we are delighted to announce that the IrisBG Explorer for Longenecker Horticultural Gardens is now live. We will continue adding information and images to the database. Meanwhile, please visit and explore the collections online.

—David Stevens, Ed Hasselkus Curator, Longenecker Horticultural Gardens