Horticultural wonder, delicious food and drinks, and live music in the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
5/29: SPRING SOIRÉE
Photo by Lissa Ryan Photography
FONA & THE NATIONAL ARBORETUM
Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA) was founded in 1982 as an independent 501(c)(3). FONA serves as the primary private partner of the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. We support and celebrate the science, beauty, and community impact of the U.S. National Arboretum through education, engagement, and access to nature.
Photo courtesy of the National Arboretum
Past Accomplishments
We were instrumental in bringing the Capitol Columns to the Arboretum in the early ’90s. We funded the Flowering Tree Walk surrounding the meadow so all people can enjoy its beauty regardless of ability. Our volunteers planted over 30,000 native plants along the Springhouse Run creek to improve the Anacostia River’s water quality.
Current Work
Our Washington Youth Garden is the Arboretum’s largest community outreach program. Revenue from our venue rental program funds the Arboretum Director’s Fund which pays for things like consultants, supplies, and maintenance projects. Our plant sales and seasonal festivals support our mission and connect visitors to the Arboretum.
Future Plans
We developed a new Core Master Plan that provides a blueprint for future projects around the Arboretum. We invest in the future of horticulture by funding internships that support the collections. Our Meyer Kidder Fellows will increase the Arboretum’s research capacity and connect the Arboretum with world-class post-doctoral researchers.
Donate to Join
Make a donation of any amount to become a FONA member. Or give monthly to become a Sustaining Member and support our work all year long!
Donate to Renew
Make a one-time contribution of any amount to renew your FONA membership. Or give monthly to become a Sustaining Member and support our work all year long!
David Fairchild Society
A passionate community of supporters with membership starting at $1,200.
Other Ways to Support
Support FONA through securities, donor-advised funds, planned giving, bench donations, and more.
Restricted Gifts to the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
Make a restricted donation to support to the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum. For other giving options, please contact Claire Alrich at 202-918-1868 or calrich@fona.org.
NATIONAL ARBORETUM’S SCIENCE, BEAUTY, AND IMPACT
The U.S. National Arboretum is a world-class center for horticultural research, education, and innovation. It spans 451 acres in Northeast Washington, D.C., and is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. The National Arboretum serves as both a horticultural research facility and a public garden.
For almost 100 years, the National Arboretum has played an important role in preserving germplasm, developing and introducing improved plants for the American nursery industry, bridging cultural connections through plant collections, restoring habitat, and more. Learn more about key accomplishments that highlight the Arboretum’s science, beauty, and impact.
Photo courtesy of the National Arboretum
STEWARDING THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL BONSAI & PENJING MUSEUM
Friends of the National Arboretum is honored to carry forward the legacy of the National Bonsai Foundation (NBF), which concluded its operations at the end of 2025 after more than four decades of extraordinary service.
Since its founding in 1982, NBF has been essential to building and maintaining the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum, fostering international goodwill and a deep respect for the art of bonsai.
FONA extends its sincere gratitude to the NBF Board and supporters for their enduring dedication to this living art form. We are deeply mindful of the trust they have put in FONA to sustain NBF’s mission to preserve and promote the art of bonsai in America. The bonsai and penjing collections will continue under the expert care of the U.S. National Arboretum’s staff, as it has since 1976. As part of this transition, NBF will transfer the majority of remaining assets to FONA to directly support the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and ongoing bonsai education. These funds will be specifically dedicated to the continued care, growth, and improvement of the museum.
This transition was the result of a request from Dr. Richard Olsen, Director of the U.S. National Arboretum, to consolidate nonprofit engagement under Friends of the National Arboretum. This unified approach will streamline communications, expand community engagement, and enrich the visitor experience, while allowing the U.S. National Arboretum to focus on horticultural excellence and discovery.
FONA embraces this new expanded role to support the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and the U.S. National Arboretum, helping them flourish in the decades ahead. If you are interested in making a restricted donation to the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at this time, you can do so online through this form. For other giving options, please contact Claire Alrich at 202-918-1868 or calrich@fona.org.
AWARD-WINNING EDUCATION PROGRAMS
With a focus on serving under-resourced communities, FONA nurtures curious minds and healthy bodies by connecting youth to food, the land, and each other. Our youth education programs take place at Washington Youth Garden on the grounds of the U.S. National Arboretum and in partner schools across Washington, DC. They work with DC educators to create strong, sustainable school garden programs and connect students to garden education. Our programs also provide year-round employment opportunities and green career paths for DC high school students.
STAY IN THE KNOW
FONA’s publications and newsletters share the story of the U.S. National Arboretum and FONA with the world. Our FONA Field Notes newsletter is just one of the ways we tell this story. This award-winning weekly email newsletter that shares updates and insights about the U.S. National Arboretum, Friends of the National Arboretum, and the Washington Youth Garden. Sign up to receive FONA Field Notes in your inbox. See our Publications & Media page to see a full archive of all of our publications.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND PROGRAMS
Hosted by FONA
Hosted by the U.S. National Arboretum and other partners
RECENT SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
Friends of the National Arboretum Instagram: @FONArboretum
Experience the National Arboretum’s most treasured living collection in a new light during the Spring Soirée on Friday, May 29th. The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum is a living, breathing museum with 300 bonsai and penjing specimens spread throughout three pavilions. Join FONA’s Board of Directors and friends from across Washington, D.C. for an unforgettable evening surrounded by these miniature horticultural masterpieces. Enjoy delicious food and drinks, live music, and great moments of connection as you explore the Museum at dusk. This event is not only a chance to gather with friends and neighbors at the National Arboretum, it’s also a chance to invest in FONA’s support of the National Arboretum. Your ticket directly funds FONA’s mission to support and celebrate the science, beauty, and community impact of the National Arboretum. Purchase your tickets to this special event at the link in bio. . . Photos by @lissaryanphotography Alt text embedded. . . #usnationalarboretum #nationalarboretum #dcarboretum #arboretumdc #nationalarboretumdc #dcgala #springsoiree #nationalbonsaipenjingmuseum #nationalbonsaimuseum #bonsaimuseum
Plant Spotlight: Kousa Dogwood (Cornus Kousa) After our native flowering dogwoods pass their peak, the Kousa dogwood enters the spotlight. They bloom densely over attractive dark green foliage, their star-shaped bracts stealing the show. They are tougher than the flowering dogwood, tolerating more sun, drought, cold, and are resistant to more diseases. Despite being native to East Asia, Cornus kousa supports our specialist dogwood bees. They are also a popular nesting site for birds, which eat the sweet red or orange fruit. In the off-seasons, its colorful fruit, exfoliating bark, and nice leaves contribute to the beauty of any garden. There has been extensive Kousa dogwood hybridization, and variegated and pink-bracted cultivars are available from nurseries. Visit the Dogwood Collection and the Asian Collections for spectacular displays of this tough dogwood. Kamala Codrington-White, an Agricultural Science Research Technician at the National Arboretum, shares plants of note at the Arboretum in this recurring segment. Find these plants on your next trip to the Arboretum using the Arboretum Botanical Explorer. Photos by the National Arboretum. Alt text embedded.
Go-go music is a genre woven into the fabric of Washington, D.C. We’re thrilled to have local legends Scooby DaGodSon and Sirius Company show off the evolution of go-go music in the District at our Music in the Meadow concert on Friday, June 5th. Purchase $25 tickets at the link in bio (children under 12 enter free!) @siriuscompany masterfully blends go-go with R&B, hip-hop, and soul to create a modern twist on the go-go sound. Audiences can expect a high-energy show featuring call and response interactions and infectious rhythms you’ll want to get up and dance to! Whether you’re a hardcore go-go fan or new to the genre, come out to experience the magic of go-go in its birthplace. 📸1, 2: @wisteria_woman Alt text embedded.
Experience azaleas in a new way at the National Arboretum’s annual exhibit, Azalea Bonsai: Putting on the Glitz. Colorful cultivars of late-blooming Satsuki azaleas have been hybridized in Japan for hundreds of years. This exhibit showcases the National Arboretum’s most spectacular examples in a two-week indoor display. Based on individual bloom times, trees may be on display in the outdoor pavilions before and after the indoor exhibit. The exhibit will be open daily from 10 AM to 4 PM between May 16th and 31st in the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum. Graphic courtesy of the U.S. National Arboretum . . Alt text embedded. . . #usnationalarboretum #nationalarboretum #dcarboretum #arboretumdc #nationalarboretumdc #nationalbonsaipenjingmuseum #nationalbonsaimuseum #bonsaimuseum