Riverside affords a unique opportunity for visitors and residents to enjoy tree collections sited within a nationally recognized vibrant residential community.  The Village of Riverside, a historical national landmark designated by the National Park Service, treasures its natural landscape and design by the renowned Frederick Law Olmsted.  Dating to 1869, Riverside is noted as one of the first suburban planned developments in America.  Olmsted was inspired by the beauty of the surrounding landscape.  The design of the roadways and park system are curvilinear and mimic the Des Plaines River which borders our community.  Olmsted set aside nearly half of Riverside’s acreage as public green space, and preferred naturalistic plantings of native trees and shrubs.

The Riverside Arboretum collection policy promotes the education and appreciation of native trees in our Chicago region.  Consistent with Frederick Law Olmsted’s design preferences, the tree and shrub collections put a strong emphasis on native plantings found along the Des Plaines River. Trees and shrubs are grouped naturalistically in the street triangles, parkways, commons and natural areas.  Of the more than 100 species currently documented, greater than 70% are desirable species are native to the Upper Midwest.