Labels

A nameplate for each plant

New labels with barcode

At Arboretum Kalmthout almost all trees and shrubs have an engraved plastic label. Sometimes it is a bit more difficult to find among the branches and leaves, particularly with large plants such as evergreen Rhododendron. However, they are deliberately kept small so as not to disrupt the view of the garden with a forest of plates and tags. 

Not all the herbaceous plants and perennials are labelled. This is because these are often native annual varieties that come up spontaneously each year but in a different place each time. They often grow in more than one place so that it is not possible to give each group a tag.

Leaving the paths

Handheld computers for stocktaking in the garden

Most of the labels are attached directly to a branch or the stem of the plants. Therefore, in some cases it is not always possible to read the labels from the grassy paths so you have to leave the paths and step on the plant borders. Please only do so in order to read labels and not for any other reason. Also take care where you put your feet. A direct line is not usually the best route as other plants are often in the way.

What information do the labels contain?

You will find the following information on the labels:

• scientific (Latin) name of the plant
• family to which the plant belongs
• collection number where:  
  • The first four digits represent the year of introduction.
  • the next four digits the serial number within that year
  • a letter as an individual identification of the specimen      
• whether it is a male or female plant (if relevant)      

Consulting additional information

The collection number is sufficient for you to find a substantial amount of information on the plant in question. You can do this easily with the search module in the plant catalogue.