Polly Hill Aboretum

What Polly Hill Aboretum does

Polly Hill Arboretum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public botanical garden located on 72 acres in West Tisbury, Massachusetts, on Martha's Vineyard. The institution originated from horticulturist Polly Hill's 1958 experiment of sowing a seed and was formally incorporated as a nonprofit in 1998 to preserve her legacy of more than 80 plant introductions, including the North Tisbury azalea series, Magnolia macrophylla 'Julian Hill', and yellow-fruited Ilex opaca 'Villanova'. Today the Arboretum manages roughly 20 acres under cultivation with the remainder preserved as native woodland, holding the national Stewartia collection (70+ trees across 17 stewartia types) and serving as the International Cultivar Registration Authority for the genus Stewartia.

The Arboretum runs a portfolio of digital research and visitor tools including the Arboretum Explorer interactive collection mapping platform, the Stewartia StoryMap (ArcGIS), the Martha's Vineyard Plant Selection Guide, and the Flora of Dukes County digital database. The 4,000-specimen herbarium (member code PHARB) is officially recognized by Index Herbariorum. A team of 12 staff supported by volunteers and docents operates the grounds, visitor center, herbarium, education center and botany lab, greenhouse, and plant propagation facilities.

Revenue is generated through seven membership tiers ranging from $50 (Individual) to $1,000 (Polly Hill Circle) plus a $150 photography membership, tiered adult admissions ($10 in summer, $5 in winter, free for members and children under 12), in-person and online plant sales (MV Wildtype native plugs at $15.99 per three-plug set), donations and planned giving, fee-based workshops and on-demand webinars, and American Horticultural Society reciprocal admission benefits. Customers include Martha's Vineyard residents and schools (free STEM-aligned field trips), horticulturists, island visitors and tourists, and professional botanists and conservation researchers.

Name

Polly Hill Aboretum

Legal name

The Polly Hill Arboretum Inc.

Website

https://pollyhillarboretum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Polly Hill Arboretum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public botanical garden on Martha's Vineyard operating 72 acres of rare plant collections, an accredited herbarium, and digital research tools, serving members, schools, visitors, and researchers through memberships, admissions, plant sales, donations, and education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Botanical Garden and Horticultural Education Services

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Nursery and Tree Production (111421), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (444240)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Seasonal Color, Planting & Horticultural Services (BPABADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plants, Seeds & Nursery Retail (Garden Centers) (CRAIAIAB), Forest Seed Orchards & Breeding Programs (AFAMADAB)

Keywords

• Public botanical garden
• Plant conservation collections
• Horticultural education programs
• Native plant propagation
• Arboretum research services

Headquarters

HQ city

West Tisbury

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership contributions at multiple tiers ranging from $50 (Individual) to $1,000 (Polly Hill Circle). Provides recurring revenue, free/discounted admission, and other benefits.
2. Visitor Admission: Admission fees: $10 for adults (May-October), $5 (November-April). Children under 12 and members free. Generates revenue from on-island visitors and tourists.
3. Plant Sales: In-person plant sales at Visitor Center (May-October) featuring wildflowers, trees, shrubs, perennials including Polly Hill introductions and island natives. Online MV Wildtype native plant plug sales. Members receive 10% discount.
4. Donations and Planned Giving: Tax-deductible donations, annual appeals, and planned giving program. Major gifts from Dr. David H. Smith and others initially funded the nonprofit transition.
5. Education Programs and Workshops: Fee-based workshops, on-demand webinar programs (e.g., Redbuds, Yellow Magnolias, Mountain Camellia), and specialized tour fees for large groups.
6. Photography Membership: $150/year membership allowing professional photography sessions on grounds with scheduling and policy requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Polly Hill Arboretum is a public botanical garden and nonprofit plant research institution that stewards horticultural collections, propagates and sells locally grown trees and shrubs, delivers formal and informal educational programming, and operates as the International Cultivar Registration Authority for the genus Stewartia. Its offerings serve general visitors, members, school groups, adult learners, and horticultural researchers, anchored by a National Historic Landmark collection on Martha's Vineyard.

Product overview

Polly Hill Arboretum is a 72-acre public botanical garden on Martha's Vineyard offering a portfolio of digital tools and visitor programs. Its core digital products include the Arboretum Explorer (interactive plant collection mapping tool), Stewartia StoryMap (ArcGIS-based collection showcase), Martha's Vineyard Plant Selection Guide (searchable plant database), and the Flora of Dukes County (comprehensive vascular plant database). Physical offerings include daily plant sales with Polly Hill introductions and MV Wildtype native plant program, educational programming including on-demand webinars, and access to specialty plant collections including the national Stewartia collection and magnolia collection. The institution also operates a scientific herbarium (PHARB) and offers tiered membership programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Garden Admission Daily public access to the arboretum grounds and plant collections for individual visitors, families, and tourists visiting Martha's Vineyard.

Quantifiable outcome

• Level IV ArbNet Accreditation received twice
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Public Gardens Association (APGA)coreOthersProud member of APGA, the primary professional organization for public gardens in North America. Provides networking, best practices, and credibility within the public horticulture industry.
• Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of BGCI, an international organization with 700+ member institutions in 118 countries focused on plant conservation. BGCI supports implementation of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.
• Martha's Vineyard CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided support for development of the Martha's Vineyard Plant Selection Guide, a searchable resource helping island residents make smart plant choices for local conditions.
• Harvard ForestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. David Foster, Director of Harvard Forest, conducts research on oak mortality in Arboretum woodlands and Frances Newhall Woods Preserve. Study explores forest recovery patterns.
• Massachusetts Natural Heritage & Endangered Species ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHA works with the state program to document and preserve the area's rare native plants as part of the Flora of Dukes County project.
• American Horticultural SocietycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPHA members receive reciprocal admission benefits at over 300 gardens through the AHS Reciprocal Admissions Program (RAP).
• Martha's Vineyard LandbankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partner permitting documentation of plants on Land Bank properties and part of the Martha's Vineyard Floristic Study Group.
• The Nature Conservancy - Cape and Islands DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partner; Melissa Cullina joined as research associate with focus on aquatic plant diversity in ponds and watersheds.
• Sheriff's Meadow FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partner permitting plant documentation on properties and part of collaborative flora documentation efforts.
• Michael Van Valkenburgh AssociatesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAward-winning landscape architect and Martha's Vineyard resident who developed the master plan including design and layout of parking area.
• Maryann Thompson ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAward-winning architectural firm of Cambridge, MA that designed the Visitor Center consisting of two post-and-beam buildings opened in 1998.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tower Hill Botanic Garden: New England's oldest public horticultural garden in Boylston, MA. Closest direct comparably sized public botanical garden in Massachusetts with plant sales, educational programs, and membership tiers analogous to PHA.
• Wave Hill: 28-acre public garden and cultural center in the Bronx, NY. Similar mid-sized public garden with curated plant collections, education programs, and tiered membership model anchored to a historic landscape.
• Berkshire Botanical Garden: Small public botanical garden in Stockbridge, MA with roughly comparable scale, membership model, educational programming, and plant sale operations. Most direct regional peer for PHA's operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Brooklyn Botanic Garden: 52-acre public botanical garden in Brooklyn, NY with extensive plant collections, education programs, and herbarium. Comparable in plant collection focus and nonprofit membership model.
• Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University: Harvard's 281-acre research arboretum in Boston, MA. Directly comparable as a major New England public arboretum/botanical institution with a focus on plant collection, research, and public education; PHA's first ED Stephen Spongberg previously worked there.
• Longwood Gardens: 1,100-acre display garden and conservatory in Kennett Square, PA. Comparable as a leading public garden with plant collections, educational programming, and significant ICRA authority for select genera.
• Morton Arboretum: 1,700-acre public garden and tree research center in Lisle, IL. Co-administers ArbNet accreditation (of which PHA holds Level IV) and shares the same funding/co-granting relationship with the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program.
• New York Botanical Garden: 250-acre research botanical garden in the Bronx. Comparable as a chartered botanical institution with herbarium, plant research, educational programs, and ICRA designations for various plant genera.

Others

• Trustees of Reservations: Massachusetts-based conservation nonprofit that, like PHA, operates historic properties with conservation restrictions and public access for educational/recreational purposes. Adjacent ecosystem partner with overlapping conservation mission.

Regional players

• Sheriff's Meadow Foundation: Martha's Vineyard land conservation nonprofit that partners with PHA on plant documentation efforts. Adjacent regional conservation peer operating on the same island with overlapping flora/mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PollyHillArboretum
• Instagraminstagram.com/pollyhillarboretum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/polly-hill-aboretum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Polly Hill Aboretum