| Sochut Dendropark named after Edmund Leonowicz | |
|---|---|
| Stepanavan "Sojut" Dendropark | |
 Trail inside Stepanavan Dendropark | |
  Stepanavan Dendropark is located inLori Province,Armenia | |
| Nearest city | Stepanavan,Armenia |
| Coordinates | 40°56′14.73″N44°28′48.20″E / 40.9374250°N 44.4800556°E /40.9374250; 44.4800556 |
| Area | 35 ha |
| Established | 1931 |
OfficiallySochut Dendropark named after Edmund Leonowicz, commonly knowns asStepanavan Dendropark (Armenian:Ստեփանավանի դենդրոպարկ), is anarboretum located near theGyulagarak village,Lori Province,Armenia. Located around 85 km (53 mi) north of the capitalYerevan, the park was founded in 1931 byPolish engineer-foresterEdmund Leonowicz. The arboretum is 35 ha in total of which 17.5 ha consist of natural forest[1] and 15 ha of ornamental trees.[2][3]
This collection expanded along the newly constructed footpaths and vistas which began to reach into the natural forest and is thought to be the first place in theTranscaucasus, where a natural forest landscape had been reshaped into a Forest Park. Most specimens were acquired from other botanic gardens as part of international exchange programmes with the Botanic Garden inTbilisi (Georgia),Kyiv (Ukraine), Nikitski, (Crimea, Ukraine),Leningrad andMoscow Central (Soviet Union) as well as theFar East. Specimens were also obtained further afield fromGermany,France,Portugal,China and theUnited States. There are now more than 500introduced species.[4]
The Stepanavan Dendropark consists of deciduous forest and ornamental plantings with avenues of Lime (Tilia cordata), and wild-sourced specimens ofJuglans,Malus,Populus andPyrus. The arboretum is home to a wide variety of trees, includingMagnolia species,Larix decidua,Cypresses of various genera,Pinus sibirica,Cryptomeria japonica andSequoiadendron giganteum. Among the native species areCarpinus caucasica, the LimesTilia dasystyla andT. cordata,Fagus orientalis, the ElmsUlmus elliptica,Ulmus scabra andUlmus foliacea, the OaksQuercus macranthera,Quercus iberica andQuercus longipes,Pinus sylvestris var. hamata andPyrus communis (note: Armenia is an important centre of pear diversity with over 20 known species).[2]
During the operation of the arboretum, it tested the suitability for local conditions of about 2,500 taxa. Of this number of taxa introduced, around 500 species have survived and are growing in the garden.[2]
Seeds from the arboretum are spread throughout the world throughIndex Seminum published byYerevan Botanical Garden. Mainly from the garden in Yerevan, there are also plants planted in the arboretum, imported from various regions of the formerSoviet Union, but alsoChina,Western Europe andNorth America.
Nowadays the arboretum is of interest to the general public, professional scientists and eco-tourists. It provides the opportunity to study adaptive characteristics of different plants to the new environmental conditions, conduct training programmes for student internships and study the distinctive flora of the Transcaucasus region.
Admission is free and open to the public.
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