Arboretum 2 Het Leen

Eeklo, Belgium, Belgium

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Arboretum 2 Het Leen is the second of two arboreta located within Provinciaal Domein Het Leen, a large provincial recreational park in Eeklo, Belgium, and it houses a motley collection of magnolias and rhododendrons.

The main arboretum at Het Leen, which is often referred to alongside Arboretum 2, is a 6-hectare open-air museum containing more than 7,000 to over 10,000 trees and shrubs from around the world, with standout collections of Camellia (recognized as an International Garden of Excellence with over 1,250 specimens), Magnolia, Rhododendron, Viburnum, Hydrangea, Cornus, and Geranium.

Started around 1980 by Erik Windey, a green worker who began with a modest collection of native woody plants, the arboretum has grown steadily into a scientifically labeled collection emphasizing botanical species, historical Belgian cultivars, and environmentally friendly maintenance, while also holding membership in Botanic Gardens Conservation International.

The entire provincial domain spans over 285 hectares of protected forest (since 1973) with beech and pine woods, 15 shimmering ponds, and 36 kilometers of walking trails suitable for families, strollers, and wheelchair users, and the arboretum itself offers free admission, open daily from 9 a.m. (closing times vary from 5 p.m. in winter to 9 p.m. in summer), with guided tours available.