Donald Wyman viewed arboreta as the best places to evaluate the ornamental qualities of trees and shrubs. It was in fulfilling this mission that Wyman established his reputation and for which he will long be remembered. More, perhaps, than any other single person, certainly of his era, he advanced the knowledge and appreciation of hardy woody plants through his articles (numbering in the hundreds), published in Arnoldia and elsewhere, and his seven books, which included the acclaimed Shrubs and Vines for American Gardens, Trees for American Gardens, and the bible of horticulturists, Wyman’s Gardening Encyclopedia.

With a personable style and a willingness to make unequivocal recommendations, he published comprehensive lists and then subdivided them into practical groupings recommended for special uses-shady spots, urban environments, seaside landscapes. A synthesizer and popularizer, he translated a great deal of technical information into a form nonprofessionals could understand. His work may now seem familiar, but only because it’s been so often imitated.

In an interview at age eighty-seven he remembered, "At a certain point in my studies, I had to choose which area of horticulture to devote myself to, and I chose to concentrate on ornamental woody plants. When I came to the Arboretum, there they all were, needing loving care and attention. I enjoyed working at the Arboretum. I loved every bit of it." [4]