UMN Twin Cities 'Campus-Arboretum'

The term arboretum (plural: arboreta) derives from the Latin for ‘place grown with trees,’ though in modern usage it may include other woody and herbaceous plants. Arboreta range in size and function and may be used for scientific research as well as generating interest and providing knowledge about plants, their places in natural and designed landscapes, and how these “communities” of plants enhance our quality of life. Minnesota hosts no fewer than 14 publicly accessible botanic gardens and arboreta, including our premier research arboretum, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska.

The University of Minnesota Twin Cities 'Campus-Arboretum' offers all of these opportunities and benefits to students, faculty, staff, neighboring residents, and all who choose to visit our campus. The 'Campus-Arboretum' highlights not only significant trees, but special plant communities, such as raingardens and restored prairies, and places that are significant to the campus’s human community, such as quiet sitting areas or the semi-famous “shoe-tree,” all in our accessible campus greenspaces, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The 'Campus-Arboretum' is intended as a dynamic entity. Everyone associated with the campus, whether as a student, staff, or visitor, can nominate trees, plant communities, or special places for inclusion in the ArcGIS Story Maps that define the 'Campus-Arboretum'. The nominated features are vetted by an advisory committee, which includes representatives from the student body, faculty, staff, and surrounding neighborhoods. As new features are added, the 'Campus-Arboretum' grows, just like the living beings of which it is made.

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