University of Idaho Arboretum and Botanical Garden

The Arboretum in 2006, viewed from the north entrance looking south.
UI Arboretum
Location in the United States
UI Arboretum
Location in Idaho

The University of Idaho Arboretum and Botanical Garden is a major arboretum and botanical garden in the western United States, on the campus of the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. Located within a valley south of the President's Residence on Nez Perce Drive and adjacent to the UI Golf Course, its 63 acres (0.25 km2) are open to the public daily without charge.

The university's first arboretum was established 106 years ago in 1910 by Dr. Charles Houston Shattuck (1867–1931), the university's first professor of forestry and the first dean of the College of Forestry.[1] He began planting a 14-acre (5.7 ha) slope with hundreds of introduced trees and shrubs. His legacy, now a grove of mature trees, is one of Western North America's oldest university plantings with superior specimens of American Beech, California Incense-cedar, Field Maple, Eastern Hemlock, and an excellent Giant Sequoia. This older arboretum is located immediately west of the UI Administration Building and north of the President's Residence; it was named for Shattuck in 1933, two years after his death.[2][3]

The "New Arboretum" was conceived in the late 1970s[4][5][6] with its first plantings in the former hayfield in 1982.[7] It is divided into four geographical areas of plant origin: Asia, Europe, Eastern North America, and Western North America. In addition, there are sections for display plantings and a xeriscape garden. The arboretum contains 829 species and 1799 taxa of trees and woody shrubs (as of 2005), with planting continuing at a sustained pace. For example, a total of 132 species and 270 taxa were planted in 2004.

Conifers, ornamental species and cultivars of pear, forsythia, cherry, crabapple, lilac, shrub rose, mock orange, magnolia, tree peony, maple, oak, and elm constitute the bulk of the collection. There are also dozens of unusual specimens. Some of the less common trees for the region include Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), Camperdown Elms (Ulmus glabra 'Camperdownii'), and cultivars of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica).

The arboretum has many walking trails and benches; the loop distance around the arboretum is about 1.4 miles (2.3 km).

The first wedding held in the new arboretum was in July 1991; the bride was university president Elisabeth Zinser.[7][8][9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ashlock, Herb (October 25, 1959). "College of Forestry's arboretum one of oldest in U.S.". Lewiston Morning Tribune (Idaho). p. 1 (sec 2). Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Name arboretum after dead dean". Spokane Daily Chronicle (Washington). July 5, 1933. p. 3. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  3. ↑ Petersen, Keith (October 8, 1988). "Forester Shattuck beautified the campus". Idahonian (Moscow). p. 3C. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Varied use revealed at arboretum meeting". Spokane Daily Chronicle. November 17, 1977. p. 3. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Arboretum support project". Spokane Daily Chronicle (Washington). July 20, 1978. p. 3. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Arboretum fund: cash is donated". Spokane Daily Chronicle (Washington). August 4, 1978. p. 31. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  7. 1 2 Wickline, Michael R. (July 3, 1991). "Wedding's a first for New Arboretum". Lewiston Morning Tribune (Idaho). p. 1A. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  8. ↑ White, Vera (July 15, 1991). "Our 'royal' wedding". Idahonian (Moscow). p. 1A. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  9. ↑ Johnson, David (July 15, 1991). "To love and cherish". Lewiston Morning Tribune (Idaho). p. 1A. Retrieved April 24, 2012.

External links

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Coordinates: 46°43′19″N 117°00′54″W / 46.722°N 117.015°W / 46.722; -117.015

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