Davidson College Arboretum

Davidson, North Carolina, United States

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Davidson College Arboretum, located on the 600-acre campus in Davidson, North Carolina, traces its origins to 1855 when a group of women proposed a landscape remodeling plan to the Board of Trustees, planting the seed for a living collection of trees and plants.

By 1861, students actively participated in tree planting, and in 1869, faculty suggested that the campus should represent the forest growth of North Carolina and the region’s general botany. Over decades, grounds supervisors, landscape architects, and the college community introduced exotic and native flora to create diverse collections throughout the campus.

In 1982, prompted by a letter and funding from an alumnus and director of the National Arboretum, the college officially became a national arboretum. Today, more than 3,000 woody trees and shrubs are labeled on campus, serving educational, scientific, and recreational purposes. The arboretum functions as both a living museum and an outdoor classroom, integrating natural beauty with botanical study and continuing to evolve as a cherished part of Davidson College’s identity.​