SFA Mast Arboretum

Nacogdoches, Texas, United States

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The SFA Mast Arboretum at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, is a 10-acre botanical garden established in 1985 as a project of the university's first landscape plant materials class, making it the oldest university arboretum in Texas.

It hosts more than 3,000 plant species across 20 themed gardens, including butterfly, conifer, fern, herb, and pitcher plant bog gardens, as well as an Asian Valley, a beehive exhibit, and a vine collection. An important feature is the Ruby Mize Azalea Garden, spanning 8 acres with thousands of azaleas, camellias, Japanese maples, hydrangeas, and other rare plants.

The arboretum serves as a living laboratory for education, research, and conservation, supporting community beautification and promoting the testing and introduction of plants suitable for the southern U.S. climate. It is open daily without charge and continues to expand its collections and educational outreach.