Arboretum History Virtual Tour - ALEPPO PINE
Pinus halepensis | Pinaceae | Aleppo pine
Historical Context:
Established in 1885 and open for classes in 1891, the University of Arizona is the Land Grant Institution for the state. It is the only one in the Sonoran Desert. As part of its mission to provide research and education to meet the needs of the state, UA faculty and staff have planted trees and shrubs and cacti for more than 120 years. These plantings created an “oasis” of learning and although, the landscape styles have changed throughout the years, the mission to create an environmentally and economically sustainable state has remained constant.
Old Main, once called “University Hall” was the first campus building. In 1891, Professor James Toumey, who later went on to found the School of Forestry at Yale University, established a cactus display garden where the fountain now sits. More than 600 species were collected and represented for study.
In 1929, the University President, Dr. Homer Shantz, a renowned botanist, had the garden moved to the East of Old Main. This garden expanded to the East all the way to Cherry Avenue. Some of the original plants still remain in what is now the Krutch Garden. This part of campus, the original 40 acres was designated as a National Historic District in 1986. All buildings, berms, walls and large trees are part of that designation by National Trust for Historic Preservation. The goal is to preserve the features of the 1891-1938 period.
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