In the 1800's cactus and creosote surrounded Tucson, Arizona. When the University of Arizona was established as the state's land-grant institute, ornamental trees, shrubs, and cacti were planted to beautify the grounds (and cut down on the dust!) Today's campus holds over 500 individual tree species.
Ever since 19th century UA faculty member Robert Forbes tested olive varieties on the western edge, plants of all kinds have enriched campus life. A full report on the history of the UA olives is here.
In the fall of 2003, students in Anthropology 595f (Environmental Decision Making in Applied Anthropology) conducted oral histories of ten people who played key roles in the development of the campus botanical landscape. Ph.D. student Philippe Waterinckx synthesized and distilled the interviews to produce a brochure which details changes in the way the campus was used over the past century. The Oral History of the Campus Landscape is available here (as a PDF file) and at the Campus Arboretum's office in Herring Hall. Original tapes and texts will be filed at the University Library's Special Collections.
The campus mall at the University of Arizona was once a vast cactus garden! This cactus garden was initially on the west side of Old Main in 1917, then moved to the east side in the 1930s. The existing Joseph Wood Krutch garden is a remnant of a larger cactus garden that once extended from Old Main to Cherry Ave. The renovations that turned this area into the Mall as we know it today took place in the 1960's. The landscape surrounding Old Main is also a remnant of this formerly very extensive garden. Although less conducive to sun-bathing than the grassy Mall, the cactus garden was certainly more interesting. Old photos show pathways, cacti in bloom, and visitors reading labels on many species. See examples of the Shantz photo collection here. The Shantz photo collection can be found in the UA Digital Commons here.