Learn the history and the heritage of Arizona's oldest University. Follow our guides as they show you beautiful places and tell you fascinating facts about the growth and development of the University, and how it came out of the sands of the Sonoran Desert to become the jewel of Arizona! RSVP by sending your name, the number of guests in your group and the tours you are interested in attending to: infoarboretum@ag.arizona.edu
Tree Tours
Don't have the time or the means to travel to a tropical destination? Visit campus to observe mature tropical trees. Enjoy the mesmerizing view of palm trees swaying in the wind while learning to distinguish the most common palms used in the southwest. RSVP by sending your name, the number of guests in your group and the tours you are interested in attending to: infoarboretum@ag.arizona.edu
Discover trees from the heart of civilization and learn the key to growing these plants in the Sonoran desert. RSVP by sending your name, the number of guests in your group and the tours you are interested in attending to: infoarboretum@ag.arizona.edu
When the University of Arizona was established as a Land Grant Institute in 1891, Dr. James Toumey, a botanist for the Agricultural Experiment Station on campus, recognized the educational value of the native vegetation that evolved in the Sonoran Desert over tens of thousands of years. As such, he started a cactus display garden that, eventually became what we now know as the Joseph Wood Krutch (pronounced KROOCH) Garden. In the 120 years since the genesis of the University and its cactus garden, the University’s practices have advanced to reflect current and evolving understandings of and attitudes toward landscaping and the natural environment. Join the Campus Arboretum docents for this tour to learn more about the ecology and ethnobotany of many Sonoran native plants.
Plants have been used for centuries to treat and remedy all sorts of ailments; on this tour you will learn about some of the medicinal plants here on campus and their therapeutic properties for human health. RSVP by sending your name, the number of guests in your group and the tours you are interested in attending to: infoarboretum@ag.arizona.edu
The brain-child of a hungry college students, created for the benefit of all locovores, this tour identifies trees with edible products growing in our campus landscape and features native plants to the Sonoran desert. RSVP by sending your name, the number of guests in your group and the tours you are interested in attending to: infoarboretum@ag.arizona.edu
Although the UA strives to select only the best adapted plants, for more than a century the campus landscape has also served as testing grounds for trees from climates unlike our own, supplying the Campus Arboretum with a collection of unusual but delightful specimens. Trees around the World features some of these unique trees and describes their native uses and interesting folklore. RSVP by sending your name, the number of guests in your group and the tours you are interested in attending to: infoarboretum@ag.arizona.edu
This tour is designed to engage kids and create in them an awareness for the environment. By reading clues and seeking out the corresponding trees, students not only learn about plants but learn to observe and consider their environment. We hope this tour is a fun and effective teaching tool! This tour is available by special request sent to infoarboretum@ag.arizona.edu
As the oldest continually maintained public green space in Arizona, the Campus Arboretum values tree selection and landscape management practices ensure a sustainable future. Join this tour to experience an evolution in desert horticulture and get ideas for your own landscapes. This tour is offered through the UA Visitor's Center. Telephone: (520) 621-5130 to RSVP.
Branch out and enjoy a new and educational form of campus entertainment. This tour will provide a good introduction to the campus tree collection and provide a new source of enjoyment and rejuvenation--absolutely free with no waiting in line!
Interested in a guided tree tour with an expert?
Tours of the Campus Arboretum are offered throughout the year - September through May.View the calendar of events at the top of this page, or print the 2013-2014 tour schedule and plan to attend.
TO RSVP:
Call (520) 621-7074 or
E-mail: infoarboretum@ag.arizona.edu
Indicate a name and contact #, the tour(s) and dates you would like to participate and your group size. We'll reply to confirm your reservation. With a minimum of two-weeks notice, we can accommodate a group tour. Contact us to make a request.
Want to see the campus at your own pace?
Alternatively, view a virtual tour or visit campus for a self-guided tour. Self-guided tour booklets can be printed from the links below or checked out from 101 Herring Hall on weekdays before 4pm.
SELF-GUIDED OR VIRTUAL TOURS:
