USS Arizona Coral Reef Garden

As a campus, we aim to use the landscape to preserve and promote respect for heritage and also to inspire and educate. We believe that as a land-grant institution, it is our duty to convey science-based practices and that we can do this through innovative approaches applied in planning, designing, constructing and maintaining the campus grounds. Ultimately, we aim to transform and improve the landscape to better support the UA Mission to “discover, educate, serve and inspire”. Toward this goal of enhancing the value of the campus grounds, members of the Campus Arboretum Advisory Board have worked with those in Grounds Services, Planning Design and Construction, nurseries and regional plant experts to design a garden using climate appropriate cacti and succulent plants that resemble a living coral reef which will adorn the planters surrounding the USS Arizona Memorial on the UA Mall.

The design acknowledges the conscious choice to leave the USS Arizona undisturbed, below water in Pearl Harbor, as a gesture of respect for those who lost their lives there. Through this innovative garden project, we aim to attract attention to the USS Arizona Memorial and increase recognition of those honored there. While so doing, we also provide color, texture, striking beauty and an inspiring example of creativity that will benefit the campus and community as we also model sustainable, low-input landscape practices. The nature of these environmentally adapted plants uses less less water, maintenance and replacement, conserving resources and providing a more permanent, sustainable installation that will grow larger and more impressive with time. 

The design of gardens like this served as

inspiration for our own USS Arizona Memorial

Coral Reef garden design, which relies on

plants suited to our climate.

By invitation,

members of the campus and community,

have been invited to participate in a planting event for this very special garden.

Do you see cacti and succulent plants or coral reef, sand dollars, sea urchins and anemone? 

To learn more about the project, please see the educational projects section of this website.