The Iowa State University Campus Arboretum is a living collection of woody plants integrated across the university grounds in Ames, Iowa. Unlike a traditional botanical garden, the arboretum encompasses the entire campus landscape, weaving its collection among academic buildings and walkways. This actively managed and documented collection functions as a library of trees and shrubs adapted to the central Iowa environment. The university’s commitment ensures the collection serves both an aesthetic and a scientific purpose. The trees form an important element of the campus identity and its horticultural heritage.
The Dual Identity of Campus and Arboretum
The arboretum’s physical scope covers 490 acres of trees and plants, integrating the academic and administrative infrastructure with the living collection. This design makes the campus itself the exhibit. The foundational vision for the open central campus, encircled by buildings, originated with Iowa State’s first president, Adonijah Welch. This deliberate landscape planning earned the Central Campus recognition as a “medallion site” by the American Society of Landscape Architects.
The designation of the entire campus as an arboretum emphasizes its utility and educational role, distinguishing it from a fenced-off park. Landscape design elements, such as the large central campus green space, contribute to the arboretum feel. The collection is a functional component of the university’s mission, utilized daily by students and faculty. Maintaining and developing the tree canopy is a continuous, high-priority effort.
Signature Tree Collections and Notable Specimens
The arboretum’s collection highlights the region’s natural history and the university’s past through taxonomic groupings and individual trees. Notable specimens include a centuries-old American Sycamore located near the intersection of Lincoln Way and University Boulevard. This tree likely predates the university’s formal establishment.
The campus also features a historic Black Maple, one of the few original trees remaining from the William M. Beardshear Memorial Grove, dedicated in 1917. Arborists maintain this damaged tree to preserve its genetic material and allow it to function as a wildlife habitat. Additionally, a rare hybrid fir, believed to be a cross between Spanish and Greek varieties, has grown near the Forker Building since the 1950s. Its hardiness is a point of study for horticulture faculty.
A specific focus collection preserves the genetic heritage of the university’s historic trees. For example, seeds were collected and propagated from a nearly century-old Northern Catalpa before its removal. This effort generates seedlings that carry the exact genetic makeup of the historic campus trees, ensuring their legacy continues in future landscaping projects.
Scientific and Educational Functions
The campus tree collection serves as a living laboratory for multiple academic departments. Students in horticulture, forestry, and landscape architecture use the trees for hands-on study of plant identification, health management, and ecological design principles. Faculty utilize the collection for research, including studies on disease resistance, tree longevity, and the impact of climate change on woody species.
Managing the collection requires a robust system of documentation. The university maintains a comprehensive inventory of the campus canopy using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to map and track each tree. This digital mapping records the species, precise location, and estimated canopy size for over 12,500 trees. The data allows staff to monitor the collection’s health and facilitates the long-term conservation of valuable genetic material.