Campus Arboretum
Michigan State University's campus is adorned with thousands of trees, some hundreds of years old and some planted each year. Every student, employee, and visitor knows they’re in a special place when they step onto campus. One of the reasons for this is because of the many majestic trees all over our campus, from the towering American elm just west of the Abbott Entrance, to the crabapples and cherries that color the campus in spring. Everyone has their favorite tree, and we all owe a debt to the long line of foresters, pathologists, entomologists, arborists, and landscape designers that MSU has employed over the years as stewards of the more than 20,000 trees that make up the Campus Arboretum.
Every tree on campus is databased and mapped, each pruning and planting carefully logged, and each tree is nurtured and cherished. The result is a remarkably diverse collection of trees from all over the world that is among the world's best scientific and teaching collections of trees.
If you want to explore the Campus Arboretum, you can search the Exploration Map, take a self-guided walking tour to learn about many of the ancient and unique trees in and around the historic oval, visit one of our Campus Natural Areas where you can see high quality native forests, or simply walk out onto campus with your head held high.
The Director of the Beal Botanical Garden & Campus Arboretum and the Campus Arborist co-implement MSU’s Tree Management Plan, and dozens of folks work every day to maintain this treasure. The trees of the Campus Arboretum and Campus Natural Areas contribute to a sustainable campus and are instrumental in helping the MSU Office of Sustainability keep MSU among the national and global leaders in sustainability.
More about the Campus Arboretum:
MSU Today: The science, stewardship and stories behind MSU’s trees
MSU Today: Every Spartan Tree Has a Story
MSU Today: MSU’s arboretum is a sustainable, resilient living laboratory