Campus Arboretum

The campus arboretum has been growing since the botanic garden was founded in 1895. The history of our tree collection can be easily felt when walking the Smith College campus, as we care for a number of stately, older trees. That's one of the reasons we have so many State Champion Trees. While the tree care philosophy has changed over the years, and how we think about tree collections as they relate to conservation in our changing climate has also shifted, the dedication our arborists have for caring for our campus arboretum remains steadfast.

Explore the Arboretum

Come and experience the beauty of the arboretum. There is a walking tree tour on the campus map, as well as an audio tour called TreeSpeak, which tells the stories of Smith’s most prominent trees.

State Champions

Through the botanic garden’s commitment of caring for the campus arboretum, today's collection contains a number of notable, historic trees that have been designated as state champions by the state for their size and significance in the landscape. A long tradition of celebrating the impact that trees have on both the quality of the campus and the Smith College learning environment has allowed many of them to achieve a remarkable size and age. Visit Lyman for more information on where these state champions can be seen on campus.

An Arboretum with a Purpose

The role of botanic gardens and arboreta grows in importance as the challenges of conserving the value and resilience of the natural communities that our plants represent intensify. We look to build collections that support the natural systems that our campus is situated within and protect the genetic diversity plant populations need to thrive.

Adeline holding magnolia tree in capen greenhouse

Arboretum Accreditation

The Botanic Garden of Smith College has achieved the highest level of arboretum accreditation–Level IV–from The Morton Arboretum's ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program. The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is the only global initiative to recognize arboreta that achieve particular standards of professional and collection excellence.

The Botanic Garden of Smith College’s historic arboretum, which previously held a Level III accreditation, has earned this new level of accreditation because of its commitment to building conservation collections and institutional collaboration. Learn more.