Arboretum and Botanical Garden

The University of Maryland's Audubon Student Chapter partnered with the Community Learning Garden, 17 for Peace and Justice, and the Wildlife Society to improve bird habitat on campus.

Earlier this spring, the University of Maryland Arboretum staff received notific

Nestled in the Eastern Shore town of Wye Mills, Maryland is the memorial and resting place of “Maryland’s oldest citizen,” a 460-year-old White Oak (Quercus alba) famously known as the Wye Oak. The history of this remarkable tree lives on here in College Park as well. Beyond the approximate 16,850 woody specimens we care for on campus, our arboretum inventory holds 16 county champions, 40 dedicated trees, and various USDA Germplasm species brought back from national and global expeditions.  We are always welcoming of significant plant material to expand our diverse teaching collection and this year we are grateful to receive 10 seedlings of the famed Wye Oak from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. 

Since 2008, The University of Maryland campus has been recognized as an Arboretum and Botanical Garden. This process created the Enhancement Team at UMD. Its mission is to create, improve, and maintain the landscape management of perennial plants and annual flowers in the most visible places and essential areas of the University. Luis Alfonzo was the first horticulturist to lead the Enhancement Team, and continues to guide its operation.

Each semester, many hundreds of UMD students and community members volunteer their time to support the UMD Arboretum by performing weeding, mulching, planting, and litter cleanup. In 2022, the Arboretum recorded 5,927 volunteer hours at a record value of $178,861*.