The Desert Arboretum Park
Located on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, the Arboretum is a flourishing oasis of plants from around the world. The three elements of the park include an amphitheater, aquatic habitat, and southwestern desert gardens.
The Arboretum at ASU was first planted in 1896 under the guidance of Arthur J. Matthews. In his 30-year commitment as President of the Normal School, he laid the foundation for the "oasis" with the planting of 57 varieties of trees and 74 varieties of shrubs. Palm Walk is one of his most distinguished landscape projects. President Grady Gammage continued to promote the botanical growth of the campus. President Lattie Coor in 1990 went one step further by dedicating the grounds of Arizona State University as an Arboretum.
From tall, stately palms and rugged Himalayan pines to rare fruit trees and cacti, a visit here is a colorful, multi-faceted journey through the world of plants. The Arboretum is home to over 300 species from diverse geographic regions, as well as the Sonoran Desert. It contains one of the best collections of date palms and conifers in the Desert Southwest, and offers a growing collection of native southwestern plants.
What is unique about this Arboretum is that it is lived in. It is a public garden open year round, 24 hours a day, with over 50 thousand people entering its 750+ acres weekly. It is an excellent place for the transplanted homeowner to visit leisurely and learn what can be grown in Maricopa County. It allows viewers to see varying stages of maturity of trees that are offered in nurseries. It is a quiet place to stroll on weekends. It is beautiful in its lushness, and the Arboretum is free. It has been a secret in a desert that needs to be shared.
Arizona State University Horticultural Research Center
In 1990, the Arboretum at Arizona State University established the Horticultural Research Center on a largely undeveloped 47-acre property in Mesa, located near University Drive and Price Road. Research projects by the ASU Zoology and Plant Biology Departments, including spider lily bulbs used in important cancer research projects, are located on this site.
A Date Demonstration Garden was established at the center in 1993. Other on-going projects include the expansion of the woody ornamental propagation and nursery production areas, horticultural classes for volunteers and visitation by numerous individuals and community groups.
The date palm collection features 400 specimens of more than 50 cultivars. The North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC) and the American Association of Botanic Gardens and Arboretum (AABGA) have recognized the collection as a principal collection in North America. The numerous other varieties of palms throughout the Arboretum are by themselves noteworthy. ASU has the largest date palm collection of any public garden in the country. Date palms from Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Morocco are a part of this collection.
To keep the many varieties of date palms alive, ASU is developing its own collection of young palms. The Horticultural Resource Center (HRC) is developing a "germplasm" collection of young palms to preserve propagation materia.
For information on seasons and fees contact:
The Arboretum at Arizona State University
ASU Visitors Center
826 E. Apache Blvd.
Tempe, Arizona 85287-2512
602-965-0100
Website: www.azarboretum.org
The Desert Arboretum Park: open from 7 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Friday.
ASU Horticultural Resource Center: open from 5 am to 1:30 pm, Monday through Friday, during the summer, and from 6 am to 2:30 pm in the winter.
Parking in and around the University is FREE on weekends and University holidays. During the week parking can cost up to $4.00 for the day.
