University of Utah Tree Tour

The University of Utah is the State Arboretum.

In 1930, Dr. Walter P. Cottam, co-founder of The Nature Conservancy and chairman of the Botany Department at the University of Utah, began using campus land for plant research. For more than 30 years, he evaluated plants to determine their adaptability to our region.

In 1961, the Utah State Legislature formally recognized Cottam’s impressive collection by designating the University's campus landscape as the State Arboretum. The original legislation mandated that the Arboretum "provide resources and facilities for cultivating a greater knowledge and public appreciation for the trees and plants around us, as well as those growing in remote sections of the country and world."

  Google Maps Interactive Tree Tour