Montana Arboretum and Gardens

Montana Arboretum and Gardens is a botanical garden on the Montana State University campus that displays native plants from the northern Rocky Mountains, plains, and dry regions across the state. The grounds are organized along marked pathways into different sections, including a Xeriscape garden designed with drought-resistant species.

The gardens were established on the Montana State University campus to provide a teaching center for studying regional plant species and their climate adaptations. The collection grew as a resource to support botanical research and education at the university.

The place functions as an outdoor classroom where students and researchers observe how plants grow and adapt to Montana's climate throughout the year. Visitors can see directly how this space supports hands-on learning about regional ecology.

Visitors can walk the gardens on well-marked pathways that connect different sections and are easy to navigate at your own pace. Spring and summer months are the best times to visit when plant growth is most visible and the grounds are fully accessible.

The collection features specialized specimens like Cercocarpus ledifolius and several Juniperus varieties that have adapted specifically to Montana's unique climate and soil conditions. These plants give visitors a chance to see which species naturally thrive in this particular region.