Davidson College Arboretum

Davidson College Arboretum is a botanical garden on the Davidson College campus in North Carolina, featuring over 3,000 labeled trees and shrubs from the region and distant lands. The plants are distributed across maintained paths that guide visitors through various collections.

The arboretum began in 1855 when local women proposed landscape improvements to enhance the campus grounds. It was officially recognized as a national arboretum in 1986 and has continued to expand since then.

The arboretum houses Ginkgo trees descended from survivors of the Hiroshima bombing, planted through a partnership with Green Legacy Hiroshima. These trees link two continents and stand as living reminders of resilience and renewal.

The arboretum is open year-round and free to visit, as it sits directly on the college campus. The paths are well maintained and parking is available, allowing easy access to the collections.

The collection includes five plant species that disappeared from North America millions of years ago and now thrive here again. These returning species from the past show how nature has shifted over vast stretches of time.