Haverford College Arboretum


The Haverford College Arboretum is an arboretum comprising the entire campus of Haverford College, in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It is open daily, dawn to dusk, without charge.
As of 2006, the arboretum contains mature oaks and maples, specimen trees, flowering trees, and natural woodland areas. Over 1,500 trees are labeled with their scientific name, common name and nativity. Specific points of interest include:
The arboretum's origins stretch back to 1831, when the campus property was purchased by a group of Welsh Quakers. The College itself was founded two years later.
In 1834, English gardener William Carvill laid out the campus in the English landscape tradition championed by noted landscape architect Sir Humphry Repton.
In 1901, shortly after the discovery of Carvill's original landscape drawings, students and alumni seeking to preserve Haverford's natural beauty formed the Campus Club.
In 1928 the College minutes record that "a comprehensive planting of trees" was discussed, and in response the Superintendent of Grounds began a scientific collection of trees arranged in generic and family groupings.
The Haverford College Arboretum Association was founded in 1974 and continues to oversee the preservation of historic landscapes and trees; the implementation of sustainable plantings and practices; and the development of educational community programming.