Rowan University Arboretum

The Rowan University Arboretum is embedded within the campus in Glassboro, NJ. The mission is to curate an accessible living laboratory for students and visitors to explore the interconnectedness of plants, animals, people, and the environment to inspire new learning, research, and creative ideas.

The arboretum boasts nearly 100 different tree species, including ten species of oaks, eight species of maples, seven species of pines, and a large, over-mature female Ginkgo, possibly planted by Rowan’s first biologist, John B. Sangree. A grove of 100-200+ year-old white oaks sit in the heart of campus. Surrounding Glassboro’s historic Hollybush Mansion is a small collection of holly shrubs and a weeping European beech. Additionally, an American sweetgum Moon Tree from NASA’s Artemis Mission was planted in front of the Edelman Planetarium in 2024.

The content for the arboretum’s website was developed by students, for students, within Dr. Sara Wright’s Plant Diversity course in the Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences. The team seeks to inspire visitors of all ages to explore their local community, learn about its history and biological diversity, and discover connections that generate new, creative research paths. In addition, they encourage guests to learn about trees and explore questions about the history and lives of the Lenni-Lenape people, whose traditional land includes their campus.