Penn Campus Arboretum at the University of Pennsylvania

The Penn Campus Arboretum at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) curates and manages a diverse collection of trees, focused on preserving and sustaining the urban forest for the well-being of the community, environmental benefits, research and educational opportunities.  Penn’s campus is an urban forest with over 6,500 trees in its collection, over 240 species of trees and shrubs, ten specialty gardens and five urban parks.  Penn has dedicated resources and coordinated the care of a comprehensive tree management program over the course of many years, resulting in Tree Campus USA designation since 2009 and formal recognition as an accredited ArbNet Arboretum in 2017.  Penn Plant Explorer, an interactive website linked to Penn’s comprehensive tree inventory, allows users to map and interpret Penn’s entire collection of trees from the donor sponsored Class Tree tour, significant trees, interesting and unique trees to seasonal interest and edible plants. 

The University of Pennsylvania, a prominent research university, extends across 300 acres within a walkable urban campus in West Philadelphia, the primary home of the University.  Penn’s campus benefits over 21,000 graduate and undergraduate students and more than 17,000 faculty and staff.  The Penn Campus Arboretum at the University of Pennsylvania encompasses the entire campus, and is one of Penn’s two arboretums; the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania is the official Arboretum of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and is located in Chestnut Hill, a mature suburban community about 15 miles from Penn’s main West Philadelphia campus.  The Morris Arboretum and Penn have a robust partnership promoting shared research, outreach and education programs highlighting the importance of trees.