The Tree Pittsburgh Arboretum is not your traditional tree preserve. The campus – a narrow five-acre strip along the Allegheny River – once housed a steel mill. It is nestled between a scrapyard on one side and a million gallons of fuel storage on the other. Trains rumbled close by daily, carrying coal and fracking waste products. On this little oasis, they have planted more than 700 trees.

The Tree Pittsburgh Arboretum showcases the power of trees to heal and revitalize urban landscapes. The living collection is a teaching garden, focusing on a diverse population of primarily native species and trees resilient to city stressors. 

The foundation of the collection is built on a combination of mature trees that survived the site’s industrial past, alongside hundreds of saplings grown in the Heritage Nursery, from seed collected in the Western Pennsylvania eco-region. This practice enhances genetic diversity and promotes climate adaptation, allowing nature to emerge as a healing force. Tree Pittsburgh Arboretum’s educational focus allows the campus trees to represent a living classroom, showcasing tree protection methods and management techniques.