The WashU Arboretum makes campus more livable, healthy, and beautiful, benefiting students and the environment as a whole.

Explore our campus trees

WashU Arboretum

Browse the database of collections of notable trees in our campus arboretum.

Visit TreeKeeper

A view of over 7,000 trees across the Danforth Campus.

Visit Tree Match

A learning tool used to visually identify a tree developed by Toby Utterback, Amee Rothman, and Travis Phulnauth.

News & Announcements

Bloom Photo of the Week 

Bloom Photo of the Week 

Week of March 31 Japanese Flowering Crabapple The Japanese Flowering Crabapple on the northeast corner of Olin Library will reach peak bloom this week. Learn more about this tree on the campus arbor walk.
Late March Bloom Report 

Late March Bloom Report 

Week of March 24 Last week marked the official start to spring, and campus has begun to bloom with colors and scents of the season. Below are locations of where to find the most recent blooms in the WashU Arboretum. Okame and Yoshino Cherry Tree Allées Both cherry tree allées (tree lined corridors) on the […]
Year in Review: 2024

Year in Review: 2024

2024 was a year of growth, change, and opportunity for the WashU Arboretum.  The highlight for the year was WashU’s recognition as a Level III Arboretum under the ArbNet certification – a rare achievement. Currently, less than 100 arboreta in the world have a Level III or Level IV designation—fewer than 20 of those are […]

Campus tree benefits & services


7,076

trees on campus per treekeeper

5M

gallons of water saved

125,329

KWH saved by shading buildings

These trees reduce our greenhouse footprint by sequestering over 240,000 lbs of CO2-equivalent. They also remove over 1,700 lbs of other pollutants from the air.


WashU is one of only ten colleges and universities in Missouri to gain annual recognition as a Tree Campus Higher Education.

WashU holds a Level 3 accreditation by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program for achieving standards of professional practices deemed important for arboreta and botanic gardens.

Upcoming Events

Event: Spring Foraging Walk – April 4, 2025

Event: Spring Foraging Walk – April 4, 2025

FRIDAY, April 4, 2025 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. MEET AT THE BOTTOM OF BROOKINGS STEPS Ever wonder which plants encountered in your daily life you can or cannot eat? Join Dr. Froggi VanRiper and Arboretum team member, Michael Barash, for this interactive tour highlighting edible or medicinal spring plant species that can be found […]
Event: Student TreeKeepers Workshop – March 28, 2025

Event: Student TreeKeepers Workshop – March 28, 2025

FRIDAY, March 28, 2025 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. McDonnell 362 The WashU Arboretum and Forest ReLeaf, a local nonprofit, are hosting an abridged TreeKeepers course for current students interested in learning everything there is to know about trees. This class is designed for any student with an interest in trees, regardless of experience level, […]