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 North American university campuses. This designation derives from a combination of breadth and depth of diversity, education events aimed at improving tree-based education, and partnerships with scientists, community organizations, and other arboreta and nurseries.
The arboretum was also the subject of multiple scientific studies and hosted numerous Arbor Walks and other community engagement events. Plans for growth and expansion continued broadly across campus, as well as in specific collections of taxa that bolster the wide range of woody plant diversity.
2024 by the Numbers:
- 400 plants transplanted from construction zones
- 339 trees or large shrubs planted (of 6,694 total on campus)
- 135 new taxa (of 864 total on campus)
- 57 species of woody plant seed collected in total
- 41 new species (of 409 total on campus)
- 34 species of woody plant seed wild collected
- 15 institutional partnerships nationwide
- 13 unique species transplanted from construction zones
- 7 other Arbor Walks completed
- 7 new native Missouri species (of 127 total on campus)
- 5 official events held
Events
In addition to campus Arbor Walks, the Arboretum hosted a handful of key events this past year. For the second year, the Love Letters to Trees Campaign, where Valentine’s Day notes from students to their favorite trees were displayed from the trees on February 14th. This event was the idea of the Arboretum’s late former curator Dr. Stan Braude, and will continue on in 2025.
Spring and fall foraging walks were led by Arboretum edible foraging enthusiasts, and students, faculty, and community members had the opportunity to explore culinary and medicinal qualities from the natural landscape of the Danforth Campus. Other events included the replanting of the Okame Cherry Allee, between Cupples I and Crow Hall, and a peaceful zine making workshop under the yellowing Ginkgo Allee, co-hosted with students in the Illustration and Visual Culture MFA program at Sam Fox.