The University of Georgia campus is one of the most beautiful in the United States. Stately, noble trees provide human scale, a sense of place, cooling shade, and tranquility to students, faculty, staff, and visitors. To walk this hallowed campus is to sense the pride in its heritage and hope for the future. The designation of the campus as an arboretum not only ensures sustained, energetic tree planting and maintenance, but also presents opportunities for studying trees. This “Tree Walk” is the first project of the University of Georgia Campus Arboretum initiative. The Founders Garden Walk celebrates one of the oldest landscapes on UGA's campus. The historic brick Greek Revival style buildings were originally built in 1857, and it was the first recorded address on Lumpkin Street. The surrounding garden has undergone numerous changes over the years and now houses over 300 plant species. Begin this tour at the Founders Garden's northwest entrance across from Denmark Hall. The first tree is located near the left corner of Denmark Hall if looking at it from the Founders Garden entrance. Look for the black plaques mounted in front of each described tree species. To advance from tree to tree scroll downwards or click/tap on the numbered circles on the map.
If using a mobile device, tap on the square in the upper right corner of the map to view your location.
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KATSURA TREE
Cercidiphyllum japonicum The katsura tree is a deciduous tree native to Japan and China. Katsura trees have distinctive heart-shaped leaves that have a variety of colors throughout the year. The leaves emerge in the spring reddish-purple before morphing into a blue-green which persists through the growing season. In the fall, the leaves bear a buttery yellow to apricot hue before falling. Katsura trees have a shallow root system which makes them susceptible to drought.
2
ITALIAN CYPRESS
Cupressus sempervirens The Italian cypress is native to the eastern Mediterranean region and parts of the Middle East. It can be an extremely long-lived tree with one tree in Iran, Sarv-e-Abarkooh, estimated to be 4,000 years old. Italian cypresses are known for their narrow, exclamation mark growth habit. Italian cypresses are symbolic in many religions and in mythology. In Greek mythology, the poet Ovid wrote of the boy Cyparissus being turned into a Cupressus sempervirens after killing Apollo’s favorite stag. The trees have been depicted in many Van Gogh paintings, including The Starry Night.
3
SHANTUNG MAPLE
Acer truncatum Shantung maples are native to China, Japan, and Korea and are known for their bright red-orange fall colors. Shantung refers to a province in northeastern China, where they are seen in great numbers. Another common name for Acer truncatum is “Purpleblow” relating to its purplish-red color that sometimes accompanies new leaf growth. The Shantung Maple grows fruit in winged seeds which serve as a food source for wild birds.
4
COAST REDWOOD
Sequoia sempervirnes The coastal redwood is the only living species in the Sequoia genus and is native to the coastal regions of California and Oregon. Coastal redwoods are among the tallest and largest trees in the world, reaching upwards of 370 feet. The diameter at the breast height (dbh) of the largest specimen is 29.2 feet. Before the tree was commercially logged beginning in the mid-1800s, the coastal redwood forested 2,000,000 acres on the West Coast. However, the coastal redwood is now endangered from extensive logging. Redwood forests are ecologically important to species of plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians found nowhere else in the world.
5
PAPERBARK MAPLE
Acer griseum The paper bark maple is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree native to China. It was introduced to cultivation in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. It gets its name from its copper-colored bark that peels into highly ornamental curls. Paperbark maples can have a beautiful red-orange fall color but are often more subdued in the South.
6
BLACK GUM
Nyssa sylvatica Native to the eastern United States, the black tupelo is a widely distributed tree found in a multitude of regions depending on the variety. The tree is a very important species for wildlife because of its widespread distribution and flower and fruit production. The black tupelo is an important species for wild honey production and is one of the main sources of tupelo honey. Hollows of the tree were used as bee gums and the small flowers of the black tupelo produce large amounts of nectar and are beloved by bees. The black tupelo is also a cherished tree in the landscape for its interesting blue-black fruit, stunning fall color, and great architecture.
7
SHORTLEAF PINE
Pinus echinata The shortleaf pine is native to the eastern United States. They are an important lumber source in the deep South. Shortleaf pines are used for lumber, plywood, and pulpwood for making paper. The shortleaf pine will readily hybridize with loblolly and pitch pines in shared ecosystems.
8
JAPANESE MAPLE
Acer palmatum The Japanese maple is a cherished ornamental maple native to Japan and Korea. Because of the multitude of cultivars that have been developed and natural genetic variations, Japanese maples can vary widely. Japanese maples have been cultivated for centuries in Japan. Unfortunately, some extensive collections of cultivars were destroyed in Japan during WWII. The 1960s saw a revived interest in Japanese maples and breeding programs were rejuvenated.
9
SOURWOOD
Oxydendron arboreum The sourwood is an understory tree native to the eastern United States. It most commonly occurs in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The deciduous tree is known for its stunning crimson-red fall color. The same sourwood arises from the sour taste of the leaves because of their high levels of acid. The trees bear creamy white flowers in June and July that resemble Lily of the Valley. The honey produced from the nectar of the blooms is used to make prized sourwood honey.
10
DAWN REDWOOD
Metasequoia glyptostroboides Native to south-central China, the dawn redwood is the only surviving species of the Metasequoia genus. The dawn redwood is known as a living fossil species with fossil records dating back 50 million years. However, the tree was only discovered in 1941. The tree was found first in fossils from the Mesozoic Era. In the same year, a living specimen was discovered by a Chinese forester named T. Kan. The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University completed an expedition in 1948 and successfully collected and distributed seedlings from the original tree Kan discovered. Now, the tree is a popular ornamental thanks to its fast growth habit and feathery deciduous foliage that turns a stunning bronze in the autumn.
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JAPANESE EVERGREEN OAK
Quercus glauca The Japanese evergreen oak is native to Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan. The leathery, evergreen foliage of the tree is glossy, dark green above and glaucous gray-blue on the underside. The new growth of the oak is often tinted bronze when it first emerges. Like many other oaks, the acorns of the Japanese evergreen oak are edible and can be dried and ground into flours and cereals. Roasted acorns have even been used as a coffee substitute.
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UMBRELLA TREE
Magnolia tripetala Umbrella magnolia is an understory tree native the Appalachian Mountains with its range extending from Pennsylvania down to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Georgia. The tree gets its name from the large, long, shiny green leaves (to 24 inches long and to 10 inches wide) that grow in whorl-like clusters at the stem tips, purportedly resembling the spokes of an umbrella. Large creamy white flowers (to 6-10 inches across) bloom in spring shortly after the leaves emerge.
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THORNLESS HONEY LOCUST
Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis Honey locust is native to the central United States from Iowa to Texas and south Georgia. The straight species has clusters of three-branched lethal thorns. The cultivar, inermis, is thornless. The thornless honey locust is a valued ornamental plant for its lacey, bipinnately arranged foliage that turns a buttery yellow fall color. It is also very tolerant of many environmental stressors such as drought, salt, and poor soils. Because of its adaptability and survivability, the Honey Locust is extremely invasive in other parts of the world where it has been introduced, notably in Australia. The genus, Gleditsia, honors the 16th-century Berlin Botanical Garden director, Johann Gottlieb Gleditsch.
14
AMERICAN YELLOWWOOD
Cladrastis kentukea The Kentucky yellowwood is one of the rarest forest trees in the eastern United States. It is principally found in small pockets in the southeast on limestone cliffs. It is known for its beautiful panicles of white, fragrant blooms that appear in the spring.
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AMERICAN WITCH HAZEL
Hamamelis virginana Witch hazel is a small tree native to the eastern United States. It is found peeking out of the edges of woodlands, near streams, and in the understory of larger trees. The largest specimens of witch hazel are found in the mountains of North and South Carolina. Witch hazel is the last to bloom of all eastern tree species in the US. Yellow, strappy, pom-pom-like blooms appear along the defoliated branches mid-autumn. Fruits from these unusual flowers mature into fruits one year after blooming. These fruits are of little importance to wildlife but are nonetheless eaten by grouse, squirrels, and whitetail deer. Although the tree is not of great use to wildlife, humans have found many uses for the plant. Experienced water diviners used the astringent forked branches of the tree for a divining rod. The Native Americans used the extracts from the bark, leaves, and stems of the witch hazel plant to cure many ailments such as swelling, inflammation, and tumors. Recent studies have shown that certain tannins from the plant may help reduce colon cancer cells.
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FRAGRANT TEA OLIVE
Osmanthus fragrans The fragrant tea olive is a species of broadleaf evergreen native to eastern Asia, ranging from the Himalayas to Japan. It is a beloved ornamental plant for its glossy, dark green foliage, and its intensely fragrant flowers. Osmanthus is used in China for various medicinal and culinary applications. The flowers are infused in teas and used in jams, cakes, soups, and dumplings. In traditional Chinese folklore, Wu Gang endlessly cuts back the osmanthus growing on the moon. Since its introduction to the United States, osmanthus has become a staple in Southern gardens.
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EASTERN HEMLOCK
Tsuga canadensis The eastern hemlock is an attractive conifer that occurs in the northern midwest, northeastern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. The litter produced by the tree raised the acidity of the soil surrounding the base of the tree, reducing competition with other plants. The slow-growing nature of the tree means that the lifespan of the tree can reach 1,000+ years. Many different types of wildlife rely on hemlock. The bark of the hemlock was widely used at one time to tan leather. Hemlocks are under attack from the introduced woolly adelgid (invasive aphid-like insect) which has decimated populations of hemlock in the eastern United States.
18
JAPANESE CAMELLIA
Camellia japonica The Japanese camellia is a beloved flowering shrub in our Southern landscapes. Native to Japan, Korea, and China, the Japanese camellia is a staple in gardens because of its evergreen, glossy foliage and beautiful rose-like winter blooms. There are numerous cultivars of Japanese camellias that vary in flower color and petal type. Plants in the Camellia genus are known for their tea and tea oil production. The genus, Camellia, honors the German Jesuit missionary and botanist Georg Joseph Camel, who was noted for his work with Asian plant species.
19
PECAN
Carya illinoinensis The pecan is native to the Mississippi River Valley. Pecans require hot, humid summers accompanied by frost-free winters. Their peak of nut-producing years often occurs when they are between 75-255 years old. Spanish and French settlers spread the tree throughout the southeast and Europe upon its discovery. Today, it is the most commercially important native nut tree in North America with Georgia being the leading producer of pecans in the nation.
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NATCHEZ CREPE MYRTLE
Lagerstroemia 'Natchez' The crepe myrtle is native to India, China, Korea, and Japan. Although not native to the United States, the crepe myrtle has become symbolic of the American South because of its widespread plantings. The genus name, Lagerstroemia, is in honor of Magnus von Lagerstoem, a Swedish botanist. He collected many rare specimens from India and China. The 'Natchez' crepe myrtle is a cross between L. indica and L. fauriei. It is an upright cultivar with exfoliating cinnamon-colored bark and papery white flowers.
21
WINTERSWEET
Chimonanthus praecox Wintersweet, also known as Japanese allspice, is a species of deciduous shrub native to Chinese forests. The shrub bears fragrant, yellowish flowers on leafless branches in the late winter. When crushed, the scabrous foliage emits a spicy, herbal aroma. Although one of its common names is Japanese allspices, the seeds of the plant contain a toxic compound, calycanthine. Oils prepared from the flowers are not toxic and are used in a variety of traditional Chinese medicines.
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YEW PLUM PINE
Podocarpus macrophyllus The yew plum pine is a conifer native to Japan and southern China. The yew plum pine is a popular conifer in the Southeastern United States and is beloved for its dark green, feathery foliage, and attractive edible berry-like seeds. The seeds are covered in an aril: a fleshy seed covering that resembles fruit. These fleshy coverings can be eaten off the plant or can be made into pies and other baked goods. However, caution should be practiced if eating the arils since the seeds and other parts of the plant can be mildly toxic. There are numerous cultivars of yew plum pines with some dwarfed varieties making popular house plants.