OSU Campus Arboretum Tour
Historical and Unique Trees
Scroll through the tour or select a number in the map below to skip to a location:
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1
Oregon White Oak
Magruder Hall
This magnificent giant in front of you is almost 350 years old. This species of oak, like other drought tolerant oaks, does not like summer irrigation. If you look closely in the furrows of the bark, you will see acorns stored by the acorn woodpecker for food in the winter.
2
Douglas-fir (Apollo 14 Moon Tree)
Peavy Forest Science Center
This Douglas-fir, which is located on the east side of the Peavy Forest Science Center, was grown from a seed that flew in lunar orbit in the Apollo 14 moon landing mission in 1971. The seedling was planted at this site in 1976; this photo was taken 45 years later.
3
Japanese Zelkova
West Hall
This large tree may very well be the state champion. It is a member of the elm family that is resistant to Dutch-elm disease. The lovely bark of the Japanese zelkova resembles large puzzle pieces, and reddish orange fall color give this tree multi-season interest.
4
Ponderosa Pine
Moreland "Arb"
Do you smell lemon or orange bark? Prickly long needles of mostly 3’s and sometimes 2’s per bundle create green pom-poms on branchlets. The Willamette Valley has a variety of ponderosa pine that has adapted to the modified Mediterranean climate of wet winters and dry summers.
5
Norway Spruce
Moreland "Arb"
This species of spruce exhibits the longest female cones of all spruces. They are easily identified by their 4-sided needles and drooping branches. For identifying spruce, remember the 4 P’s…prickly (needles), pegged (needles), pendulous (cones), and persistent (cones).
6
Western Red Cedar
Fairbanks Hall
Do you see the white butterflies, bows on the underside of the needles, or the rose shaped female cones? Native from Alaska, moving south into northern CA and spreading east into Montana, this tree is an important part of the culture of indigenous tribes in the PNW.
7
Incense Cedar
Fairbanks Hall
What do ducks and wine have in common? They make this tree easy to identify. The female cones scales look like duck-beaks, and the outer pairs of leaves form a fluted wine-glass pattern. Yes, it does have an aromatic odor hence the common name. A western native from western Oregon to Nevada and down into California.
8
Douglas-fir
Fairbanks Hall
The State Tree of Oregon. The species is identified by the cone bracts that look like the back legs and tail of a mouse. For anyone new to Oregon, if you are trying to identify an evergreen tree, guess Douglas-fir as it is a popular tree in our forests. This mature specimen is well over 100 years old.
9
Port Orford Cedar
Agricultural & Life Sciences Building
Native to the Oregon coast and NW California, this lovely conifer is one of the most popular in the nursery trade with over 300 types or cultivars selected. With lace like foliage, round female cones that resemble small volleyballs, it’s hard not see the reason for its popularity.
10
Blue Atlas Cedar
Gilmore Hall
A true cedar and a native of the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco. Two more large specimens can be found northeast of Community Hall near #14 on the tour. They were planted in 1892 by Horticulture Professor George Coote.
11
Giant Sequoia
Memorial Union Quad
Native to the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, they're easy to identify by their sharp needles, spongy bark, and egg-shaped cones. The over 100-foot specimens here in the MU Quad were planted in 1926.
12
Pin Oak
Weniger Hall
An eastern US native that is found in swamps and has a very fast growth habit. The U-shaped sinuses of the leaves and thin acorn caps can help distinguish it from the Scarlet Oak and its C-shaped sinuses. This specimen was taller than the building when it was completed in 1960.
13
Bigleaf Maple
Library Quad
A true beauty that is commonly found in native forests covered in mosses, liverworts, and fern from southwest British Columbia into southern California. It has a high sugar content, but the spring weather is not ideal for high sap flow. The flowers are fragrant, and the seeds are very hairy.
14
Dawn Redwood
Community Hall
A living fossil! The dawn redwood was thought to be extinct until it was found in China in the early 1940’s. It is a deciduous conifer with opposite arrangement, small globose cones, and reddish-brown bark. The state fossil of Oregon since 2005.
15
Dutch Elm
Elm Walk
This lovely allée of elms was planted in 1905 under the supervision of George Coote. While the removal of these trees was recommended in 1909, the university did not follow suit. Since Dutch and American elms can both be found on campus, the easiest way to tell the difference is the larger leaves and larger seeds of the Dutch elm.
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