History
A Brief History
Situated on what is now the campus of the University of California at Santa Cruz and what was originally part of the vast land holdings of pioneer settler Henry Cowell, the Arboretum & Botanic Garden occupies one of the most propitious horticultural sites in the world. The climatic and topographic diversity is such as to allow experimentation with almost every species that might be grown along the coast between San Diego and Crescent City, and the diversity of the soils–the underlying rock includes granite, schist, limestone, and several types of sandstone–can scarcely be matched anywhere.
In the beginning
The Arboretum had its official start in 1964 with a gift of about 90 species of eucalyptus. In 1967 founding Chancellor Dean E. McHenry formed an Arboretum and Plantations Committee to advance the project.
With the interest and enthusiasm of Chancellor McHenry and the contributions of countless friends and supporters, Dr. Ray Collett began to expand the infant Arboretum’s collections, focusing especially on plants of the Southern Hemisphere. In addition to the eucalypts a comprehensive collection of conifer genera was acquired. The Arboretum broke new ground in the propagation of the exotic South African proteas, formerly believed to be “difficult” horticultural subjects, and soon had many hundreds growing happily in a former cow pasture. Hundreds of fine horticultural selections of Australian plants were sent to the Arboretum and propagated for the first time in America. A matchless collection of “living fossils” was amassed, used by researchers the world over in the study of evolutionary biology.
“The Arboretum grew out of the rarest combination of propitious events and superlative opportunities. In 1965 how remarkable it was! The choicest horticultural site in all of flowery California was open and available just where a new campus of the University was to grow.” – Ray Collett, Founding Arboretum Director and Professor Emeritus of Natural History
The Friends of the Arboretum
In order to open up the Arboretum to wider use and participation, the Arboretum Associates, or the Friends of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, was formed in November 1976 as a non-profit organization with 113 charter members.
Over the decades the Friends grew into a 1000+ member organization with a vital and active Board committed to serving the membership and supporting the Arboretum staff to further the Arboretum’s mission of connecting people to plants. Though the Board of the Friends of the Arboretum is temporarily paused, the non-profit Friends of the Arboretum Membership Program is thriving and continues to provide essential support for the maintenance of our internationally recognized plant collections, student programs and internships, collaborations with the academic and scientific community and the horticulture industry, the Amah Mutsun Relearning Program, and our daily operations that support our visitors from near and far.
Many Collections
The Elvenia J. Slosson Research Gardens were established in 1978 to provide a testing ground for new Australian ornamentals, and in 1984, the Edward D. Landels New Zealand Garden was inaugurated. The Arboretum continues to augment and maintain these collections and many more. They are enduring value to researchers, instructors, horticulturalists, artists, and the general public. Over the years, the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum has become recognized as one of the great gardens of the world.
Arboretum Celebrated Sixty Years in 2024
For the last 60 years, with the help of hundreds of volunteers, members, and donors, these gardens have grown to 115 acres! Our collections are home to a wide range of rare and extraordinary, plants, mostly from Mediterranean Climates similar to our own here on the Central Coast. Today they are a key part of conserving some of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, the richest, and most critically endangered ecosystems in the world. These collections establish us as leaders in regional conservation during a time when the world faces unprecedented species loss, climate change, and transforming ecosystems.
The Arboretum started with 80 unusual and rare eucalyptus trees. Many years later we have:
- One of the world’s largest collections of Australian plants outside of Australia
- One of the world’s largest collections of Dudleya (a type of succulent)
- An important conifer collection utilized for research and conservation
- A thriving California Native Plant Program doing vital work in support of habitat restoration, plant species and seed conservation
With over 20,000 visitors a year and as one of the top 12 attractions in Santa Cruz according to TripAdvisor, the Arboretum plays a key role in engaging researchers, students, and community members to protect and steward our fragile environs.