Contact Information Elizabeth Davidson UA plant sciences department 520-621-1582 edavison@ag.arizona.edu

A flowering baobab, a rare calabash and an immense southern live oak - all on the University of Arizona campus - have been designated Great Trees of Arizona by the Arizona Community Tree Council. Nominations were made on behalf of the University of Arizona Campus Arboretum in February.

The designation refers to any individual tree or group of trees considered to be of local, state, national or international significance. Each tree is selected based on criteria that may include a unique history, great age, extraordinary size, or being of a rare or unusual species.

The UA Arboretum The University of Arizona campus is the oldest continually-maintained green space in Arizona. For more than 100 years, UA students, faculty, staff and visitors have enjoyed the beautifully landscaped campus in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. This unique collection of trees and shrubs provides educational and research opportunities for students and faculty, historical examples of plants from arid and semi-arid climates around the world, and restful shady places for study or retreat. The campus is an outdoor classroom for students and faculty from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Science and the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture. The UA plant collection has historical significance. Landscaping the campus was a priority from the time Old Main was built. Many plants have been installed by faculty and students, or donated by graduating classes. Robert H. Forbes, one of the first UA faculty members and the first director of the Agriculture Experiment Station, planted the hundred-year-old olive trees that shade the historic west campus. The Joseph Krutch Desert Garden is a legacy from the original cactus garden begun in the late 1920s that once filled the entire Mall east of Old Main. During the mid-20th century arid-tolerant species from all over the world were brought to Tucson and planted on campus. More than 50 campus trees are the only existing specimens in Arizona, and several are unique in the entire Southwest. A few were the first of their kinds to be planted in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about the arboretum and selected plants on campus see www.arboretum.arizona.edu

The 32-foot-tall baobab (Adansonia za) near the southwest corner of the UA Administration Building is the only flowering individual tree of its species in the United States, according to a botanist at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Seeds brought from Madagascar were germinated in Virginia, and the seedling was subsequently held to 15-gallon size at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. It was planted in 1981 by Warren Jones, a professor of landscape architecture at the UA during the 1970s and 80s.

>Jones also planted the rare calabash tree (Crescentia alata) at the southeast end of the UA Main Library. It is one of only three on campus and possibly the largest one in Tucson. This evergreen tree, native to Central America, is unique for its bat pollinated flowers and fruits that develop on multiple trunks. The fruits can be used as bowls and vessels. The seed for this tree was collected on the western coast of Mexico, germinated at the UA Campus Agricultural Center and planted in the 1970s as an experiment. The tree stands 24 feet tall, with a 30-foot canopy.




At 37 feet in height with a 65-foot canopy, the southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) near the UA Main Gate is most likely the largest specimen in Tucson. Steve Fazio, a professor of horticulture, planted the tree in the 1940s before the species became more common in the nursery trade. The dark, vigorous spreading tree is native to the southeastern U.S. Of the three seedlings Fazio planted in the Park Avenue green belt area on campus, this one remains. This tree gives a dignified indication of the potential size of the species, according to Elizabeth Davison, director of the UA arboretum.

On March 22, as part of Arizona Arbor Day, a Tree City USA awards presentation was held at the Arizona State Capitol. Professor Emeritus Jones and Davison accepted commemorative plaques for placement at the base of each tree.

The Arizona Community Tree Council facilitates tree planting and care in Arizona by developing, identifying, monitoring and distributing resources to promote public awareness and education for the betterment of the environment. It promotes preservation and correct care of great trees of Arizona.