A Learning Landscape

The Waugh Arboretum, established in 1944, is a campus-wide collection of trees. It supports a landscape for learning, research and exploration. 

The Waugh Arboretum is built on the historic territory of the Nipmuc, Pocumtuc, and Nonotuck Nations.  Following European colonization, the land currently occupied by UMass was mostly cleared and then replanted.

Planted along Campus Center Way and Ellis Way is our collection of cultivar Elms resistant to Dutch Elm Disease. The trees lining Ellis Way in the photo here are Ulmus Americana 'Valley Forge', one of the most promising cultivars available that displays the vase shaped habit of the American elms that populated city streets in the early 20th century. American elms bear historical value in the history of our campus landscape.

Engage with us on Instagram where we post regular stories and pictures. We are an active community, ever expanding. Join us. 

(Photo of a pollinator, Hummingbird Clearwing: Courtesy Michael Amato)

Take a virtual tour of our Arboretum in our Campus Tree Storymap. See stunning pictures of our trees including the eastern redbud (pictured). The Eastern Redbud is a gorgeous small flowering tree native to the southeastern and midwestern US. It has distinctive heart-shaped leaves and produces clusters of bright pink flowers in March-May. 

There are 42 Eastern Redbud trees in the Arboretum. The two shown in the photo are located in front of Stockbridge Hall which is opposite the Student Union Building.

Brian Kane is an ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ) arborist, a professor at UMass Amherst and the Arboretum Committee Chair.  Assessing the Likelihood of Failure Due to Stem Decay Using Different Assessment Techniques by Dr. Kane was published in TCI Magazine Jan 2026. 

Decay is a common defect that occurs in all parts of a tree. Decayed wood has very little strength and often leads to hollows, cavities or both. When decay or a hollow is present in a tree part, its load-bearing capacity is reduced.