Our Mission
The Waugh Arboretum, established in 1944, is a campus-wide collection of trees. It supports a landscape for learning, research and exploration.
October's Tree of Distinction
The Black Tupelo is our Tree of Distinction for October. The Tupelo is native to eastern North America from Maine to Michigan and Florida to eastern Texas. It is also known as Black Gum, Pepperidge and Sour Gum. Tupelo is derived from the Muskogee word for “swamp tree." The Tupelo has been bred to create cultivars with spectacular fall color including the row of Nyssa sylvatica ‘Wildfire’ planted along the southern edge of Eastman Lane near the Orchard Hill Disk Golf Course.
The Waugh Arboretum is home to over 8,000 actively managed trees of more than 350 species.
The campus supports a community of 37,700, with an enrollment of over 32,000 students. It occupies over 13.4 million gross square feet of buildings over 1,450 acres of land in the campus core. More About UMass
The Sawtooth Oak, shown on the left, is one of the arboretum's State Champion trees. It is located along Hicks Way between Bartlett Hall and the Chapel. (Photo: Courtesy of Michael Amato. Zoom In.)
Arboretum Accreditation Since 2018
The Frank A. Waugh Arboretum at UMass Amherst is accredited at the highest level of accreditation, Level IV, by the ArbNet Accreditation Program since 2018. We renew our accreditation every five years. There are only 44 Level IV accredited arboreta worldwide. The Frank A. Waugh Arboretum is proudly one of the 44.
This ongoing recognition of professional standards and capabilities bears significance for your organization and for tree-focused public gardens. As part of the Morton Register of Arboreta, you have an important role in our shared purpose to plant and conserve trees, and accreditation in this work acknowledges your commitment to and fulfillment of professional criteria.
Jill Koski, President and CEO, 4/27/2023 Award Letter
Tree Campus In Higher Education Certified Since 2014
UMass Amherst received Tree Campus Higher Education recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation since 2014. These are the five core standards required for certification:
- Establishment of a Campus Tree Advisory Committee
- Evidence of a Campus Tree Care Plan
- Verification of dedicated annual expenditures on the Campus Tree Plan
- Involvement in an Arbor Day Observance
- Institution of a Service Learning Project aimed at engaging the student body
For Over 100 Years
Much of the mature canopy of our campus arboretum is over 100 years old including the Pin Oak, class of 1908, highlighted in this short video of a few of the legacy and champion trees in our arboretum.
The Pin Oak, 1908 Class Tree removes 2172 pounds of atmospheric carbon per year. The Japanese Elm was the first of its species in America with seed brought from Japan in 1890.
Other trees in this video include: The Fernleaf Beech planted in 1894, the Weeping Alaskan Cedar, the Thornless Honeycomb and Black Tupelo.
Tree Preservation
Many of the arboretum's mature trees predate 1944. They are greatly valued by students who study forestry and horticulture and have been since the days of The Massachusetts Agricultural College (founded 1863).
The class of 1909 students transplanted this Pin Oak tree by horse and trailer. The Pin Oak still stands tall today. Class of 1909 hauling class tree, ca. 1909. University Photograph Collection (RG 130). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries
Generations continue to work to preserve, rather than remove, specimen trees like the Pin Oak. In this photo from April 2001, the University's Landscape crew saved and transplanted a 52-Year Pin Oak.
Arbor Day
The University observes Arbor Day every April to encourage the campus community to engage with the arboretum. It is a full day of events including a tree walk, tree climber demos, cuttings and seedlings giveaways and refreshments. The photo on the left shows the crew planting a Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor) class of 2023 tree. The planting took place on Arbor Day April 2023. This tree was slated for removal but was transplanted to a new location on campus.