Horticulture: Research Programs: UGA Campus Arboretum Walking Tour of Trees

1. Pseudotsuga menziesii, Douglas-fir - This lone campus specimen persists under adverse conditions. A major timber, Christmas, and landscape tree. Western United States.

2. Juniperus virginiana, Eastern Red Cedar - Needles have a pungent odor when bruised. Small blue-green cones provide food for birds. Note grayish brown stringy bark on the large trees in this area. Georgia.

3. Koelreuteria paniculata, Panicled Goldenraintree - Brilliant yellow flowers open in May-June followed by yellow-green papery capsule type fruits in summer. The rich green leaves turn yellow-orange in fall. China.

4. Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Dawn Redwood - Once considered extinct then rediscovered in the early 1940’s in China, and redistributed on a worldwide basis. Trees over 100’ high are now common in the United States.

5. Quercus virginiana, Live Oak - The state tree of Georgia, its magnificent broad spreading branches create an architectural sight unmatched by other trees. Best suited to the Coastal Plain of Georgia but will grow in the Piedmont.

6. Quercus dentata, Daimyo Oak - Most unusual large leathery leaved oak resulted from T.D. McHatton’s early 1900’s arboretum initiative. Note the deeply ridged and furrowed bark. This tree is often misidentified. China.

7. Fagus grandifolia, American Beech - Tree with lustrous dark green leaves in summer, turning yellow-gold-bronze in fall. Smooth silver bark provides winter beauty. To plant an American beech is an act of faith in the future. Georgia.

8. Cedrus deodara, Deodar Cedar - The grand cedars are found from North Africa to the Himalayas. The 1” to 2” long, shiny blue-green needles hold their color all year.

9. Zelkova serrata, Japanese Zelkova - Unique vase-shaped outline has thrust this species into landscape plantings from Maine to Georgia. Leaves turn yellow, bronze, orange to reddish purple in fall. Bark exfoliates into puzzle-like shapes on mature trees. Japan.

10. Styrax japonicus, Japanese Snowbell - Small tree with dark green leaves perched like butterflies along the spreading branches. Delicate, pendulous clusters of bell-shaped white flowers open in April. The smooth gray bark develops on mature trees. Japan.

11. Quercus michauxii, Swamp Chestnut Oak - A swamp and wetland species common in the Coastal Plain with heavy textured dark green leaves that turn rich russet-red in fall. White oak group.

12. Ilex xattenuata ‘Savannah’, Savannah Holly - Popular tree-type holly with light green foliage, open habit and abundant red fruits. Hybrid between American holly and dahoon holly.

13. Ilex vomitoria ‘Pendula’, Weeping Yaupon Holly - Artistic weeping form of the native Yaupon. The lustrous dark green leaves are handsome throughout the seasons. Red fruits persist through winter.

14. Acer platanoides, Norway Maple - Common in the east and midwest, Norway maple languishes in the heat of Georgia. No large specimens exist on campus. Yellow flowers are born on naked branches in April. Europe.

15. Halesia tetraptera, Carolina Silverbell - A tree of delicate beauty, with white, bell-shaped flowers that appear in April. Found in Georgia’s Piedmont and mountains in well drained soil, often on slopes above streams. Typically a rounded tree with several trunks.

16. Poncirus trifoliata, Hardy-orange - Unusual small tree or large shrub with 1” to 2” long spines makes a good barrier plant. White flowers produce yellowish fruits that resemble oranges. The pulp and juice of the fruit can be used for marmalade. China, Korea.

17. Quercus coccinea, Scarlet Oak - A noble tree, pyramidal in youth, massive and vase-shaped at maturity. The lustrous dark green leaves turn scarlet in fall. Leaves similar to pin, red and shumard oaks. Georgia.

18. Quercus stellata, Post Oak - Beautiful native oak, massive in structure with limbs that have a bold architectural form. A member of the white oak family and the scaly, gray-brown bark is indicative of this relationship.

19. Cladrastis kentukea, Yellowwood - Beautiful rare Georgia native tree with shimmering green foliage and rich yellow fall color. Pea-shaped white fragrant flowers appear in April. Smooth gray bark completes the package on one of the southeast’s best trees.

20. Ilex xattenuata ‘Foster’s #2’, Foster’s #2 Holly - Popular tree-type holly with small glossy dark green leaves that serve as the perfect foil for the bright red fruits that persist through the winter. Cross between American holly and dahoon holly.

21. Ilex latifolia, Lusterleaf Holly - Large lustrous dark green toothed leaves with red fruits that encircle the stem. A wonderful textural element in the landscape. China, Japan.

22. Carpinus caroliniana, American Hornbeam - Small tree, growing in the understory, and common along water courses throughout Georgia. Called musclewood for the resemblance of the bark to flexed muscles. Fall colors range from yellow to reddish purple. Georgia.

23. Koelreuteria bipinnata, Chinese Flame Tree - Rare species now planted with increased frequency in southern landscapes. Large coarse branches spawn rich green leaves that turn yellow in fall. A shower of golden yellow flowers appears in late summer followed by papery rose-pink fruits. China. 24. Quercus macranthera /Q. frainetto, Hungarian/Italian Oak - An English oak was given to Georgian Olympic Athlete, Spec Towns, by Adolf Hitler at the 1936 Olympics and planted on this site. The current tree marks this event.

25. Ulmus parvifolia Alleé®, Alleé® Lacebark Elm - American elm-like, vase-shaped growth habit with spectacular fluted trunk and jigsaw puzzle-like, gray-orange-brown bark. Increasing numbers are being planted throughout Georgia.

26. Ulmus pumila, Siberian Elm - A miserable tree except under the harshest cultural conditions like those experienced in the midwest and Great Plains. Limbs are susceptible to breakage in wind, ice and snow. Elm leaf beetles often disfigure foliage. China.

27. Castanea mollissima, Chinese Chestnut - Asiatic relative of the American chestnut that is resistant to chestnut blight. The large lustrous dark green leaves turn rich golden brown in fall. The dark brown chestnuts (edible) are enclosed by the prickly covering. China.

28. Quercus glauca, Japanese Evergreen Oak - Unique evergreen oak with leathery, toothed, dark green leaves. Smooth gray bark is rare for oaks. Low temperatures have damaged trees on campus. Large specimens occur in Savannah. Japan.

29. Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Katsura Tree - Magnificent Chinese-Japanese native that develops into a tree of great majesty, dignity and beauty. The rich blue-green leaves are heart-shaped like those of redbud. Leaves turn yellow-apricot in fall and emit a cotton candy fragrance. Best in northern Georgia.

30. Amelanchier xgrandiflora ‘Autumn Sunset’, Autumn Sunset Serviceberry - Not common in landscapes although present in the wild, especially in north Georgia. Fleecy white flowers appear in early spring followed by sweet edible fruits and fall colors of yellow, orange and red.

31. Quercus phellos, Willow Oak - The most common landscape oak in the southeast. Dark green leaves turn yellow to golden-bronze in fall. Tolerates extremes of soil and should be the first choice where a reliable, fast-growing oak is desired. Georgia.

32. Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’, Upright European Hornbeam - This cultivar starts life as a columnar tree, eventually becoming oval-rounded. The dark green leaves turn yellow in fall. Bark is sinewy like the American hornbeam. Europe.

33. Taxodium distichum, Common Baldcypress - Conical, spire-like with feathery sage-green leaves that turn orange-brown to rusty-orange in fall. Grows in swamps throughout the southeast. Great Georgia native for everyday landscape use.

34. Nyssa aquatica, Water Tupelo - The water tupelo has larger leaves than the more common black tupelo. Grows in flood plain forests, swamps, ponds and lake margins usually where bases are flooded for long periods. Georgia.

35. Ilex cassine, Dahoon Holly - A largely unknown holly in cultivation but the parent to several important cultivars such as ‘East Palatka’, ‘Foster’s #2’ and ‘Savannah’. Olive-green leaves and red fruits. Found in moist habitats, primarily in the Coastal Plain of Georgia.

36. Celtis laevigata, Sugarberry - Sugarberry grows in wet soils and is used in street plantings in Savannah. Leaves turn yellow in fall. Gray bark is smooth to warty. Georgia.

37. Carya aquatica, Water Hickory - Most hickories occur on upland soils in well drained, often drier soils. This species inhabits swamps throughout its native range. The fine-textured leaves turn yellow in fall. Georgia.

38. Chamaecyparis thyoides, Atlantic White Cedar - Rare and appealing evergreen with grass-green summer foliage, often tinged purple to bronze in winter. The wood is extremely rot resistant and has been used for boats and decks. There are four to five colonies in Georgia.

39. Salix alba ‘Tristis’, Weepinggold White Willow - Delicately cascading branches are both graceful and fragile. The branches are brittle and often break in storms. Willow bark produces the precursor of aspirin. China.

40. Pinus palustris, Longleaf Pine - Dark green, 6” to 12” long needles occur in bundles of three. May reach up to 60’ in the landscape. Better suited in sandy or clay-sand ridges of the Coastal Plain of Georgia where it occurs naturally.

41. Quercus macrocarpa, Bur Oak - The bur oak is an open-grown tree of the Great Plains. The large leaves are shaped like a base fiddle. Massive and wide spreading habit with deeply ridged and furrowed bark. Canada to Texas.

42. Ulmus parvifolia Athena®, Athena® Lacebark Elm - This cultivar is broad-rounded with fine tracery of outer branches and gray, green, and orange-brown exfoliating bark. The leathery, lustrous dark green leaves turn bronze-yellow in fall. China.

43. Nyssa sylvatica, Black Tupelo - One of the first trees to develop fall color on campus which is often shades of red but colors from yellow to maroon occur. Bark on mature trees is blocky. Georgia, from the mountains to the coast.

44. Magnolia macrophylla, Bigleaf Magnolia - The largest simple leaf and flower of any native tree in North America. The large white fragrant flowers open in May. Found along the edges of woodlands and in moist understories.

45. Alnus serrulata, Hazel Alder - A small tree/large shrub found along water courses throughout Georgia. Able to thrive in impoverished, infertile soil as it utilizes atmospheric nitrogen for growth. Yellow-brown catkins appear in February.

46. Lagerstroemia indica, Common Crapemyrtle - The major summer-flowering tree in the southeast. Flowers develop on new growth from June to August. The bark is as smooth as alabaster with mottled colors. China, Korea, India.

47. Cotinus obovatus, American Smoketree - This species, once used for yellow dye, was almost brought to extinction during the Civil War. Leaves turn yellow, orange and red in fall. The bark develops a fish-scale configuration. Tennessee to Texas.

48. Chionanthus retusus, Chinese Fringetree - The Asiatic cousin of the Georgia native, white fringetree or grancy gray-beard. The habit is low branching and wide spreading. The rounded leathery dark green leaves persist into December and change to soft yellow. The white flowers occur at the ends of the branches in late spring.

49. Acer buergerianum, Trident Maple - The shiny green foliage, with three distinct lobes, changes yellow-orange and red in fall, almost fluorescent rose on some trees. Bark exfoliates in strips and flakes, exposing an orangish brown inner bark. China.

50. Cercis canadensis, Eastern Redbud - Heart-shaped leaves that turn yellow in early fall. Pink-rose-magenta blooms appear in March. Two to three-inch long black pods persist into winter. Georgia.

52. Prunus xincamp ‘Okame’, Okame Cherry - Pink blooms open in late winter to early spring. Fall color occurs in shades of orange to bronze-red. Shiny red-brown bark with horizontal rows of grayish corky spots.

53. Parrotia persica, Persian Parrotia - Small tree has proven adaptable to Georgia’s summers. Bronze-purple emerging leaves turn blue-green, eventually yellow-orange in fall. Small red flowers open in February. Bark develops a patchwork-quilt pattern with age. Southern Russia, Northern Iran.

54. Picea abies, Norway Spruce - Spruces do not perform well in the heat of the southeast unless grown at higher elevations. This old specimen is the last on campus. The pyramidal habit, central leader, horizontal secondary branches with weeping tails are unique among the spruces. Europe.

55. Aesculus glabra, Ohio Buckeye - Like all buckeyes, the leaves are composed of finger-like leaflets. The yellow-green flowers appear in large panicles at the end of shoots. The fruit is a spiny gray-brown capsule with one or two shiny brown seeds. Midwest.

56. Prunus subhirtella ‘Pendula’, Weeping Higan Cherry - A graceful, pendulous, small tree covered with white to shell pink flowers in March. Note the lenticels (bumps) on the branches. Observe the glands on the petiole (leaf stalk). Japan.

57. Quercus xcomptoniae, Compton Oak - Rare hybrid species between overcup oak and live oak. The lustrous dark green leaves persist into December. An extremely fast growing tree with a central leader and radially spreading branches.

58. Pinus bungeana, Lacebark Pine - Probably planted as part of an Arboretum started in the early 1900’s by T.D. McHatton. The smaller trees represent the next generation. The bark peels away like the sycamore and old trunks become almost white. Needles occur in clusters of three. China.

59. Liquidambar formosana, Formosan Sweetgum - Leaves are three-lobed and the buds are covered with rusty brown hairs. Foliage turns butter yellow in late fall. Fruits are soft bristly and not hazardous to lawn mowers or feet like the native species. Taiwan, China.

60. xCupressocyparis leylandii, Leyland Cypress - Planted by the millions worldwide for screening and hedging. A spontaneous hybrid between two West Coast United States species that occurred in Wales in 1888. Fungal problems shorten the life span.

Tennis Court Garden - The Tennis Court Garden was started by Coach Dan Magill and reflects his great love for gardening. Numerous rare plants are included in the landscaped area located west of the upper grandstand courts. Native azaleas, hydrangeas, cherries, magnolias and dogwoods are included in this garden. The gate is usually open and visitors are welcome.

Betty Johnson Horticulture Trial Garden - This garden has been in existence since 1983, and presently more than 600 taxa of annual and perennial plants are evaluated. The primary functions of the garden are research and teaching, and detailed information on all plants is provided to all who are interested. The garden is planted at two different times of the year. Summer trials are usually planted in April and May. Winter trials are planted in October and November. This is a great garden to visit any time of the year.
For more information visit the Trial Gardens website: www.uga.edu/ugatrial.

Mary Kahrs Warnell Memorial Garden - A cozy, tranquil garden featuring a small pool complete with water plants and wildlife is a popular setting for students and staff.