Over a century ago, the University of Hawai‘i was established (as the then College of Hawaii), with the plan to treat the campus as an arboretum. In a 1915 report to the legislature, the Board of Regents extolled the unexcelled opportunity to establish here in Honolulu a collection of trees and shrubs of tropical and subtropical habit which would have great educational value and soon become an asset of great interest to resident and tourist alike who would be attracted by such a collection of properly labeled tropical species.

Famed botanist Joseph Rock began planting the campus grounds in the same year, and in 1920 mapped 560 plants on the campus. Many of those first trees remain on campus, as the core of our remarkable collection.

Numerous stewards have contributed to the Campus Arboretum since including Harold St. John, Gerry Carr,  Richard Criley, and Roxanne Adams to name a few. The Landscaping Services section of Building and Grounds Management, a unit within Campus Operations & Facilities, provides critical support to maintain the Campus Arboretum and preserve the educational and cultural value the program provides to the community.

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