UGA Campus Arboretum: South Campus Tour

Next up on our exploration of the UGA Campus Arboretum is the South Campus tour. An arboretum is just a fancy word for a botanical garden that features mainly trees. Back in 2000, UGA dedicated its entire campus as an arboretum and created the UGA Campus Arboretum foundation. The foundation’s mission is to plant and maintain trees of historic, local, and botanical value across its 762 acres. 

This week, we’re going through the South Campus tour. Check out our articles on the North Campus tour and Central Campus tour, or visit Campus Arboretum’s website for interactive walk-throughs. Read on to browse through the trees included on the South Campus tour!

1. Douglas Fir – Pseudotsuga menziesi

The Douglas fir is commonly chosen for Christmas trees, and is valued for its soft and light-colored lumber.

2. Eastern Red Cedar – Juniperus virginian

​Native to the eastern US, these cedar trees grow slowly over hundreds of years.

Visit our Tree of the Month article to learn more about the Eastern Red Cedar!

3. Golden Raintree – Koelreuteria paniculata

The vibrant yellow blossoms of this east-Asian native float to the ground when disturbed by the wind, just like golden rain!

4. Dawn Redwood – Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Not to be confused with the coastal redwoods of the Redwood Forest, the dawn redwood is the only surviving species of the Metasequoia genus. 

5. Southern Live Oak – Quercus virginiana

These massive, ancient trees are a staple to our southeast coastlines, and are often decorated with dripping Spanish moss. 

Check out our Tree of the Month article to learn more about Southern Live Oaks!

6. Swamp Chestnut Oak – Quercus michauxii

The Swamp chestnut oak, like the name suggests, prefers to grow in the wetlands and swamps of the Southeast. 

7. Savannah Holly – Ilex x attenuata ‘Savannah’

A hybrid between the dahoon and American holly, this cultivar is a hardy grower with fluorescent-red berries.

8. Japanese Snowbell – Styrax japonicus

This small, flowering tree is native to China, Japan, and Korea, and grows petticoat-like white flower clusters. 

9. Weeping Yaupon Holly – Ilex vomitoria ‘Pendula’

This holly is the only tree native to North America that contains caffeine, and it gets its unique species name from purification ceremonies where it was used in teas, and where many people often vomited.

10. Eastern White Pine – Pinus strobus

The twigs and branches of these hardy trees are flexible to help bear the weight of heavy snowfall without breaking.

11. Hardy Orange – Poncirus trifoliata

Another China and Korea native, this citrus tree grows more like a shrub and bears small, fuzz-covered fruits. 

12. Scarlet Oak – Quercus coccinea

The scarlet oak gets its name from its leaves that turn brilliant reds in fall.

13. Foster’s #2 Holly – Ilex x attenuata ‘Foster’s #2’

One of E.E. Foster’s five holly cultivars, Foster’s #2 is unique as the female tree does not require male pollination to bear fruit.

14. Lusterleaf Holly – Ilex latifolia

This broad-leaved Japanese and Chinese native is the largest of all holly species.

15. Siberian Elm – Ulmus pumila

Like the name suggests, this species is native to Siberia, as well as northern China and Turkestan. 

16. Hybrid Yellow-Poplar – Liriodendron tulipifera x L. chinense

Most trees can only pollinate trees in their species, or trees that are closely related. But the North American yellow-poplar and the Chinese tulip-tree, despite millions of years separating their populations, will still happily reproduce together when given the chance. The result of this inter-fertilization is the hybrid yellow-poplar.

17. Chinese Chestnut – Castenea mollissima

This chestnut species is mostly immune to chestnut blight, a rampant pathogen that decimates American Chestnut populations.

18. Japanese Evergreen Oak – Quercus glauca

The leathery foliage of this evergreen species often has a bronze tint when it first emerges, giving it a unique appearance. 

19. Chinese Flame Tree – Koelreuteria bipinnata

This tree offers plenty of attractive color, including large butter-yellow flowers in the summer and rosy-pink fruits.

20. Little Leaf Linden – Tilia cordata

A European native, this ornamental tree is beloved for its elegant foliage and dense, low-growing branches. 

21. Pyramidal European Hornbeam – Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’

With strong and muscular trunks, the hardwood of these hornbeams is widely loved in the lumber industry. 

22. Bald Cypress – Taxodium distichum

​This deciduous conifer is best known for the knobby “knees” it grows when in marshy wetlands.

To learn more about the Bald Cypress, check out our Tree of the Month article!

23. Water Tupelo – Nyssa aquatica

The name of the water tupelo comes from the way its annual seed crop is mostly dispersed via water.

24. Dahoon Holly – Ilex cassine

With its classic red holly berries and attractive evergreen foliage, this holly is a popular ornamental landscaping choice. 

25. Sugarberry – Celtis laevigata

The berries of the sugarberry are orange-red to yellow in color and are beloved by a wide range of bird species.

26. Water Hickory – Carya aquatica

Water hickories prefer water-logged wetlands, and their roots can even purify the water around them!

27. Atlantic White Cedar – Chamaecyparis thyoides

These slow-growing trees can live up to 1,000 years old, and are incredibly decay-resistant. 

​28. Weeping Gold White Willow – Salix alba ‘Tristis’

First introduced in colonial times, this European native is valued for its gorgeous yellowish-green “weeping” branches.

29. Virginia Pine – Pinus virginiana

This short-lived and slow-growing species is often used in reforestation projects to kick off a nourishing ecosystem in otherwise devastated areas. 

30. Japanese Zelkova – Zelkova serrata

Native to Japan, Taiwan, and eastern China, this species was introduced to America to boost the native American elm populations that easily succumb to Dutch elm disease. 

31. Grancy Greybeard – Chionanthus virginicus

This species is known for its clusters of drooping flowers and dark blue fruits. 

32. Kentucky Yellowwood – Cladrastis kentukea 

This species features yellow heartwood and fragrant white blooms, and is one of the rarest forest trees in the eastern US.

33. Tulip Poplar – Liriodendron tulipifera

These fast-growing trees are often the tallest in the forest, reaching heights nearing 150 feet on average. 

34. Longleaf Pine – Pinus palustris

Before the land was settled, these 100-year-old giants dominated an estimated 90 million acres of land between Virginia to Florida to Texas. 

35. Bur Oak – Quercus macrocarpa

Bur oaks won’t bear their acorns until they reach maturity at around 30 to 35 years old, but will then live for nearly 300 more years!

36. Athena Chinese Elm – Ulmis parvifolia ‘Athena’

With spectacular mottled bark, this durable cultivar was developed on UGA’s own campus by Dr. Michael Dirr in the 1980s. 

37. Bald Cypress – Taxodium distichum

The tour’s second bald cypress, these swamp-loving trees are known for their wide, buttressed trunks. 

More about the Bald Cypress can be found here. 

38. Sawtooth Oak – Quercus acutissima

This fast-growing oak is a favorite of wildlife in both its native China, Japan, and Korea as well as North America. 

39. Black Tupelo – Nyssa sylvatica

​The black tupelo is a popular source of nectar for bees, and is where the majority of tupelo honey comes from.

40. American Beech – Fagus grandifolia

This unique species can self-propagate via underground sucker shoots. 

41. American Hornbeam – Carpinus caroliniana

A small understory tree, the American hornbeam features a fluted trunk with smooth gray bark. 

42. Bigleaf Magnolia – Magnolia macrophylla

The overly-large leaves and flowers of this magnolia species are the largest of any native North American tree. 

43. Swamp White Oak – Quercus bicolor

Drought-resistant and easily transplanted, these trees are common across central and eastern North America. 

44. Shortleaf Pine – Pinus echinata

The shortleaf pine is exactly what most people picture when they think of a pine tree, and is widely distributed throughout the eastern United States. 

45. Chinese Fringe Tree – Chionanthus retusus

With snowy-white flowers that produce a gentle fragrance, the Chinese Fringe tree is a popular ornamental choice. 

46. Trident Maple – Acer buergerianum

This species is a popular street tree in our very own Athens!

47. Persian Parrotia – Parrotia persica

Native to northern Iraq, this ornamental tree was discovered on a mountaineering expedition in 1830. 

48. Ohio Buckeye – Aesculus glabra

This species naturally grows in heavily-forested areas, and is rarely seen in open areas. 

49. American Holly – Ilex opaca

With bright-red berries and spiny leaves, the American holly is a well-known and well-loved tree. 

50. Compton Oak – Quercus x comptoniae 

A cross between the southern live oak and the overcup oak, this naturally-occurring cultivar is extremely hardy and handsome. 

51. Star Magnolia – Magnolia stellata

Much smaller than other magnolias, this species is native to Japan’s Honshu island. 

52. Lacebark Pine – Pinus bungeana

With attractive exfoliating bark and multi-stemmed trunks, these trees are known in China to symbolize longevity. 

53. Formosan Sweetgum – Liquidambar formosana

Native to China and Taiwan, every part of this sweetgum is used in a variety of industries. 

54. Black Walnut – Juglans nigra

​Prized for its lumber, the black walnut is logged extensively and coveted for its delicious nuts.

Learn more about the Black Walnut in our Tree of the Month article!

55. European Horse Chestnut – Aesculus hippocastanum

This species gets its name from the mistaken belief that its fruits could cure horse cough. 

56. Golden Larch – Pseudolarix amabilis

Despite the name, this species is not actually a true larch tree!

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Author

Emily Casuccio is sister and sister-in-law to Rebekah and Scott Rushing, and has over half a decade of experience in copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, and developmental storyboarding. She's worked with both published and undiscovered authors on both fiction and nonfiction, and takes pride in supporting local businesses. Her passion lies in the written word and helping authors of all capacities realize their dreams and achieve their fullest potential. To learn more about her, read samples of her work, or contact her, visit her online portfolio.

Sources:
Nyssa aquatica
China Daily
UGA Campus Arboretum
UGA Campus Arboretum South Campus Tour