MCC Arboretum

What is the MCC Arboretum?

Picture of Cacti, agaves, and other desert species Cacti, agaves, and other desert species thrive in the Xeriscape Demonstration Garden (Credit: Tom Bulinski)

An arboretum is an area devoted to specimen plantings of trees, shrubs, and other woody plants. Distinct from a forest, nursery or park, it is in a sense an outdoor museum of trees. It is a place where many varieties of trees and shrubs are grown for research, educational, and ornamental purposes.

MCC was one of the first community colleges in the country to create an on-campus arboretum.

The MCC Arboretum has been accredited by ArbNet, the international accreditation program which facilitates the sharing of knowledge, experience, and resources to help arboreta meet their institutional goals. MCC is the first college in Arizona to have achieved this honor. We also earned Tree Campus status from the Arbor Day Foundation in 2021.

Click here to visit the MCC Arboretum website.

More Information

Sean Whitcomb, Life Science residential faculty
Steve Priebe, Applied Sciences and Technology adjunct faculty
Peter Conden, Landscape Horticulture residential faculty