Donald E. Davis Arboretum
The Donald E. Davis Arboretum is a 16-acre botanic garden located in the heart of Auburn University. Supported by the College of Sciences and Mathematics, the Arboretum serves as a living museum of Alabama’s native plants and natural communities.
As one of the oldest arboreta in the Southeastern Conference, the Davis Arboretum combines public beauty with scientific purpose. Its living collections are curated with provenance documentation, helping support plant conservation, research, education and outreach across Auburn and the broader Southeast.
The Arboretum gives visitors a place to experience the natural landscapes of Alabama through walking trails, water features, seasonal blooms and quiet spaces for reflection. It also serves as an outdoor classroom for Auburn University courses, local schools, community groups and visitors of all ages.
Our Mission
The Davis Arboretum displays native and rare plants of Alabama and the southeastern United States, with major collections of oaks, native azaleas, pitcher plants and trillium. It is the only SEC garden with two nationally accredited collections: oaks and native azaleas.
As a living collection and outdoor classroom, the Arboretum's zoo model approach supports the safeguarding, propagation and conservation of rare and endangered plants while helping visitors understand the ecological richness of Alabama and the Southeast.
At the core of the Arboretum’s mission is education: sharing the benefits of native plants, the importance of conservation and the story of Alabama’s biodiversity. The Arboretum also demonstrates best practices in stormwater management and land stewardship, showing how native plant communities can support healthier landscapes.
The Davis Arboretum has grown alongside Auburn University for more than six decades. First proposed during a School of Agriculture teaching seminar in 1959, the Arboretum began as a vision for transforming land south of the president’s home into a living resource for teaching, research and public enjoyment.
Final approval was secured in 1963, and the Arboretum developed through the leadership of faculty, university supporters, alumni and community partners. The pavilion and Arboretum were dedicated in 1977, and in 1982, the site was officially named the Donald E. Davis Arboretum in recognition of the Auburn ecology professor whose leadership helped shape its early development.
Today, the Arboretum continues to grow as a living museum of Alabama’s native plants, with more than 300 native species and collections that support education, conservation, research and quiet exploration in the heart of campus.
The Davis Arboretum is free and open to the public every day from sunrise to sunset. Visitors can explore walking trails, plant collections, water features and natural areas throughout the grounds.
