The history of the North Dakota State University Campus Arboretum is closely tied to the development of the university itself. Since the establishment of the North Dakota Agricultural College in 1890, trees and landscaped grounds have played an important role in creating a welcoming campus while supporting the university’s land-grant mission. Early campus development included extensive tree planting, gardens, and landscape improvements, establishing a tradition of using the campus landscape for education as well as beautification.
Trees on the NDSU campus also have a long history of commemoration and remembrance. During President John H. Worst’s administration, a Memorial Grove was established in honor of NDAC students who volunteered to serve in the Spanish-American War. The grove later suffered major losses when the June 1957 tornado destroyed approximately 200 elm trees on campus. The historic Memorial Grove stone is now located near the campus main entrance.
Following World War I, American elms (Ulmus americana) were planted at NDSU and other prominent locations across North Dakota as living memorials to those who lost their lives in the war. Although detailed records identifying individual trees were not maintained, NDSU Extension documents that American elms were commonly used for these memorial plantings. These stately trees subsequently became an important part of the character of the NDSU landscape. The later arrival of Dutch elm disease dramatically changed landscapes across North Dakota, highlighting the importance of tree diversity and resilient tree selection.
The campus's role as a living collection became more formally recognized in recent decades. In 2011, NDSU Facilities Management and Professor Emeritus Dale E. Herman developed a 1.8-mile Campus Arboretum walking trail featuring 66 trees. At that time, nearly 200 new tree species and cultivars had recently been added to campus, demonstrating a deliberate effort to expand the diversity and educational value of the collection.
Today, the NDSU Campus Arboretum represents more than a collection of trees—it is a living record of the university's history. From memorial elms and historic groves to modern plantings of diverse and improved cultivars, the campus landscape reflects more than a century of remembrance, education, research, conservation, and horticultural innovation. It also provides an opportunity to showcase NDSU-developed woody plants and demonstrate the importance of selecting diverse, resilient trees for the northern Great Plains.