For decades, the 黑料不打烊’s North Campus has been home to a diverse collection of trees and plants, a testament to decades of dedicated stewardship by grounds specialists over the years. Established by Hugh Knowles (superintendent of U of A grounds, 1948-84), this vibrant and dynamic collection of trees, over 40 around the Quad alone, is more than just a canopy of beauty and refuge — it is a living history of the horticultural choices made by groundskeepers, past and present.
These trees, some old, some new and some middle-aged, are an invaluable and perhaps not so well-known campus resource, available to all who wish to explore, learn from and enjoy — or find a shady spot to relax under on a warm day.
With its long tradition of forestry education and research, the Department of Renewable Resources periodically offers a guided tree tour of the Quad and surrounding areas as part of its public education efforts. This isn't just a walk in the park — it is an opportunity to introduce participants to the unique trees they might otherwise overlook within the university's lush landscape, including such rare species (in these parts) as the Amur Cork tree, which has a spongy, soft bark that feels like a wine cork, and the Ginko tree, native to China and considered to be a ‘living fossil’ because of its lineage that dates back over 270 million years.
Augmenting this tour, and a resource on its own, is a booklet highlighting each of these distinctive trees, including photographs and brief description. The newly revised document by (Forestry alum and coordinator in the Department of Renewable Resources) , builds on the expertise of Bruce Dancik and Paul Woodard (professors emeriti in the Department of Renewable Resources) who have showcased these unique trees and shrubs in their presentations and documents.
The taxonomy, or classification, of the trees named in the booklet is not an exact science due to a variety of factors, notes silviculturalist in the Department of Renewable Resources, who wrote one of the original guides that served as a basis for the current draft.
“The taxonomy of the trees at the university is complicated by the fact that the specimens were derived from many places in the world and horticultural varieties were selected for colour, shape and other horticultural reasons,” he says, adding that taxonomy can be variable due to the ever-changing nature of living organisms.
The U of A campus has also seen significant changes over the years, and the surrounding landscape, including the trees, is always evolving. The tree tour reflects this dynamism — it is a living exhibit, adapting to the occasional loss of a tree due to age or, on rare occasions, new development, while groundskeepers continually introduce new and unusual specimens to keep the collection vibrant.
Keep your eyes open. You might be standing next to one of these special trees and not even know it.
Want to learn more?
As part of U of A Days 2025, the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences and the Department of Renewable Resources invites you to join them for a guided tour of the Quad and surrounding areas to visit this historical collection of trees and hear stories about the beautiful plant life on our campus. Sep. 18 and 21, 2025. Suitable for all-ages, wheelchair/stroller accessible.