Arboretum and green spaces
On Nov. 20, 1990, the ASU Tempe campus was officially dedicated as an arboretum by former ASU President Lattie F. Coor. The grounds of the Tempe campus are open and accessible to the public.
The ASU Arboretum collection is registered with the North American Plant Collections Consortium and the American Association of Botanic Gardens and Arboretum.
The Arboretum is managed by the Facilities Management Grounds Services department and funded by Facilities Management, Grounds Services, and the Friends of the Arboretum - an ASU Foundation Associate Fund.
| Program | Description |
|---|---|
| Arboretum Tree Tour | Mobile-friendly tour of the Tempe campus Arboretum |
| Date Palm Germplasm | ASU's Date Palm Germplasm is one of only four date palm germplasms in the U.S. |
| Donate | Donate to Friends of the Arboretum |
Arizona State University campuses are home to thousands of students, faculty and staff, as well as many bees, which use ASU facilities as resting areas during certain times of the year.
ASU is an affiliate of the Bee Campus USA program.
Bees play an essential role in our lives, including being responsible for approximately one-third of the food and drink we consume. ASU is working to conserve native pollinators by increasing the abundance of native plants, providing education and reducing the use of pesticides.
The program continues to implement sustainable environmental practices and promote the benefits of pollinators. Bee City USA and Bee Campus USA are initiatives of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, with a mission to galvanize communities and campuses to sustain pollinators by providing healthy habitats.
Bee facts
- ASU Polytechnic campus is home to one of the largest bee laboratories in the United States, where researchers are studying bee immunization, social behavior and evolution.
- Bees will seek resources like a trash can or a pool of water. These bees are not swarming; they are simply stopping off to get their food or water and then move on.
- Most sighted bee swarms are not actually creating a hive; they are just traveling or resting.
- Pollinators are keystone species in virtually every terrestrial ecosystem on Earth, aiding plant reproduction and supporting other wildlife species. — Xerces Society
- The U.S. is home to just over 3,600 native bee species such as bumble bees, leafcutter bees, sweat bees, mason bees, longhorn bees and mining bees. — Xerces Society
- The value of crop pollination has been estimated between $18 and $27 billion annually in the U.S. — Xerces Society
Bee safety
The ASU Police Department assists ASU Grounds Services in cordoning off areas until Grounds can safely move the bees off campus.
Bee swarms and hives: What should you do?
- Keep at a safe distance.
- Do not aggravate bees or try to kill them.
- Provide the time and location of the bee sighting.
- Report details: Approximately how many bees did you observe? Are the bees flying, in a tree or on a building? Was anyone stung?
- Call Facilities Management, available 24/7 at 480-965-3633 or use the ASU LiveSafe app. Tap: tips>other>send details
ASU Alert and Advisory messages: ASU Police sends Alert and Advisory messages to the campus community based on bee swarm severity through email, text, Facebook, and the social platform X. Emails are also sent to all university email accounts. For more information, visit the Alerts and Advisories Web page.
ASU LiveSafe mobile app: Send ASU Police real-time, anonymous tips that include chat, pictures, audio and video. Download the free app via Apple iTunes or Google Play. Learn more about app features on the ASU LiveSafe Web page.
Tree Campus USA committee purpose:
The Arboretum at Arizona State University was designated as a TREE CAMPUS USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation on November 7, 2008.
One of the requirements of this designation is to establish a Tree Advisory Committee to oversee the planting of new trees and inventory all tree species on ASU Main campus.
The committee’s secondary purpose is to raise awareness of the arboretum and increase the visibility of its trees and plants for student and teacher education. The committee will have students, faculty, facility management, and community members. The committee meets four times yearly; please email us if you want to serve for a one-year term.
Goals:
- To raise awareness and visibility of the arboretum at ASU and educate the public about the flora on campus.
- The completion of a campus-wide inventory with GPS coordinate mapping.
- To collect an oral history of the trees at ASU Main to connect the students to the plant life through campus history.