Make the acquaintance of over 400 species representing 150 genera and 60 families – 43,000-plus trees growing on campus. The Encyclopedia of Trees, Shrubs, and Vines is based on the late Ron Bracewell’s Trees of Stanford and Environs; its entries are gradually being revised or replaced with new treatments, while additional species are continually being added.
Prominent among campus tree enthusiasts was William Russel Dudley, 1849–1911, Stanford’s first professor of botany. Dudley was instrumental in establishing Big Basin State Park and Pinnacles National Monument, championed sustainable forestry, and served as a director of the Sierra Club. One of his many interests was California’s coniferous forests – among the arboreal wonders of the world for their diversity and grandeur. A fitting memorial to Professor Dudley is the century-old Santa Lucia fir growing between the George P. Shultz Building and Jane Stanford Way, in the remnant Encina Garden. Dudley made many trips into remote parts of the Santa Lucia Mountains to study and collect specimens of this beautiful and enigmatic tree. Stanford’s Dudley Herbarium has since been integrated into the collection of the California Academy of Sciences. Read more about Professor Dudley and Stanford’s rich botanical heritage.
Senator Stanford’s preference was that no healthy oak be felled on the farm, and thousands of native California oaks have been planted since the 1880s. Today, portions of the campus canopy are dominated by coast live oak, the most numerous tree on Stanford University lands. Valley, blue, and black oaks can also be found on central campus, the Academic Reserve (the Dish area), and Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. There has been a loss of diversity from the original tree and shrub plantings of the 1880s and 1890s, well-documented for conifers. There has also been a marked loss of eucalypt diversity: over 125 species were present in the early 1970s, compared with 47 today. Stanford once had one of the most diverse collections of eucalypts in California and still holds some mature specimens of rare and remarkable trees, several national champions among them. The superb restoration of the Arizona Garden – and its ongoing enhancement under garden coordinator Christy Smith – suggests the potential for a broader restoration of the remaining portions of the Arboretum.
About Us
Trees.stanford.edu is a labor of love. It honors Ron and Helen Bracewell, along with the groundskeepers, botanists, university planners, architects, and community volunteers who have contributed for more than a century to Leland Stanford’s vision of growing an arboretum at his Palo Alto farm.
