This beautiful 100-acre arboretum holds nine collections of trees including maples, oaks, crabapples, dogwoods, urban trees, nut trees, and more. Some are concentrated in one area, and others are spread throughout the arboretum. The arboretum also includes specialty gardens including a shrub collection, streamside garden, and many “pocket” gardens.
One of the highest points at Cornell Botanic Gardens and on campus, Newman Overlook provides a wondrous view of both the arboretum.
This slope is home to maples native to New York State.
As a large part of our oak collection, this collection of 50 different oak species, cultivars, and hybrids, is used to showcase oaks and contribute to oak research.
The arboretum’s bowl-shaped hills and valleys were carved by Fall Creek following the last ice-age over 10,000 years ago. Overlooks and benches provide visitors with panoramic views, including popular Newman Overlook.
Use your mobile phone to learn about the arboretum’s diverse tree collections and specialty gardens. Signs in sixteen different locations provide a phone number to hear a two-minute story about the nearby collection or garden.
The arboretum has developed steadily over time into what it is today, but the final push to transform the landscape into an arboretum was made possible from a generous donation given by Floyd R. “Flood” Newman, class of 1912 in the 1980’s.