Stroll Among the Trees at Hoyt Arboretum

Nestled in the west hills overlooking Portland grows a living museum of the world’s trees. The Hoyt Arboretum has inspired and awed visitors for generations with its carefully curated and maintained trees from all over the world. Miles of meandering paths wind through 190 acres and bring visitors up close to familiar and unfamiliar species of trees.

Hoyt Arboretum Tree Collection

Hoyt arboretum was created in 1928 to conserve endangered species and educate the community. Thousands of species grow in the arboretum. You are probably familiar with many, but not all of them. Some of the trees are considered endangered species. The arboretum is unique in that each of the trees in the collection has a known provenance. The wild seeds from which every tree was grown has a known, documented origin. The public online plant database tells the story of each of these trees. The searchable database can also direct you to the exact location of the specimen within the arboretum.

Hoyt Arboretum Tree Family Layout

The overall layout of the arboretum groups tree collections by family. Many tree specimens are labeled with their common and scientific names. Hoyt arboretum maps available at the visitor center will help guide your stroll, with areas labeled with tree family.

Observing several tree species within a family is a good way to understand which family attributes relate and differentiate the species. For example, walking along the maple trail, seen above, one notices the astounding variety of heights, leaf shapes, and canopy structures of the many maple species growing there. The telltale wingnut-shaped seed capsule is obvious in all of these members of the maple family.

In addition to admiring the trees along the trails, there is a busy schedule of classes and guided tours offered at the arboretum to enrich your experience. Many of the classes and tours focus on certain tree features, seasonal interest, forest animals, and nature art. The complete schedule is available on their website. Trail maps, a research library, a gift shop, and more arboretum information are available at the visitor center, seen above.

For The Love Of Trees Arborists In The Arboretum

We are so enamored with the unique treasure of the Hoyt Arboretum that for years the arborists of For The Love Of Trees have volunteered their time and expertise to care for the trees of the Hoyt Arboretum at the annual Arborists in the Arboretum event in September. We are proud to support the efforts of the Hoyt Arboretum to educate the public about trees and conserve endangered trees.