YELLOWSTONE ARBORETUM
" Stewards of the Natural Environment "
Billings, Montana @ ZooMontana
The Yellowstone Arboretum and the Botanical Society of ZooMontana are both entities of ZooMontana a non-profit organization. The arboretum is located on the grounds of ZooMontana in Billings, Montana and encompasses 70 acres including the botanical gardens and animal habitats. The arboretum comprises of a core volunteer team with the assistance of ZooMontana employees and countless community volunteer groups.
HISTORY
Other than the native specimens on the grounds, the first trees were planted with the creation of the Sensory Garden in the early 1990's. Many of those specimens, such as the first Tolleson's Weeping Juniper, are still thriving today and can be seen in their original locations. These specimens are signed for visitors. The original purpose of tree introduction is being practiced today. Photos of the early trees and their locations can be found on the "Guardians of the Garden" page and on botanicalsocietyofzoomontana.org.
ACCREDITATION
The Yellowstone Arboretum received national accreditation from the ArbNet Organization in March 2018. Up until that time the trees were considered a part of botanical gardens and not a designated entity. Accreditation gives the arboretum a new status on a national scale by offering a more formal presentation to the public and an outlet for educational research. The arboretum successfully met the parameters that were outlined by ArbNet to receive this recognition.
FUTURE
The future is bright for the arboretum. Tree health, new introductions and public exposure to the benefits of an arboretum remains priorities. Experimentation for future generations, like most arboretums, is an exciting part of the growth for the arboretum. Nurturing of existing specimens will be a daily procedure. Website expansion will remain another priority to further the research of the trees and serve as an educational outreach program.
RESOURCES
The information you see on our website originates from several sources. Photos and bark study are sourced through our volunteer network and original. Leaf, flowering buds, close-up, etc. found on our inventory pages, if not volunteer resourced, is internet based from leading resources such as Morton Arboretum, Wikipedia or USDA. Critique and plant information found on our inventory pages originated from our association with ArbNet and Morton Arboretum. Tree valuation originates from tree benefits.com and the I-Tree program as described on our tree benefits webpage. Accession information and cataloging originates from Botanical Society records dating back to the original tree plantings from the early 1990's.
