The University of Alabama Arboretum is a 60 acre (243,000 m²) arboretum

Arboretum

An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...

 located near the intersection of Veterans Memorial Parkway and Pelham Loop Road in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...

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The Arboretum's primary emphasis is on Alabama's native flora and fauna. It includes 2.5 miles (4 km) of walking trails through native piney woods

Piney Woods

The Piney Woods is a temperate coniferous forest terrestrial ecoregion in the Southern United States covering of East Texas, southern Arkansas, western Louisiana, and southeastern Oklahoma. These coniferous forests are dominated by several species of pine as well as hardwoods including hickory and...

 and oak

Oak

An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...

-hickory

Hickory

Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory, derived from the Powhatan language of Virginia. The genus includes 17–19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and big nuts...

 climax forest, a wildflower

Wildflower

A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. Yet "wildflower" meadows of a few mixed species are sold in seed packets. The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more...

 garden containing more than 250 species, ornamental plants, an experimental garden, a bog

Bog

A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....

 garden, an open-air pavilion, and a children's garden. Two greenhouse

Greenhouse

A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...

s contain collections of orchids, cacti

Cactus

A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...

, and tropical plants.

The Arboretum is open daily without charge from sunrise to sunset, except for a few major holidays. It is part of the University of Alabama Museums, which also include the Alabama Museum of Natural History

Alabama Museum of Natural History

The Alabama Museum of Natural History is the state's natural history museum, located in Smith Hall at the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa. The oldest museum in the state, it was founded in 1831. The exhibits depict the natural diversity of Alabama from the Age of Dinosaurs, the Coal Age,...

, Gorgas House, Moundville Archaeological Museum

Moundville Archaeological Museum

The Moundville Archaeological Museum is an archaeological park and museum in Moundville, AlabamaThe museum houses artifacts and displays exhibits on over 60 years of archaeological excavations and investigations in the Moundville Archaeological Park....

, the Office of Archaeological Research and Paul W. Bryant Museum

Paul W. Bryant Museum

The Paul W. Bryant Museum is located on the campus of the University of Alabama, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Founded in 1985, the museum was opened in 1988 to "house the history of Alabama football, with special emphasis on the legendary coach," Bear Bryant....

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