Fullmer Arboretum

Founded in 1919, the Fullmer Arboretum has served Baldwin Wallace University for more than a century as a place for teaching, exploration and appreciation of the natural world.

The arboretum was established by Edward L. Fullmer, professor of botany at BW from 1903 to 1940. Its historic boundaries extend from Fifth Street on the north to Bagley Road on the south and from Front Street on the west to Beech Street on the east. Over time, the educational and stewardship mission of the arboretum has expanded to encompass the entire BW campus landscape.

Today, the Fullmer Arboretum continues to function as a living laboratory where students and faculty study trees and other plants, investigate environmental change and contribute to the stewardship of the campus landscape.

Mission

BW's campus landscape supports the University's educational mission while providing opportunities to experience and study the biological diversity of Northeast Ohio. The Fullmer Arboretum advances that mission by maintaining a diverse collection of trees and other plants; demonstrating principles of horticulture, landscape design, conservation and sustainability; and providing opportunities for field-based teaching and student research.

In 1958, BW biology professor Donald Dean described the arboretum as primarily a teaching resource. He emphasized educationally purposeful plantings, strong representation of native trees and shrubs, the preservation of some natural areas, and active use of the arboretum by students and faculty. Those principles continue to guide the Fullmer Arboretum today.

A Living Laboratory: Tracking BW's Trees Over Time

In 2016, Baldwin Wallace completed a comprehensive inventory and mapping of trees across campus. The survey documented more than 1,500 trees representing 107 species and established a detailed baseline record of the University's tree collection. The inventory also helped support BW's Tree Campus USA recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation in 2017.

Beginning in 2026, BW students and faculty began returning to individual trees from that earlier inventory. The current survey is re-locating and remeasuring trees within the historic Fullmer Arboretum boundaries, allowing the same individual trees to be followed approximately a decade later.

Measurements and observations from the resurvey can be used to investigate tree growth, canopy development, tree condition, species differences and responses to the campus environment. Because individual trees retain permanent identification numbers, the project creates a longitudinal ecological dataset that students can extend over time.

The survey also creates opportunities for student research in botany, ecology and environmental science while providing information that can contribute to future stewardship of the campus landscape.

Explore BW's Campus Trees

Visitors can explore more than 1,500 trees documented across the Baldwin Wallace campus in the University's 2016 tree inventory using an interactive map. Gray markers show trees from the original inventory, while orange markers identify trees that have been remeasured beginning in 2026 as part of the ongoing campus tree resurvey.

The Arboretum and Campus Tree Collection

The Fullmer Arboretum and broader BW campus landscape contain a diverse collection of tree species and habitats. The 2016 campus inventory provided an important snapshot of that diversity.

At the time of the 2016 inventory:

• More than 1,500 individual trees representing 107 species were documented across campus.
• Eight oak species were represented.
• Approximately 53% of campus trees belonged to species native to Northeast Ohio.
• Red maple was the most common tree species in the inventory.

The Arboretum hosts several unusual trees of particular interest, such as dawn redwoods, Corsican pines, a blight-resistant American chestnut hybrid, and a historic osage orange. The magnificent bur oak on North Quad has been recognized as a Great Tree of Berea. The campus landscape also includes a native plant garden that provides meadow habitat and resources for pollinators. As the current tree survey progresses, it will provide an updated picture of the composition, condition and long-term change of BW's tree population.

Teaching and Student Research

The Fullmer Arboretum provides BW students with opportunities to learn biology outside the classroom and to participate directly in scientific research. Students can use the arboretum to study plant identification, tree growth, urban ecology, plant health, environmental stress, canopy structure, biodiversity, carbon storage and other questions that connect classroom concepts with the living campus landscape.

Long-term tree records make it possible to ask questions that cannot be answered during a single laboratory period or semester. The arboretum can therefore support class activities, independent student projects, collaborative research and campus conservation initiatives across multiple disciplines.

Get Involved

BW Students

Students interested in the Fullmer Arboretum can participate in tree research, field activities, conservation projects and other opportunities involving the campus landscape.

Alumni and Friends

Alumni and friends can support the campus landscape through the Campus Landscape Fund. Gifts can help support tree planting and care, interpretive signage and tree labels, memorial plantings, gardens and student projects.