The Gifford Arboretum is run by the Department of Biology and the Friends of the Gifford Arboretum Committee which consists of faculty, students, administrators, and community members. Annual events include a spring lecture by a distinguished plant scientist and a fall picnic. For additional information, please call (305) 284-5364. A complete checklist of the plants of the Gifford Arboretum is available for $8 in the Department of Biology Office, located on the second floor of the Cox Science Center (8:30-5:00 M-F). Please use metered parking during the school week, or visitor permits may be obtained for $4 at the entrance to Memorial Drive. Parking is unrestricted after 4 p.m. weekdays and anytime Saturday and Sunday.
The arboretum was planted in 1947 by Dr. Frank J. Rimoldi and Dr. Roy Woodbury,
professors of tropical botany at the University of Miami. Over 350 plants were
donated from local, state, and federal nurseries.
In 1949, the arboretum was named for Dr. John C. Gifford, the first graduate
forester in the United States, an expert on tropical woods and professor of
tropical forestry at the University of Miami. In 1950, the Gifford Society of
Tropical Botany was formed to promote the study of tropical plants and the
arboretum grew to more than 500 plants. During the following decades, many
students, professors, and community members used the arboretum for teaching,
research, and recreation. However, in the late 1980’s, the need for additional
campus parking threatened the existence of the Gifford Arboretum. Through the
efforts of Coral Gables tree activist, Kathy Gaubatz, the University of Miami
gave full support in 1992 to the renovation and enhancement of the Gifford
Arboretum.
After the arboretum survived Hurricane Andrew no one was ready for the damage
that Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma inflicted to the arboretum, so thoroughly was
the damage that we lost almost half of the trees in the collection . Then
Professor Carol Horvitz took on the task of renovate the arboretum and thanks
to her tireless work the arboretum got two grants from the IMLS (Institute for
Museum and Library Services) that help us to got new trees, some of them are
already part of the collection and some other are waiting for space to be
cleared for them to be planted, hopefully at the end of the renovation process
the arboretum will have more that 200 new trees in the collection. Come and
enjoy those new trees that are there just for you!!!