The Lynn R. Lowrey Arboretum is an

arboretum An arboretum (plural: arboreta) in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, man ...

located throughout the campus of Rice University in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, United States. It is open daily without charge. The arboretum was dedicated in 1999 to honor horticulturist Lynn R. Lowrey. At that time five trees were planted just inside Gate 6 of the campus: two white oaks, two fringe trees, and a swamp chestnut oak. The arboretum contains about 4,200 trees and shrubs across the campus, representing 88 species of woody plants in total, with about 100 collected botanical specimens. In addition to native plants of Texas and northeast Mexico, the collection focuses on other major woody plant genera of eastern North America (specifically oaks, elms,

ashes Ashes may refer to: *Ash, the solid remnants of fires. Media and entertainment Art * ''Ashes'' (Munch), an 1894 painting by Edvard Munch Film * ''The Ashes'' (film), a 1965 Polish film by director Andrzej Wajda * ''Ashes'' (1922 film), a ...

, hickories, maples and pines) or plants of particular horticultural interest in the region. Of particular interest was the Pershing Tree, a pecan tree planted in 1920 by General John Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Force in World War I. The tree has since been struck by lightning. Beyond repair, it was removed. In 2016

Colin Powell Colin Luther Powell ( ; April 5, 1937 – October 18, 2021) was an American politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African ...

planted a pecan tree on campus in Pershing's memory. Because of the management of its trees in the arboretum, Rice earned the status as a "

Tree Campus USA In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

" from the Arbor Day Foundation four times since 2012.

See also