In 1903, Dr. William Chambers Coker, the University's first Botany Professor and head of Grounds Committee, transformed a five-acre bog into a North Carolina tree study area. By the 1920s, he expanded it with East Asian plants.
These species, closely related counterparts to many North Carolina native plants, enhanced the beauty and educational value of the Arboretum. Today, The Arboretum has something unique to offer during every season of the year.