Campus Tree Inventory

The Iowa State University Campus Tree Inventory provides information for anyone interested in the trees maintained by Facilities Planning and Management staff.

Iowa State University Campus Tree Inventory

The Iowa State University Campus Tree Inventory provides information for anyone interested in the trees maintained by Facilities Planning and Management staff. Iowa State University Campus Tree Inventory Each dot symbol on the inventory map represents an individual tree on campus. Information about a specific tree including common name, genus, species, cultivar, type of tree, status, and year planted can be accessed by clicking on the tree's symbol to open a pop-up window.

Inventory Features

• Explore trees by panning, zooming, and using the "Find my location" button.
• Filter the map by the following criteria:
  • Tree type (coniferous, deciduous, or deciduous conifer)
  • Common name
  • Genus
• Toggle on or off
  • Memorial/Commemorative trees
  • Champion Trees (Champion tree status includes trees judged by the Iowa DNR's "Big Tree Program" to be ranked as the largest living specimen in Iowa.)
• Dynamic tree count that displays the number of trees depending on selected filters
• Charts that summarize tree type, genus, and common-name tree distribution

If you have any questions about the inventory or recognize any misidentified or mislabeled trees, please help us improve the accuracy of our inventory by contacting Chris Strawhacker, campus planner, at cstrawha@iastate.edu.

Additional Campus Landscape Resources

Tree Campus Higher Education

Iowa State University has received Tree Campus Higher Education (formerly Tree Campus USA) recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation since 2015.

To achieve Tree Campus Higher Education status, Iowa State meets the following standards annually:

1. Campus Tree Advisory Committee
   Form a committee, including students, faculty, facilities staff, and community members, to guide campus tree initiatives and foster collaboration for your campus tree program.
2. Campus Tree Care Plan
   Develop a comprehensive plan outlining policies for planting, maintaining, and removing trees, ensuring sustainable campus forestry practices. Iowa State's current Tree Care Plan is available at the link below.
   Iowa State University Tree Care Plan
3. Annual Expenditures
   Demonstrate a financial commitment to your campus tree program by documenting annual expenditures dedicated to tree care and management. This includes funding for planting, maintenance, staff time, and volunteer time or educational programming that supports a healthy campus canopy.
4. Arbor Day Observance
   Host an annual Arbor Day event, or other tree celebration, to celebrate the benefits of trees, engage the campus community, and share about the importance of urban forestry.
5. Student Service-Learning Project
   Get students outside and involved through a hands-on tree-focused project that connects learning, leadership, and local impact.

Campus Plant Walk - Iowa State University

Gregg Hadish, GIS Analyst with the ISU GIS Facility, has also created a Campus Plant Walk app to showcase seasonal photos of selected trees, shrubs, and perennials on the campus of Iowa State University and as a plant identification tool on your walks across campus. This app is available at the link below.

Historic Landscape Maps

Prior to 2018, the campus landscape, including trees, shrubs, and perennials, was inventoried in sixty-six smaller map sections and a spreadsheet. This information is available at the link below.