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UBC: Campus Trees

The University of British Columbia, Vancouver campus, along with the local community works together with landscape architects, UBC Building Operations and arborists to manage UBC's urban forest. The campus is surrounded by forest on three sides while the Pacific Ocean is located on the fourth. This stunning landscape is what makes this campus truly unique.

The University of British Columbia, Vancouver Campus. Maple trees display their vibrant fall colours across campus.

Trees & Biodiversity at UBC

The trees located on UBC's campus are an important part of what makes this campus standout. The large surrounding ur­ban forest has been actively managed by UBC for close to 100 years. The campus first opened in 1908 and since then about 8,000 trees have been planted and over 10,000 native trees still stand in there natural setting. The forest is managed by professional arborists and is often used in research by the UBC Faculty of Forestry.

Tree Planting Ceremony

A tradition at The University of British Columbia, Vancouver Campus, is that of the Tree Planting Ceremony. Since 1919, each graduating class has planted a graduation tree as a symbol of leaving something behind to remind and inspire future UBC students. "The idea for an annual tree planting stemmed from a combination of factors — the desire to honour the first official graduating class of UBC and the apparent need to keep up with the early 20th-century trend that was commemoration. The class of 1919 took after its American neighbours (graduation-tree planting was common at American universities) and planted a basswood tree to celebrate its own graduation. For the next seven years, basswood trees were planted for each graduating class. These trees were originally placed in the botanical garden but later moved to the east side of the Geography Building. In fall, it’s common to see their heart-shaped leaves scattered on Agricultural Road." (Mormei Zanke: Tree Planting Ceremony, UBC).

A Zelkova Serrata stands proud in New York City park. This is the same species of tree planted by 2008-2009 graduating class at the University of British Columbia.

Types of Trees Planted by Graduating Classes (2000-2018)

Year	Type of Tree Planted
2017-2018	London Plane (Plantanus acerifolia)
2016-2017	London Plane (Plantanus acerifolia)
2014-2015	Zelkova
2010-2013	Zelkova (3)
2008-2009	Zelkova Serrata (2)
2003-2007	Zelkova (4)
2002	Japanese Zelkowa
2001	Honey Locust
2000	Raywood Ash