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Wilbur D. May Arboretum & Botanical Garden
The Wilbur D. May Arboretum and Botanical Garden is a living plant museum with over 4,600 native and adaptive plant species on display on 13 of its 23 total acres. It is located in a transitional zone between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Great Basin Desert.
Location is what makes the May Arboretum special. Our area has 120 days of a growing season, and at an elevation of 4,600 feet. The garden's daily temperature can fluctuate 40 degrees or more in a single day! Additionally, the garden averages only 4 to 8 inches of precipitation annually. Only a few plants can survive these conditions without additional care and maintenance.
The Wilbur D. May Arboretum & Botanical Garden is a member of the American Public Garden Association (APGA) and a certified Level II Arboretum through the Arb Net Program administered by the Morton Arboretum of Registered Arboreta, Lisle, IL.
The Arboretum’s mission is education, research, conservation, and to demonstrate how introduced plant species and native plants grow in a high desert environment.
