Pacific Southwest Research Station

Eddy Arboretum at the Institute of Forest Genetics

The first plantings were made in the spring of 1926. Because genetic diversity is the raw material for breeding, one of the first concerns was to assemble as many pine species and varieties as possible. The seeds used to establish the Arboretum came almost exclusively from native stands, whether from the United States or other countries, and their precise origins were meticulously recorded, often mapping the location of each parent tree. The arboretum was laid out in such a way that the species of pines were separated according to relationship groups established by Shaw in 1914 (The Genus Pinus). The Eddy Arboretum contains one of the best-documented collection of pines in the world, in addition to many other native and exotic conifers. Seventy-eight pine species, 24 firs, and many other conifers are presently included in the collection. Some sections of the Arboretum are devoted to collections that sample the entire range of genetic diversity in particular California conifers, such as Pinus lambertiana and Pinus coulterii.