The Armstrong State University Arboretum Conifer Garden, Savannah, Georgia, was approved as the 17th Reference Garden in the Southeast Region in May 2015. They are the fourth Reference Garden in the state of Georgia, and along with Gardens of the Big Bend in Quincy Florida, offer our members a look at growing conifers in the lower and coastal south.

Established in 2001, the Armstrong State University Arboretum encompasses Armstrong’s 268-acre campus and displays a wide variety of shrubs and other woody plants. Natural areas of campus contain plants typical in Georgia’s coastal broadleaf evergreen forests such as live oak, southern magnolia, red ray, horse sugar, and sparkleberry. Developed areas of campus contain native and non-native species of trees and shrubs, the majority of which are labeled. Several major plant collections have been established in the Arboretum including a Fern Garden, a Ginger Garden, a Primitive Garden, a Camellia Garden, a White Garden, an International Garden and a Conifer Garden.

The Conifer Garden was created in 1995 and has expanded to cover a 1.5 acre site. Currently, the Conifer Garden contains approximately 180 different types of conifers represented by 76 different species, 30 different genera and eight different families. While the greatest density of conifers exists within this collection, additional species can be found in other locations throughout the Arboretum.