Art & Heritage Collections

The Waite Arboretum is one of the University's treasures. Located on the Waite Campus, the Arboretum was established in 1928 on land given to the University of Adelaide by Peter Waite.

The Arboretum occupies 30 hectares and contains about 2200 specimens representing more than 800 species in 200 genera, including the Dracaena Draco, or Dragon's Blood Tree.

The Dragon's Blood Tree, named so for its dark red resinous sap, was chosen as the Arboretum's logo because its distinctive flat-topped appearance and regularly arranged swollen branches made it instantly recognisable.

The species comes from the Cape Verde and Canary Islands and a new subspecies has recently been discovered in Morocco. The tree may attain a great age. One specimen on Tenerife was famous for centuries and long believed to be the oldest tree in the world.

Anna Rivett, Collections Officer, Art & Heritage Collections

Cultural Conversation
Waite Arboretum: A Botanical Treasure with Dr Jennifer Gardner, Director of the Waite Arboretum.
Join Dr Gardner for a talk about the Arboretum and a tour of the gardens. 1.15pm-2.15pm Wednesday 17 September, Urrbrae House, Waite Campus.
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