HPU’s Mariana H. Qubein Arboretum and Botanical Gardens Earns Accreditation
HPU is one of two college campuses in North Carolina to receive accreditation at Level II.
HIGH POINT, N.C., April 4, 2022 – High Point University and the Mariana H. Qubein Arboretum and Botanical Gardens have been awarded a Level II Accreditation by The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and the Morton Arboretum.
The accreditation recognizes achieving standards of professional practices deemed important by the program for arboreta and botanic gardens.
“We are blessed to earn this recognition from The ArbNet Accreditation Program for HPU’s arboretum and botanical gardens,” said First Lady Mariana Qubein, who inspired the vision for the campus arboretum and gardens. “The gardens and arboretum are a space for holistic learning and a peaceful space to appreciate nature.”
The Mariana H. Qubein Arboretum and Botanical Gardens at HPU features 3,700 different plants, including more than 700 varieties of trees. The arboretum and gardens feature several tree collections. These include 48 varieties of redbuds, 65 different varieties of dogwoods, 40 varieties of flowering cherries and 135 different varieties of magnolias.
The university is also now recognized as an accredited arboretum in the Morton Register of Arboreta, a database of the world’s arboreta and gardens dedicated to woody plants.
“Receiving this accreditation is a huge honor for the gardens and arboretum,” said Patrick Moore, HPU gardens coordinator. “It showcases our testament to managing our gardens and the entire campus at the highest level of horticultural standards. Being a part of this community encourages us to work toward higher levels of professional standards and identify more opportunities for collections and conservation activities with other arboreta.”
HPU was also recently recognized with the 2021 Tree Campus Higher Education award. This is the 13th consecutive year the university has received this designation for the continued commitment to creating a campus full of natural beauty.
The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta at various levels of development, capacity and professionalism.