Nashville's Shelby Avenue Arboretum

Botanical Nashville 

Every tree that someone planted was a decision made, and the Shelby Avenue Arboretum is a project backed up with lots of heartfelt, thoughtful consideration that you can learn all about on its official website! At shelbyarboretum.org, residents and visitors of Nashville can read about how and why these trees were planted, curated, and chosen for specific themes; they can also find visual experiences and discover key ecological highlights about these trees. In this article, we’ll take a tour through the arboretum’s website as an introduction to this information-rich resource on these vibrant living exhibitions.

Shelby Avenue Arboretum

This tree planting project through East Nashville seeks to connect residents with the natural world in their everyday urban experience. The purposeful and intentional planting along this busy corridor allows pedestrians and drivers to enjoy the many types of trees displayed, while the website offers an engaging accompaniment to explain the many ways the arboretum contributes to Nashville. At once, the arboretum improves the environment, promotes the conservation of trees, affects local human comfort, and educates the community, all while beautifying East Nashville and providing an active outdoor focus to engage residents and visitors alike.

What’s on the Website?

Almost anything you might want to know about Shelby Avenue Arboretum can be found on its website, from information on the project’s developmental background and how the project is funded to the layout of the arboretum and details about its divisions, trees, and purpose. 

The website’s sections feature:

• The project’s benefactors – The website recognizes the project’s many benefactors, including the Nashville residents, companies, organizations, and public agencies that make the arboretum’s planting and maintenance possible. 

• A list of the arboretum’s trees – Shelby Avenue Arboretum’s tree index lists the species planted in and around the project, with detailed information about the needs and functions of each tree species. 

• Tree access resources – Nashville Tree Conservation Corps is the lead steward of the arboretum, and our connections to tree providers and planting partners allow us to connect Nashville residents to opportunities to access trees and support the project.

• A blog detailing various aspects of stewardship – The website’s blog is a wonderful source of information about Shelby Avenue Arboretum’s development history, explanations of the organization and philosophy of the planting sections, descriptions of how the trees are maintained, and articles highlighting the spectacular trees that are on display along the avenue. 

When to Visit Shelby Avenue Arboretum

As an open-access, street-lining arboretum, Shelby Avenue can be visited at any time! Every visit will be unique based on the combination of time, weather, and season; bright, blue morning light will provide a different perspective than a cloudy afternoon or a clear, fiery dusk. The experience will also vary throughout the year. Spring buds and blooms precede a bushy, green summer; and in fall, the arboretum flares with color, strategically planted to allow a species, a color, or a type of tree to be appreciated from specimen to specimen. This is all contrasted with the crisp bite of winter, where bare trees and evergreens alike remind us that they will withstand the cold, and so will we!

Check out the website to plan a walk, learn about the project, or identify those trees you haven’t been sure about! If you’re a homeowner and want to get creative with your own landscaping, consider buying some trees through NTCC’s tree sale. And whether you’re a homeowner or not, we can always use a helping hand from volunteers to plant and care for trees around Nashville! For Nashville tree news and to stay updated on all of our activities, subscribe to our email newsletter!