University of the Philippines Arboretum

University of the Philippines Arboretum, also known as UP Arboretum, is a botanical garden located on the campus of the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City, Philippines. It lies at the northern part of the village of U.P. Campus between the U.P.-Ayala Land TechnoHub on Commonwealth Avenue to the south and Central Avenue and the village of Culiat to the north, close to the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute. The man-made forest garden houses a collection of more than 9,000 tropical plants of about 77 unique species. It is one of few rainforests of its size located entirely within Metro Manila. The arboretum was originally part of a large estate owned by the Jesuits during the Spanish colonial period. The Tuason family acquired the property in the 19th century including the open lands of the Santa Mesa and Mariquina estates. By 1938, the Philippine Commonwealth government purchased the land from the Tuasons after it has been selected as the site of the new capital. Of the total purchased by the government, was set aside for the campus extension of the University of the Philippines in Manila. The site of the arboretum was initially converted to a forest nursery by the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. During World War II, this "wooded area" housed the "American employees' quarters" of the United States Army. When the Philippines gained independence in 1948, the nursery was turned over to the university by the U.S. government and the arboretum was established. The administration of the arboretum was officially transferred to the University of the Philippines Diliman from the Reforestation Administration of the Department of Agriculture in 1962. The UP Arboretum is located on a plateau with an elevation of above sea level. It lies in the middle of a natural ridge that runs northwest-southeast and is crossed by small creeks. The arboretum contains a collection of tropical plant species, many of which are endemic and endangered. The most common trees found in the arboretum are kupang, mahogany, narra, and rain trees.