Old Dominion University Libraries

Tree Trail Trees Books Photos

An exhibit of the Old Dominion University Libraries -- ODU Tree Trail
Introduction

ODU’s unique position between the Lafayette and Elizabeth rivers provides us with an opportunity to view varieties of seabirds, wetlands, and native plants. The flora and fauna of ODU’s campus make it a place of interest for anyone wishing to study more about tidewater trees, shrubs, and wildlife or to just enjoy the magnificence of the great outdoors.

The campus is home to over 3500 trees.

  • 24% of these trees are oak, particularly the willow oak (Quercus phellos) which lines the sidewalks along the Williamsburg Lawn and Kaufman Mall
  • 22% are crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)
  • more than 80 other varieties are scattered throughout campus, many native to the Virginia Coastal Plain, some introduced from other regions of North America, and some from other continents

ODU’s “Tree Trail” provides an occasion to learn about thirty of the different varieties of trees on campus.

Map
click for fuller view

Beginning at the Kaplan Orchid Conservatory, the trail meanders along the notable Quarantine Road and behind Webb Center, passes around the Engineering and Computational Sciences building and then around the pond of the Oceanography and Physics Buildings.

Signage for each tree indicates common and scientific names and a brief description.
Dogwood marker

Native Trees on the Trail

Five native trees honor the state of Virginia with their species name:

  • Sweetbay Magnolia -- Magnolia virginiana
  • Fringetree -- Chionanthus virginicus
  • Eastern Redcedar -- Juniperus virginiana
  • Live Oak -- Quercus virginiana
  • Witch Hazel -- Hamamelis virginiana

Flowering Dogwood is the state flower and tree of Virginia.

Three remarkable trees native to the southeastern United States
are part of the ODU Tree Trail:

  • Southern Magnolia
  • Live Oak
  • Bald Cypress

Tree Trail Partners

The Tree Trail was developed through a partnership of Virginia Cooperative Extension, Chesapeake Master Gardeners, Chesapeake Arboretum, and Old Dominion University Grounds Department. The urban tree trail concept was developed by ODU alumni Ed & Linda Bradley who approached Grounds Manager Chad Peevy with the idea in 2011. Working together, and with help from the aforementioned partners, the ODU Tree Trail was finalized in 2012.

Chad Peevy, ODU Grounds Department Supervisor

Chad Peevy graduated from Old Dominion University in 1998 and has been the Grounds Manager here since 2006. He is a tree enthusiast, an ISA Certified Arborist and maintains an avid love for the outdoors. In 2011 his nomination won ODU accreditation as a ‘Remarkable Tree Place of Virginia’. Read more about Chad and the Tree Trail.