Best Of Tucson®

Best Urban Landscaping

University of Arizona

Have you ever really looked around at the plants and trees on the UA campus, especially those at the west end of campus? If not, you should, because it's not just a university--it's an arboretum. The vast, varied grounds of the UA contain both botanical oddities and moments of striking beauty. (Admittedly, you have to ignore the red-and-blue pansy bed in front of the administration building. Administrators--what can you do?) From ancient olive trees to a baobab to boojums to the papyrus that grows in the shady ponds inside the old west wall, campus is full of vegetable wonders and surprises planted by visionaries and lovingly nurtured by generations of landscapers. You can wander at will, any day of the year, but they also give tours--check it out at arboretum.arizona.edu

Runners up:

2. Tohono Chul Park, 7366 N. Paseo Del Norte, 742-6455, www.tohonochulpark.org

3. Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way, 326-9686, www.tucsonbotanical.org

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