Today, the City of London, in partnership with the Julia Hunter Fund, celebrated new enhancements to the Graham Arboretum in Springbank Park during National Forest Week.
The serene, educational space now features seven new trees, landscape enhancements around the existing trees and fresh signage highlighting 18 trees within the arboretum. A new webpage making this information easily accessible to the public is also now live.
“The Graham Arboretum is more than just a collection of trees,” says Mayor Josh Morgan. “It’s a beautiful place that celebrates nature’s diversity and inspires wellness. It also highlights our commitment to preserving London’s green spaces and maintaining a healthy urban ecosystem. This arboretum will be a lasting legacy for future generations to cherish.”
The recent arboretum enhancements build on the Graham Arboretum Master Plan and were made possible thanks to a partnership with the Julia Hunter Fund and London Community Foundation, and funding received through the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative grant.
"Our hope with these enhancements was for more people to become aware of this natural asset in London and to make it easier for people to benefit from it," said Murray Hunter, the founder of the Julia Hunter Fund. "Now on just a short walk people can see trees of all six categories, from here, from across Canada and from around the world, then look up the key details online. I have come to love these trees. To help safeguard their future, we invite people to get to know these trees. Learn to use the tools we have provided and I believe you will come to love them, too."
The Graham Arboretum is free to visit at any time, located just off Arboretum Avenue in Springbank Park. Different walking paths loop through the park for visitors to take in some of the more than 300 trees of approximately 75 various species.
The Graham Arboretum celebrates its centennial anniversary in 2026 so stay tuned for more exciting events in the future to mark this milestone.
Graham Arboretum
The Graham Arboretum is in the City of London’s Springbank Park. It was established by Ernie Graham in 1926 as a collection for native and non-native trees. It currently holds more than 300 trees of about 75 various species. The trees are organized in six categories inspired by the Canada Forest Regions and geographic locations.
Julia Hunter Fund
The Julia Hunter Fund was created in 2005, in honour of the late Julia Hunter, to support public gardens in London and Southwestern Ontario, and donations occur through the London Community Foundation, the home of the fund’s endowment.