We invite you visit the Bryant Bannister Tree-Ring Building to explore the Joseph Wood Krutch Florilegium Project display, a collaboration by The Campus Arboretum, in partnership with the Sonoran Desert Florilegium Program. It re-opens Feb. 12, 2023 and will run until August.

This florilegium (a collection of scientific illustrations documenting the plants in a special garden) is of the Joseph Wood Krutch Garden, the University of Arizona's most important historic garden, and an inspiring model of a sustainable urban landscape.   

Despite advances in technology used to capture botanically significant details through photography and microscopy, scientific illustration retains great value as an effective educational resource simply because it encapsulates all important views and detail magnification in one small panel. 

Furthermore, botanical illustrations are masterfully created and exquisitely beautiful! As such, florilegia serve as important historical records, inspiring artistic expressions, and a useful scientific tool to record local and regional species diversity in perpetuity. Given the need for conservation and stewardship of plants in an increasingly urban world, this inspiring collection maintains the relevance of the ancient practice of florilegia. 

The artists behind the work include Pauline Savage, Chris Bondante, Diane Inman, Joyce Peters, and Karen Gengle. 

For more information about this project visit the Campus Arboretum website.