The Chester M Alter Arboretum is home to about 2,150 trees representing more than 240 species and varieties, as well as dozens of shrub species that provide the landscape with year-round interest. In addition to some historically significant mature trees, the arboretum includes ten state champions, the largest specimens of a particular species growing in Colorado. University Park, the neighborhood to the east of campus, is home to several more state champions.

 The arboretum aims to delight and instruct. It also aims to establish a regional identity for the campus based on collections of trees, shrubs and woody groundcovers that enhance the University’s aesthetic, educational and scientific goals. In time, the arboretum’s collection will include all native Colorado species capable of flourishing on the Front Range, as well as ecologically adapted specimens from around the world.