The Dominion Arboretum was established in 1886 as part of the Central Experimental Farm. It began as an agro-forestry station to test the hardiness of European, Asian, Western, and Southern North American species, as well as their usefulness in an agroforestry context (windbreaks, shelterbelts, hedgerows, etc.). By 1900, the Dominion Arboretum’s collections included approximately 3000 trees and woody plants.

From the 1930s until 1940, the Dominion Arboretum became a breeding facility for ornamental plants. We are developing resilient crab apples, lilacs, wegelia, and imitation oranges.

The Central Experimental Farm was granted national historic status in 1998, along with all of the legislative protection that comes with it.

Today, the Dominion Arboretum is a popular tourist attraction, with approximately 175,000 visitors each year.