The mission of the Crosby Arboretum is to preserve, protect, and display plants native to the Pearl River Drainage Basin ecosystem of Mississippi and Louisiana. For more information, visit our website at www.crosbyarboretum.msstate.edu.
The Arboretum was established as a living memorial to L.O. Crosby, Jr. (1907-1978) and has expanded to become a resource for education in the region and the world. Today, it provides for the protection of the region's biological diversity as well as a place for the public's enjoyment of plant species native to the Pearl River Drainage Basin of south-central Mississippi and Louisiana. It allows us to study and learn about plants and plant products so that we may use them to their best advantage and ensure their continuous propagation in the future. Aesthetic, agricultural, scientific, and industrial contributions of native plant species and ecosystems can be examined in a real-life setting at the Arboretum.
As a living memorial to L.O. Crosby, Jr., a man whose vision it was to preserve Mississippi's natural environment, the Arboretum teaches the wonders of nature not from the pages of a book, but through touching, feeling, experiencing and demonstration. It was the family's dream to use the Gulf region as an outdoor classroom and make use of this unique setting to help others come to know and understand that the choices made today about our surroundings determine the future for those who follow.
The Crosby Arboretum/MSU Extension Service is dedicated to educating the public about their environment. This mission is carried out by preserving, protecting, and displaying plants native to the Pearl River Drainage Basin ecosystem of Mississippi and Louisiana., providing environmental and botanical research opportunities, and offering cultural, scientific, and recreational programs.
On a walking journey at The Crosby Arboretum the visitor willl experience and learn about our Gulf Coast landscape. Take a stroll around the Pond Journey to discover the diversity of life in wetland habitats. Visit the South Savanna Exhibit to see curious and carnivorous pitcher plants, and enjoy the breath-taking wonder of the Pinecote Pavilion, a Mississippi Landmark. Interpretative signs along the trails describe the flora, fauna and cultural history of the Piney Woods region of Mississippi.
The Crosby Arboretum offers a continual schedule of programs and events designed to educate the public about their environment, and to celebrate nature. Quarterly native plant sales are held. The Arboretum also offers guided and self-guided tours. Please see the website for a current program calendar. The Crosby Arboretum also manages 700 acres in seven associated natural areas. The assemblages of carefully selected and protected lands nurtures over 300 species of indigenous trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and grasses. Rare, threatened, or endangered species of plants and wildlife are present at throughout the Arboretum's preserves.
