The Woodland Garden was one of the first planted gardens in the Arboretum, created by students and staff in the 1920s. It was deliberately designed to evoke the atmosphere of an untamed grove and has been enhanced over decades by the addition of masses of spring bulbs and native wildflowers.

The garden, heavily damaged by the 2021 tornado, will be reforested with an array of Oak, Hickory, and carefully selected canopy trees. Native and cosmopolitan groupings of understory trees and shrub layers will be colonized in delineated grouping to access different selections, hybrids and species.

A dynamic tapestry of annual, perennial and ephemeral herbaceous layers will ebb and flow with the seasons. In addition to ornamental appeal, specific plantings specification will be informed ecological characteristics and adaptability.

Though most plantings will use endemic species, distant ecotone and cosmopolitan species will be integrated to promote the exploration and value of novel plant communities in the face of a climate change.