The collection was begun in 1985. In 1988, the entire university campus was declared an arboretum by the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta and now contains over 2000 plant species. The arboretum is still under active development with indigenous and exotic plant species added yearly. It is located on the Delmarva Peninsula, an area known as Maryland's Eastern Shore. Midway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, at a latitude of approximately 38 degrees, the climate is suitable for mild-temperate zone plants.