Maxwell Arboretum on the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's East Campus grew from a trial planting area begun in the 1930s by university forester Earl Maxwell, who tested more than one hundred species of hardy woody plants suited to Nebraska's severe winters. Established as an arboretum in 1967 and dedicated to Maxwell in 1969 after his death, it was preserved and expanded into a major horticultural and teaching landscape. Additions in the 1970s and 1980s strengthened its role, and in 1975 it became one of the flagship sites of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. Today it spans nearly three times its original size and contains thousands of trees, shrubs, perennials, and prairie plants.