The arboretum's earliest area was established in 1907 as the Horticultural Research Center, which developed cold-hardy crops such as the Honeycrisp apple and Northern Lights azaleas.

The arboretum is the largest, most diverse, and most complete horticultural site in Minnesota, with over 5000 plant varieties, and approaching its goal of protecting its entire watershed (1200 acres).

Its collections include clematis, dahlias, ornamental grasses, hostas, iris, wildflowers, and cultivated and hardy shrub roses.

The arboretum also includes a horticultural library and conservatory, as well as miles of hiking and cross-country skiing trails.

The Meyers-Deats Conservatory features bromeliad, orchid, and cactus collections and tropical houseplants.