Trsteno is a village in southern Croatia, administratively located in the City of Dubrovnik.

[3] The arboretum was erected by the local noble family of Gozze in the late 15th century, who requested ship captains to bring back seeds and plants from their travels.

Trsteno suffered extensive damage and looting during the Croatian War of Independence when on October 2 and 3rd, 1991, the Yugoslav People's Army launched a series of gunboat and air attacks and set the Arboretum afire, destroying a large part of it, and causing partial damage to the summer residence and the oldest part of the arboretum.

The pride of the arboretum, two Oriental Planes located on the central market place of Trsteno, survived both disasters undamaged.

Within what was once the noble family's country house, there is the oldest Renaissance park in Croatia, designed in 1502, with numerous exotic plants.