Gift of Gordon Crawford (MBA ’71) & Dona Crawford — Formally named the Crawford Family Alumni Lounge.

The Smith Alumni Gateway serves as a distinguished entrance to the Tahija Arboretum & LaCross Botanical Gardens from Duffy Boulevard, nestled between C. Ray Smith Alumni Hall and The Forum Hotel. This beautifully designed passageway, home to the Hydrangea Garden, creates a seamless connection between Darden’s academic and alumni spaces and the natural beauty of the arboretum. Thoughtfully integrated into the landscape, the gateway symbolizes growth, reflection and the lifelong bond between alumni and the School.

The Alumni Lobby serves as the welcoming point of C. Ray Smith Alumni Hall, providing an inviting space for alumni, guests and lifelong learners. Designed to foster connection and engagement, the lobby offers a refined yet comfortable setting for networking, reflection and conversation. Its modern design and central location make it a key gathering space that reinforces the strong ties between Darden and its alumni community.

Dedication forthcoming — The Restored Stream is a central feature of the Tahija Arboretum & LaCross Botanical Gardens, showcasing the integration of sustainable design and ecological restoration. Once a stormwater runoff channel, the stream has been thoughtfully transformed into a functioning natural waterway that supports local biodiversity and improves water quality. Flowing gently through the gardens, it enhances the landscape’s beauty while demonstrating the power of regenerative landscape architecture.

The Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) is known for its distinctive tulip-shaped flowers and yellow fall foliage. This native tree offers valuable habitat for wildlife. The dense foliage and abundant branches provide cover and nesting sites, the nectar-rich flowers attract pollinators like bees and butterflies, and the seeds are a food source for various birds and small mammals. Tulip poplar thickets often represent an early successional stage of the local Piedmont forest.

Beech hedges originated from ancient pruning traditions in England. They were valued for practical and aesthetic purposes, serving as boundaries, providing privacy and acting as windbreaks. In this garden you can observe the subtle distinctions between the American and European Beech. The American Beech features smaller nuts and larger leaves while the European Beech bears larger nuts and shorter leaves.

Derived from the Latin word meaning "the one that bears cones," the term "conifer" captures the essence of these remarkable trees. Conifer is a combination of two words: "conus," which refers to "cone” and "ferre" which means “to bear.” Conifers, with their unique needle-like or scale-like leaves, are often recognized as evergreen trees, maintaining their green foliage throughout the winter season. This general classification encompasses a diverse array of evergreen tree species, including Firs, Cedars, Spruces, Pines, Yews, Arborvitae, and Hemlocks.

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is a native deciduous tree known for its brilliant display of autumn foliage and aromatic qualities. Although they can reach heights of 60 feet, Sassafras trees tend to grow as understory trees in Virginia. Sassafras leaves are unusual, as they vary on the same tree from oval to three-lobed mitten-shaped. The root of the plant was originally used in a beverage similar to root beer that has since been discontinued due to health concerns.

Ferns have a long evolutionary history with fossil evidence dating back over 360 million years. These ancient plants thrived without the need for flowers or seeds. Instead, ferns reproduce through spores, which are tiny, dust-like structures found on the undersides of their leaves. Belonging to a diverse group of plants called Pteridophytes, ferns encompass an impressive array of approximately 12,000 known species worldwide. Prior to the construction of the Inn, a mass of ferns was found in this area.

Azaleas, Mountain Laurels, and Rhododendrons are all members of the botanical family Ericaceae and share some similarities in terms of appearance and growing conditions. Plants in the Ericaceae family are associated with acidic soils and thrive in habitats such as heathlands, moorlands, bogs, and coniferous forests. Ericaceous plants often form symbiotic relationships with certain fungi, forming mycorrhizal associations.