A life grown with purpose

A deep appreciation of the land shaped Michael Arnold’s life. From his childhood on a farm in Ohio to his distinguished achievements at Texas A&M University, he has nurtured not just plants but knowledge, innovation and a lasting impact on students and communities.

With a background in horticultural sciences and business, Arnold, Ph.D., serves as a professor in the Department of Horticultural Sciences in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the director of The Gardens at Texas A&M University.

Through teaching, research and outreach, he has lived out the land-grant mission — transforming landscapes and lives along the way.

A childhood rooted in agriculture

Growing up across the road from his grandfather’s farm, Arnold helped with agronomic, vegetable, fruit and floral crops. He learned the rhythms of the seasons firsthand — planting, tending, harvesting and preparing for the next growing cycle.

“Agriculture, in one form or another, was in my blood,” Arnold said. “That was our life, and everything centered around it.”

By age 12, he was earning money baling hay and delivering flowers for a local florist before holidays. For extra spending money, he raised and sold homegrown eggs to neighbors and pumpkins, gourds and calico corn to local grocery stores. When it came time to save money for college, he worked in a grocery store’s produce and floral departments.

Finding his calling

The path Arnold took to horticulture was not direct.

At The Ohio State University, he first pursued pre-law, then switched to a business administration degree, but found something was missing for him.

“In my senior year, I realized I really missed agriculture,” Arnold said. “I’ve always enjoyed the landscape side of horticulture, so I decided to combine my business degree with that and open a nursery. With an additional year and a half of classes, I got a second undergraduate degree in horticulture.”

To reach that goal in that timeframe, he immersed himself in his horticulture classes, plant propagation research and tutoring students.

He realized his true passion lay not just in growing plants but in mentoring the next generation and advancing the science of the horticulture industry. Ultimately, that decision led to a master’s degree in landscape horticulture from Ohio State and a doctoral degree in horticultural sciences from North Carolina State University.

“Agriculture, in one form or another, was in my blood — that was our life, and everything centered around it.”

Michael Arnold, Ph.D.
Professor in the Department of Horticultural Sciences and director of The Gardens

A legacy in teaching and mentorship

When Arnold joined Texas A&M in 1993, he did not just take a job — he embraced a calling.

“Teaching is part of what got me interested in graduate school in the first place,” Arnold said. “The impact you have on what students learn and their potential for scholarly development and successful careers is rewarding.”

Arnold began teaching general landscape and construction courses; he now teaches all plant materials courses to about 100 undergraduates every semester and a graduate course. Over his career, he has served on 125 graduate student committees, 25 of them as chair or co-chair. He has also held various graduate and undergraduate administration positions. 

Arnold’s impact on guiding thousands of students through their horticultural journey was recognized in 2024 by the John Hecker family with the establishment of the Dr. Michael A. Arnold Endowed Scholarship in Horticulture.

The scholarship will be awarded to incoming freshmen and transfer students interested in the green industry, landscape or nursery fields in honor of Arnold’s dedication to teaching and mentorship. The first recipients will be announced this fall. 

“It was a total surprise and one of the most humbling honors I’ve had in my career,” he said.

Growing knowledge through research

Arnold’s research has advanced horticultural science, from improving container-grown crops in landscapes to studying plant growth regulators in nursery and floriculture crops. He is the inventor or co-inventor of two plant variety patents and several plant releases. Arnold also serves as an executive board member of the Texas Superstar selection committee.

His collaborative spirit has led to impactful projects, such as an interdisciplinary study with the Texas A&M Department of Entomology, the Department of Horticultural Sciences and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service using pollinator-attracting plants to enhance vegetable and fruit production. The research paper from this project, which he co-authored, was published in HortScience and received an American Society for Horticultural Science Extension Publication Award.

“The interdisciplinary approach available through the land-grant system provides expertise that expedites finding innovative scientific solutions,” Arnold said. “I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work alongside some of the most creative, intelligent scientists. Together, we are finding solutions stronger than we otherwise would alone.”

Connection with the campus and community

One of Arnold’s most cherished titles is director of The Gardens at Texas A&M University. For him, The Gardens is more than a collection of plants on one of the largest campuses in Texas — it is a living classroom, a hub for research and a bridge connecting the university with the greater community.

“In a sense, The Gardens is a physical representation of the land-grant mission right here on campus,” Arnold explained. “It is a place where the power of horticulture comes alive — where students experience hands-on learning, researchers explore solutions to industry challenges, and families connect with the beauty and science of plants.”

Under his leadership, The Gardens has flourished into an iconic destination for students, faculty and campus visitors alike. The Leach Teaching Gardens, the first phase of The Gardens, has become one of the nation’s premier teaching gardens.

More than just a serene garden for relaxing and reflection, it is an outdoor classroom where students gain real-world experience in horticulture, landscape design, ecology and plant sciences. The space is woven into the academic fabric of Texas A&M, serving as a research site for pollinator studies, plant adaptability trials and sustainable urban landscaping techniques.

Beyond academics, Arnold has worked to ensure The Gardens serves the greater community. Its volunteer program engages faculty, students, local gardeners and nature enthusiasts in hands-on experiences.

Collaborative programs such as the AgriLife Extension Brazos County Master Gardeners, Junior Master Gardeners and the Little Sprouts Club as well as regular seasonal events hosted by The Gardens serve to introduce children and adults to the wonders of horticulture.

Since opening in June 2018, The Gardens has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors each year. For Arnold, each visitor represents an opportunity to inspire curiosity and deepen the appreciation for horticulture’s role in daily life.

Horticulture makes life better

Arnold believes horticulture is more than a profession — it’s a way of life, a source of inspiration and a means to create a lasting impact.

“Horticulture is all about making life better,” Arnold said. “Your food, fiber and medicines are derived from it. It’s the tree you rest under on a hot summer day, the fruits and vegetables that keep you healthy, the landscapes that feed your soul and the flowers that make life’s milestones more meaningful. To me, that’s horticulture.”