Located in Lee County, Alabama, Donald E. Davis Arboretum is a botanical garden at about 202 m (663 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 1.6 km (1.0 mi) S of Auburn.
The Donald E. Davis Arboretum, in Auburn, Alabama, United States, is a public native plants museum, and botanical arboretum with educational facilities, event spaces, and a conservation program. Its grounds, covering 13.5 acres (4.5 hectares) of Auburn University's campus, include cataloged living collections of associated tree and plant communities representative of Alabama's ecosystems, among which is mixed oak forest, carnivorous bog, and longleaf pine savanna. The living collections include more than 1,000 plant types, including 500 different plant species, with over 3,000 cataloged specimens. The Arboretum contains over a mile (2 km) of interwoven walking trails that meander through various southeastern biotopes. The arboretum's Rhododendron and Azalea Collection is one of the more extensive native azalea collections in the nation and the nationally accredited Oaks Collection...From the Wikipedia article “Donald E. Davis Arboretum”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Donald E. Davis Arboretum the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:47 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 61° ENE | 7:53 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:31 AM | 89° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:41 AM | 118° ESE | 4:41 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 00m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:23 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 14m |
| February | 6:01 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:00 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:53 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 50m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:20 PM | 14h 17m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 14h 06m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:22 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 5:47 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:48 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 6:10 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:15 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:06 PM | 10h 01m |
Local time (America/Chicago), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Donald E. Davis Arboretum, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:11 AM – 5:01 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:22 AM – 5:22 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:18 AM – 4:38 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:18 PM – 4:08 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:33 PM – 3:53 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:29 PM – 2:19 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:57 PM – 12:17 AM | 3.3 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:13 PM – 10:23 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:32 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.58 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (58%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 76 | 81 | 85 | 92 | 101 | 106 | 105 | 107 | 104 | 103 | 88 | 79 |
| Low °F | 4 | 20 | 22 | 31 | 42 | 55 | 58 | 56 | 45 | 29 | 21 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.1 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 5.4 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this botanical garden
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Donald E. Davis Arboretum, closest first.
FAQ
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Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.