The arboretum is part of the domain of Bokrijk, which is 550 ha large and is managed by the Province of Limburg. The garden compromises 18 ha and was established at the beginning of 1965.
The arboretum specializes in Holly, having the largest reference collection of this genus in Europe. It is also home to the Belgium's Bamboo collection. Other theme gardens that can be seen here include a wetlands garden, a woodland garden, a fern garden and a Mediterranean garden.