mount auburn cemetery has been designated a national historic landmark by the department of the interior,

recognizing it as one of the country's most significant cultural landscapes. founded in 1831, it was the first

large-scale designated landscape open to the public in north america. today its beauty, historical associations

and horticultural collections are internationally renowned.

 

in 1997 a tree inventory of mount auburn cemetery recorded over 5,300 trees, most of which are labeled with

their common and scientific names. the collection of trees includes more than 630 taxa, making the cemetery

an arboretum of national importance. fine specimens are individually maintained in a landscape of unique

historical significance and beauty. what is extra special about some of mount auburn's most beautiful

trees? they double as living memorials.

 

for the past thirty years, state foresters have been compiling records for the largest specimen trees of each

species that grows in new england. in 2003 arborists at mount auburn re-measured trees that might qualify as

champions, using a formula that considers height, spread and trunk size. twenty eight are state champions, and

eleven are new england champions.