31 by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Mount Auburn has been maintained with the highest regard for horticultural excellence. Plant materials from around the world were introduced there even before the onset of the American public parks movement and the creation of botanical gardens (other than the Bartram Garden in Philadelphia). Many plantings have survived the ravaging storms and droughts-summers of the past 180 years; some of the oaks even predate the Cemetery’s founding.

Unlike most botanic gardens and arboreta, their plants are not grouped systematically. One does not need to go to a single area to see the Dogwoods. They are planted throughout the grounds. This “landscaped” collection is as much a study of landscape designs as it is a place featuring a diverse array of plants.