Home > OUTDOORS > Deep Roots: The Specimen Trees of Laurel Hill Cemetery

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Deep Roots: The Specimen Trees of Laurel Hill Cemetery

Presented by Laurel Hill Cemetery at Laurel Hill Cemetery

September 19, 2010

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The location of Laurel Hill Cemetery is historically significant. As a child, John Jay Smith, Laurel Hill’s primary founder, had frequented the Schuylkill River estates of Philadelphia’s wealthy. It was in these settings, he later recalled, that he had “imbibed the love of trees and flowers” which had afforded him so much pleasure. Smith’s childhood stomping grounds would be the future site of Laurel Hill. His founding vision was realized in a cemetery that would not only serve as a place of rest and retreat, but also as a first-class Arboretum, whereat “one specimen…of every valuable tree and shrub which will bear the climate” could be found. Today, nestled within the bustling urban neighborhoods of Philadelphia, Laurel Hill continues to be a horticultural gem, a green refuge for birds and the various types of wildlife that make their home here. Learn about some of our most remarkable specimens in this walking tour of Laurel Hill Cemetery. The program will be led by Matt Ward, a Certified Arborist, and member of the International Society of Arboriculture; the Tree Care Industry Association; I.S.A. Certified Arborists; and the American Society of Consulting Arborists.