Welcome to the Blue Hill Cemetery Arboretum!

We received Level One Arboretum Accreditation from The Morton Register of Arboreta and its global accrediting agency, ArbNet.org. Level One Accreditation requires an organization to identify, label, and maintain a collection of 25 species of trees and other woody plants while adhering to a plant care plan and fulfilling a purposeful mission. Our arboretum is comprised of 30 tree species.

Arboreta are located in many diverse locations around the world including public and private parks and gardens; on the campuses of colleges, universities, medical centers, and corporate headquarters; and in cemeteries of local, national, and global significance.

As of June 2025, there are 2572 arboreta located worldwide in 39 countries as listed in the Morton Register www.arbnet.org/morton-register; 826 of which are accredited by ArbNet. In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, there are 24 ArbNet Accredited Arboreta www.arbnet.org/morton-register/state; 7 of which are located in cemeteries. Blue Hill Cemetery is honored to be included in this distinguished group of state, national, and
global arboreta www.arbnet.org/morton-register/blue-hill-cemetery-arboretum.

Blue Hill Cemetery Arboretum Mission Statement

Trees form the foundation of a complex and interconnected ecosystem. They are not just individual organisms, but rather, are integral to a larger network of living and non-living components, including the soil, water, climate, and various other organisms. This intricate web of interactions provides a wide range of ecosystem services that benefit both the environment and human well-being.

The primary mission of Blue Hill Cemetery Arboretum is to display, share, nurture, develop, and conserve a variety of native and non-native trees and woody plants while promoting knowledge of and appreciation for the beauty and diversity of our regional ecosystem. In pursuit of that purpose and mission, we cordially invite you to explore our arboretum online and in person.

“Where Nature Inspires Reverence and Remembrance”

When visiting our arboretum in person, please remember that Blue Hill Cemetery is a Pastoral Sanctuary of Reverence, Remembrance, and Repose. Please exercise courtesy and respect while in our sacred space.

An Introduction to our Arboretum Tree Walk Map

Each tree species in our Arboretum Tree Walk is identified on the Tree Walk Map by its own unique number. Each tree location is indicated on the map using GPS latitude and longitude coordinates. When connected to the internet on a device of your choice, you may click on each tree number to open an information card that features a photo of the tree in place as well as other relative information specific to that species. Each information card also features a link to additional photos as well as detailed and in-depth educational content specific to that species.

The location of each tree is identified with a highly visible 9” x 12” sign attached to a 4’ signpost.  Each tree has an official 3” x 5” arboretum ID tag made of black anodized metal engraved with genus, species, family, and origin information specific to that tree species.  For mature trees, the ID tag is attached to the trunk.  For younger trees, the ID tag is attached to the signpost; please refer to the photos below:

Please Click on the Image Below
to Access Our Arboretum’s Tree Walk Map

Acknowledging Our Gratitude and Thanks

We gratefully acknowledge the support and generosity of Native Plant Trust www.nativeplanttrust.org and gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org in granting us permission to feature links to their informative, engaging, and attractive website content.

We also take this opportunity to extend our sincere thanks to Native Plant Trust, a Massachusetts-based, non-profit organization with a 125-year history of being “inspired by nature, driven by science”.

Please consider making a donation to support this remarkable and essential organization in its ongoing mission of providing invaluable horticultural information augmented with dynamic educational resources! Methods of support may be found at nativeplanttrust.org/support/.

Suggested Books

About the Science and Identification of Trees

Suggested Books

About the Cultural, Aesthetic, Historical, and Spiritual Characteristics of Trees

Online Learning

YouTube Videos