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With Metasequoia trees of impressive size, the Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts is a unique site in my study. Distinguished in landscaping, art, and architecture, the cemetery is a National Historic Landmark. Founded in 1831, the 174 acre size was the first large-scale planned and designed landscape open to the public in the United States. The site has a variety of plantings, monuments, fences, fountains, and chapels that add to the scenic beauty. As a matter of fact, the garden cemetery idea established by the Mount Auburn Cemetery was so successful that many new garden cemeteries around the country were created. Eventually, public gardens became so in demand that the government began building public parks. Many famous individuals are buried here, including Louis Agassiz, Charles Eliot, Buckminster Fuller, Oliver Holmes, Jr., Henry Longfellow, James Lowell, John Rawls, B. F. Skinner, and Charles Sumner. Quite frankly there are far too many to name, but you get the point. This is quite possibly the most famous cemetery in the country. |
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Like its Boston counterpart, the Arnold Arboretum, Mount Auburn has a very solid collection of Metasequoia trees. Three specimens were received from the Arnold Arboretum in 1951 and are currently all about 70 feet tall with base 40 inches in diameter. A fourth tree was received from the Arnold in 1965 and is 55 feet tall with a base 32 inches in diameter. These are noteworthy totals, particularly in regards to the base diameters. While the heights are not particularly spectacular the bases of these trees are very impressive. All four trees are growing in sandy loam soil. This soil is fairly acidic, with a pH of 5.4. All of the trees are growing next to ponds, and while no seedlings have been established near the trees, seeds have been collected and germinated. The Mount Auburn Cemetery is quite possibly the most famous and outstanding cemetery in the country. With an overall amazing environment and solid Metasequoia trees, this is a site certainly worthy of a visit. Mount Auburn Cemetery 580 Mount Auburn Street Cambridge, MA 02138 |
Photos and data courtesy the Mount Auburn Cemetery
