Harry Campbell Neel, our founder, graduated Yale University with a masters degree in Forestry. When designing the park, he brought in many kinds of plants and statuary that would enhance the beauty and elegance of the natural landscape.

The primary purpose of the Arboretum of Jefferson Memorial Park Inc. is to promote the beauty and serenity of the cemetery. This is achieved by planting as many trees, shrubs and flowers as possible that will survive in our climate to highlight existing park features and encourage public enjoyment of the park.

We welcome groups of visitors such as college classes and garden clubs to utilize the cemetery and arboretum for educational purposes. Jefferson welcomes gardening clubs and local students to visit and learn about the wide variety of specimens within the cemetery grounds. We currently offer a self guided tour with a map of 30 of our most unique specimens. Each plant along the tour is marked with a yellow name plate identifying both the common and botanical names.