The Parsons Cemetery Arboretum
Recently, we mapped and identified all the trees and shrubs in Parsons Cemetery and were amazed to discover that we had a wide and diverse variety of species. As such, we are now an accredited Level-1 Arboretum by ArbNet.
In April 2011, The Morton Arboretum launched ArbNet and arbnet.org, an interactive community of arboreta and tree professionals designed to support the common purposes and interests of tree-focused public gardens. The Arboretum Accreditation Program was established through ArbNet at the same time to provide specific standards of professional practice and offers four levels of accreditation. In tandem, they created the Morton Register of Arboreta – a global database of arboreta and other public gardens that have a substantial focus on woody plants.
Since its inception, ArbNet has accredited over 700 arboreta, across 42 countries. In 2022, ArbNet was honored with the American Public Gardens Association Program Excellence Award. Into the next decade, ArbNet will engage its large, and growing audience, by continuing to support gardens in reaching their professional goals and milestones, sharing best practices and resources, improving urban forestry by supporting municipal tree collections, building capacity for smaller arboreta through grants and professional opportunities, establishing arboreta in biodiversity hotspots to facilitate conservation, supporting tree conservation efforts through partnership and networks, and finally, supporting scientific and horticultural research in arboretum collections of all sizes.
Our Large Trees
Because the cemetery is over 150 years old, we have many large, majestic trees throughout the cemetery. We are proud to have some of the largest trees in the county, and 14 trees in the cemetery are listed in the Maryland Big Tree Program database, including the Maryland State Champion Sand Hickory. Eight more trees are listed as Wicomico County Champions: Post Oak, Scarlet Oak, Southern Red Oak, Littleleaf Linden, Longleaf Pine, Mockernut Hickory, Norway Maple and Flowering Dogwood. Other cemetery trees on the Maryland Big Trees list include Black Oak, Southern Magnolia and Eastern Red Cedar, and we have one of the best collections of large Eastern Red Cedars in Maryland. The location of these large trees can be found on the cemetery’s tree map.
Our Newest Trees
It is the many and various trees that are the most obvious protector of the environment at Parsons. We have lost some to storms and age, but through donations and grants, we are able to plant new ones to take their place. Just recently, 32 new trees were planted in Parsons Cemetery with funding provided by the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the City of Salisbury. We intend to continue planting more trees in the future, and donations are always welcome!
Flowers and shrubs
Many plot owners beautify the spaces of their loved ones with fresh flowers. Many have received permission from the cemetery committee to make permanent plantings. The hedge at the front of the cemetery was planted in the 1960s and we have maintained it ever since. As part of a grant we received from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation to restore the brick wall that also serves as a planter for this hedge, we planted over 60 Camellia bushes in several areas of the cemetery.
More information about the woody flora in Parsons Cemetery
You can click here to view and download a slideshow that shows examples of all the unique tree and shrubs species in Parsons Cemetery.
You might also want to consider taking our self-guided walking tour which highlights the woody flora in the cemetery.
You can click here to view and download a map of all the trees in Parsons Cemetery.
You can click here to view and download a map of all the trees and shrubs in Parsons Cemetery. This map is accompanied by a spreadsheet which lists all of the mapped vegetation, which you can download by clicking here.
Protecting the Chesapeake Bay
Parsons borders on beautiful Johnson Pond which was created as a mill pond for thriving industry once in the area. To limit erosion that would eventually find its way into the Chesapeake Bay, we applied for and received a grant from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation to create a “living shoreline” in the most affected areas. We hope to receive additional grants and gifts to address other areas of concern along the banks of the cemetery.
Our Birds
Our location along Johnson’s Pond means you can find a wide variety of birds in Parsons Cemetery throughout the day and the year. We are listed as a birding hotspot on Cornell University’s eBird website. Here you will find lists of the birds that bird watchers have observed in the cemetery. Some of the more common birds include Canadian Geese, Bald Eagles, Blue Heron, Mallards, Cormorants, Robins, Sparrows, Starlings, Mockingbirds, and Blue Jays among others.
Johnson’s Pond
The largest freshwater impoundment on the Eastern Shore, this 104-acre lake near Salisbury is a Special Bass Management Area. Anglers can fish for; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, crappie, bluegill sunfish, yellow and white perch. Special regulations do apply. Click here to learn more about Johnson’s Pond.
Green Burials
Although local environmental regulations and the practicalities of an urban cemetery environment do not allow the spreading of ashes or burial without a means of separating one grave from another, we allow burials to be in a bottomless vault so that the burial can be as green as possible.