Arboretum Video Gallery

Videos produced by Cypress Lawn Memorial Park in collaboration with Nicholas Woodworth at QUEST FOR COOL

 

Friends, neighbors, and tree-lovers near and far, you are invited to celebrate the autumnal tree planting holiday of Colma, Arboretum Day!

Every November, in the seasonal celebration of life that is Arboretum Day, we plant trees here at Cypress Lawn. In the Golden State, here in California where our Mediterranean climate is dry all summer long, autumn is just the right time to establish plants in the soil and foster the future of our living collection. With this intention, we may ally with the rains of Mother Nature to help us with watering in new additions to the growing diversity of trees throughout the Arboretum.

This season, with our 4th annual fall celebration of tree planting, you are invited to learn and grow right along with us, fostering kinship with the wooden ones! Connect with our team of Arboretum Allies, visit champion trees of our East entry lawn and companions of the same species we’ve planted in their lee, witness the wonder of life that is all around us at this beloved Memorial Park, and experience the life-long learning potential that trees offer us, when we only give them our attention. First and foremost, have fun! Remember, there is always another tree story to tell…

The old veteran trees of Cypress Lawn Arboretum are a special part of our living collection, some of them 131 years in age and still branching out today.  I know a profound sense of gratitude for this heritage, to Hamden Holmes Noble and the founding stewards of Cypress Lawn.

In my role as one of the modern-day caregivers of the garden, the noble intention of planting and establishing a global diversity of trees over a century ago is a spirited tradition that I am honored to carry forward. The proactive notion of stewardship of this urban forest landscape is leveraged by the growing idea of the Arboretum Heritage Project.

Loss is a hard truth in this life, for us and the wooden ones. Cypress Lawn was founded as a grief landscape, a safe place that is here – for you, for anyone – to come and process challenging emotions, grow towards healing, and celebrate the lives gone by.

At the Arboretum, the hardship of death is also becoming a meaningful opportunity for us to foster a special kinship between people and trees.  Giving trees a second life, through our newly founded program of wood reclamation, is a way of honoring our past while inviting a future that we may all share together.

Every November, in the annual celebration of life that is Arboretum Day, we plant trees here at Cypress Lawn. Just a couple of months ago, we planted a companion tree for one of our oldest veteran Monterey Cypress specimens. This young tree is one of many companions we introduced into our living collection of trees this past autumn.

Planting the next generation of seedlings and saplings throughout our original East Campus grows upon the legacy founded by Hamden Holmes Noble 1130 years ago and helps to ensure that the landscape character of decades gone by is conserved and passed forward in stewardship for future visitors of our Memorial Park to enjoy.

 

Arboretum Day 2022 – Planting Companion Trees and Celebrating Life! – The Arboretum Heritage Project

Celebrating 130 years and 130 species in the living collection of the Arboretum, this special community event in our “Tree City USA” Town of Colma will showcase the diverse trees of the Memorial Park, honor our champion Monterey Cypress by the foundational entry archway, and continue our living legacy with the planting of companion trees for old heritage specimens along Cypress Avenue of our original East Campus.

Sharing What We’re Growing! – Tree Tours at Cypress Lawn Arboretum

We’ll be hosting Tree Tours of the Arboretum on a regular basis in the seasons to come. Hop on the famed Cypress Lawn Trolley and join us for a journey through this one-of-a-kind outdoor murseum!

CYPRESSFEST! – Tree Care Collaboration at Cypress Lawn Arboretum

This past September, a major seasonal effort in the pruning of Monterey cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa) trees took place here at Cypress Lawn Arboretum. Please enjoy this video, showcasing the work and arboricultural intentions of CypressFest.

 

Arboretum Day 2021 – Celebrating Trees at Cypress Lawn Arboretum!

For those of you who were not able to join us in person for Arboretum Day, please enjoy this video as a reprise of what you missed. We hope to see you at the next Arboretum Day in the fall of 2022, to share in a growing tradition here in the heart of Colma at the historic Memorial Park of Cypress Lawn.

Arboretum Day 2021 – Join us on November 12th at 11 AM!

Last year, the circumstances of the pandemic did not allow for any in-person ceremonies or activities. So, as we quite literally turned a new leaf on Arboretum Day 2021, this year’s holiday marked the origin of what will hopefully grow to become a lasting tradition here in Colma.

Preservation, Restoration, Curation: Caring for the Trees of Cypress Lawn Arboretum

In the preservation of our most senior trees, specimens may be managed to extend their lifetimes and protect the living legacy they have grown over so many decades. In the restoration of countless trees throughout our Arboretum, stressful growing conditions may be improved upon, encouraging a healthier tomorrow.

In From The West – A Monterey Cypress Poem and Film – Dancing on the Brink of the World

Let me tell you a story, from a decade ago, about the first Monterey cypress I ever came to know … She lives on Bodega Head, nestled a hundred paces away from the sandstone cliff edge and the crashing Pacific surf just beyond.

Take a Walk! At Cypress Lawn Arboretum

Cypress Lawn Arboretum is just the place for sharing a moment in the presence of remarkable trees. With our ongoing movement to establish a fleet of “botanical monuments” to name and showcase dozens of our finest centurial specimens, the trees of Cypress Lawn are here on full display, patiently awaiting your arrival.

From Acorn to Action Plan: Specimen Cork Oak Tree Care at Cypress Lawn Arboretum

Here at Cypress Lawn, a collaborative team of tree professionals, fondly referred to as “Arboretum Allies” by Director Josh Gevertz, has been assembled to provide comprehensive care and attend to the needs of the finest specimens growing throughout our historic Memorial Park.

Welcome to Cypress Lawn Arboretum

Recent months have been full of growth and change here at Cypress Lawn Arboretum. This short feature documentary film seeks to share with you, our cherished tree-loving community, some of what we have been working on.