Arboretum Dreams
by Meredith Jones, Education and Training Manager, Tulsa Garden Center
Tucked into the southeast corner of Woodward Park is a modest arboretum with a big heart. In 1962, a committee tasked with bringing an arboretum to life was formed by the Tulsa Garden Center. By February of 1964, the City of Tulsa had approved the use of land, and in December of that same year the Tulsa Arboretum Project was dedicated to the citizens of Tulsa.
Though it was the non-profit organization which had spearheaded the effort with support from the City and local horticultural experts, it was ultimately the citizens of Tulsa, and their interest in beautifying the City they love, which brought the trees into the three-acre space.
At the time, the corner chosen had otherwise been neglected; it was the site of a crumbling concrete rock garden with a fish pond and overgrown vegetation which took nearly a year to clean up. The resolution put forth by then Tulsa mayor, James L. Maxwell, stated why the work which went into cleaning the area would be worthwhile: “Whereas, such an arboretum would be of inestimable value to the City not only because it will be a substantial improvement to the beauty of the city, but because it will be of great educational value.”
Beautification and education were the cornerstone ideas upon which the Arboretum was built, and the trees were selected to demonstrate which species grow well in Tulsa. Paul Mitchell, the Tulsa County OSU Extension agent at the time, helped with site planning and tree recommendations. Once a proposed tree list was made, Tulsa residents were given the opportunity to purchase memorial trees from a list of possibilities. The original planting plan included 40 large trees, 100 small flowering trees, 50 evergreens, and 100 evergreen shrubs. Since its dedication in December of 1964, Tulsa’s love for the Arboretum in Woodward Park has grown steady, right alongside the trees.