Come celebrate our trees! 450 new trees have been added to Lakewood’s 4000-tree arboretum in the last few years, and we’re celebrating at a free open house on Sunday, October 20, from 10 AM – 2 PM. Visitors of all ages will enjoy our tree-themed day, featuring live music, nature-inspired, artist-led activities, and free walking tours brimming with fun facts about Lakewood’s biodiverse woodland.
Lakewood, one of the three largest arboretums in the state, is a stunning spot in the heart of the city to enjoy a diverse, majestic urban forest. Our trees are integral to our character, making Lakewood a place where people come to be present with memories, feel a sense of peace, and connect across generations. In 1871, our founders envisioned a garden cemetery that remains vital today.
Thanks to the thoughtful planning of Paul Aarestad, Lakewood’s Director of Buildings and Grounds, and the sponsorship of the Lakewood Heritage Foundation, 450 new trees have been planted in the last three years.
Planning a woodland with biodiversity at its core
All woodlands, wild or tended, experience storms, droughts, disease and pests. These factors have caused significant losses—at Lakewood and beyond—which is why Paul and his team apply the principles and practices of modern urban forestry to everything they do. Paul oversees treating sick trees, pruning crowded trees, running trials for new varieties, and even harvesting seeds for offsite restoration projects. But perhaps most thrilling for Paul is peering into the future and selecting diverse mixes of new trees to plant at Lakewood.
Great care goes into selecting and planting new trees. Paul’s decisions are informed by science and rooted in a deep respect for this place and what Lakewood means to the community. Here are a few examples of how Lakewood’s cherished woodlands are being regenerated to continue to thrive.
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Newly planted oak trees near Roberts Bird Sanctuary. Lakewood prioritizes native trees and shrubs in several places, including its southern boundary with Roberts Bird Sanctuary. Compared to non-native species, native plants support more insects, and this supports more birds.
- We plant tree varieties that are forecasted to do well in Minnesota’s changing climate. Specifically, our climate-smart strategy includes tulip poplars, yellowwood, bald cypress, and certain kinds of hickory. These are all trees that historically were only found further south.
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Newly planted spruce tree. Lakewood is increasing the representation of evergreens, such as white pine, white spruce, Norway spruce and eastern hemlock. This last variety has a special place in the memories of some Lakewood staff and visitors because a “Champion” hemlock once grew in Section 46. (A Champion tree is one recognized as the largest of its kind within a state.)
Our newly planted trees, along with their long-lived neighbors which tower overhead, provide shade, cool the local environment, sequester carbon, reduce noise, help manage storm water and provide habitat to wildlife.
If you want to discover more about our stunning 250-acre arboretum, join us to celebrate the beauty of autumn and our trees at Lakewood’s annual Fall Colors Celebration.
