Old Forest Arboretum of Overton Park
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Old Forest Arboretum of Overton Park
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| Location | Memphis, Tennessee |
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| Coordinates | 35°8′48″N 89°59′21″W / 35.14667°N 89.98917°WCoordinates: 35°8′48″N 89°59′21″W / 35.14667°N 89.98917°W |
| Built | 1900 |
| Architect | Kessler,George E. |
| Part of | Overton Park Historic District (#79002475) |
| Added to NRHP | October 25, 1979 |
The Old Forest Arboretum of Overton Park (172 acres) is a forest tract and natural arboretum located in Overton Park, Memphis, Tennessee. It is open to the public daily without charge. The forest was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 as part of the Overton Park Historic District. Tree identification began in 1997, with some 70 tree species identified by 2002 when it was certified as an arboretum. Today the arboretum contains walking trails with 49 tree markers identifying 32 species. Approximately three-fourths of the Arboretum was designated as the Old Forest State Natural Area in 2011.
Conservation of the Old Forest began in 1901, when Overton Park was created when the 342 acres (1.38 km2) Lea Woods was purchased by the city of Memphis. 172 acres (0.70 km2) of its original climax oak-hickory cover was preserved as the Old Forest.
In 1912, the area was described as follows:
More than thirty kinds of native timber are found there. Rare wild plants, vines, grasses and flowers spring up in bewildering luxuriance and infinite variety to attract the scientist and lover of nature and where children can roam next to Mother Earth and her own immediate handiwork as in the days of our first parents.
Plant taxonomist Dr. Tom Heineke was hired by Memphis to inventory the Old Forest during 2008 and 2009. Large trees measured for possible inclusion as Tennessee Champion Trees included a 27-inch-diameter (690 mm) (DBH) black cherry, a 46-inch southern red oak, a 62-inch shumard oak, and 9-inch pawpaw. A total of 332 flowering plant species were recorded in 85 families; three-quarters of the species were native. Heineke's management recommendation was removal of evergreen exotic species, such as Chinese privet and pin cherry, which are severely competing with native vegetation.
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