Glendale Arboretum

The Village of Glendale, nestled among the rolling hills of southwest Ohio, was incorporated in 1855 and is known for its curvilinear streets and aesthetic tree canopy.  The Village was plotted with avenues 60 feet wide in beautiful and symmetrical curves.  Parks were created throughout the Village for the enjoyment of its residents.  Elm, oak, locust and sugar maple trees were planted along the streets which were graveled and lit by coal oil lamps.  Largely due to the unique street layout, Glendale was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, and later its historic district was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1977.

Glendale first started to develop a Municipal Forest along its southern border in the 1940’s, and the Village has maintained it ever since.  In 1956 the Glendale Board of Park Trustees was established as the Glendale organization responsible for forestry projects on public property using donated funds.  The Board of Park Trustees was renamed to the Glendale Urban Forestry Board in 2021 to better reflect the duties of the Board.  The Urban Forestry Board, together with the Village Administration, wanted to establish an Arboretum utilizing existing trees, the curvilinear tree-lined streets with sidewalk accessibility, and existing parks.  Over 200 trees were identified in the Arboretum, and of these 200 trees 68 distinct genus species were selected to be labeled.  Each label has a QR code which takes the viewer directly to the tree in the Village website with a narrative description of the tree.  All photos used in the website are of trees in the Arboretum or in Glendale public spaces and show the tree’s individual characteristics and seasonal highlights.