Oakwood Cemetery Association Arboretum

Established in 1878, Oakwood Cemetery in Waco, Texas, is a sacred resting place for generations of Central Texans and a living arboretum preserving and showcasing the natural beauty of Central Texas’s native and adapted trees. Spread across 157 acres, Oakwood’s landscape features a diverse collection of tree species including live oaks, cedar elms, pecans, burr oaks, crape myrtles, and lacey oaks. With careful attention to climate suitability and long-term sustainability, the Oakwood Cemetery Association has adopted an approved tree list that balances aesthetic value, cultural significance, and environmental resilience. Among the collection are specially selected cultivars such as the Texas redbud and Texas mountain laurel, which thrive in our region's challenging soil and climate conditions, offering a variety of greenery and seasonal blooms.

The Arboretum designation at Oakwood is part of a larger mission to serve the community as a place of remembrance and reflection, education, and ecological stewardship. Through this effort, we aim to model responsible urban forest management and preserve the historic character of the cemetery’s tree canopy for future generations.