Grove of State Trees

The National Grove of State Trees (often just called the Grove) is a display of trees representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Fifty-one state plots are arrayed over 30 acres, each plot home to a grouping of a state’s official tree species, or in a few cases, another species indigenous to the state but better suited to growing in our climate.

Forty-one different species have been selected by states to be their official arboreal symbol. There are oaks, magnolias, and spruces; dogwoods, redbuds, and pines; buckeyes, maples, and pecans, just to name a few of the types of trees representing the states. Descriptions of the trees are found at the entry portal, atop the stone wall where ceramic tiles show leaf renderings and text for each state. A map of the area is available in the Arboretum’s Visitor Center.

With the planting of one tree in 1990, the National Grove of State Trees was officially inaugurated. During the following three years every state provided its own trees and assisted in plantings, which were completed in 1993. The project was inspired by Jeanne Yeutter, wife of then Secretary of Agriculture Clayton Yeutter. She helped bring together the National Association of State Foresters, the American Forest Foundation, the USDA Forest Service, and the U.S. National Arboretum, the team that created our Grove of State Trees. Today the Grove continues to be an enduring partnership between the National Arboretum and the Forest Service.

TIPS FOR VISITORS

The Grove is not fully accessible to the handicapped. Picnic tables are located very close to the entrance portal and the M Street Parking lot. This area provides an ideal place to relax and enjoy lunch or a snack.