Since the Salt Lake City Cemetery’s establishment in 1847, Mark Smith was the longest serving City Cemetery Sexton. Mark was truly dedicated to his role and loved sharing the beauty of the cemetery with others. Accreditation as an arboretum within the city cemetery grounds through ArbNet was his vision and one of the many ways in which he wanted to connect the public with this historic site. Additionally, arboretum status on cemetery ground celebrates Mark’s life and honors his dedication to the cemetery and its trees. This collection is furthermore a formal recognition of the City’s commitment to preserving and enhancing this historical site as both an active cemetery and a public open space to be peacefully and respectfully enjoyed by all visitors.

The Mark Smith Memorial Arboretum at Salt Lake City Cemetery is home to some of the largest and oldest trees within Utah’s capital city. It also contains the most diverse array of trees species on public land within in city limits. Trees within the cemetery arboretum collection range from small flowering trees, such as redbuds, mimosas, and crabapples, to moderate sized deciduous trees, like maples, elms, and oaks, to large conifers, including a variety of spruces, pines, and cedars. Some noteworthy specimen trees here include the European Green Beech (Fagus sylvatica), the Tulip Poplar (Lirodendron tuliperfera), the Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), the Austrian Pine (Pinus nigra), and the Norway and Blue Spruces (Picea abies and Picea glauca). The variety of tree species within this collection will continue to grow as new trees are planted and this arboretum acts as a testing ground for new and unique species to be introduced to Salt Lake City’s urban forest.”