Salisbury’s Parsons Cemetery gains distinction as arboretum.

Parsons Cemetery has announced a new distinction for the site steeped in history — it’s now also an accredited Level-1 arboretum.

ArbNet, an interactive community of arboreta and tree professionals, bestowed the distinction on Parsons Cemetery, making it one of only four accredited arboreta on Delmarva, according to a Parsons release.

“Recently, we mapped and identified all the trees and shrubs in Parsons Cemetery and were amazed to discover that we had a wide and diverse variety of tree and shrub species,” the release states.

In April 2011, The Morton Arboretum launched ArbNet and Arbnet.org to support the common purposes and interests of tree-focused public gardens. Since its inception, ArbNet has accredited more than 700 arboreta, across 42 countries.

Parsons recently added 32 addition trees to its grounds with grants from the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the City of Salisbury.

Visitor can take in the greenery at with the “Woody Flora of Parsons Cemetery” walking tour, one of four offered at the Salisbury site.

Parsons Cemetery is also looking for sponsors for the arboretum to raise the funds necessary to tag the trees in the cemetery and create informational kiosks.

Keith Demko 
Salisbury Daily Times
Jan. 9, 2026, 5:07 a.m. ET