Welcome to the Avon Woods Arboretum, a public arboretum recognizing specimen trees in the Avon Woods Neighborhood of East Memphis, Tennessee. Voluntarily led by resident Judith (Judy) Rutschman and aided by neighbors, we have identified all of the trees in all of the front yards in our Avon Woods.
In fall of 2018 with the help of West Tennessee Urban Forestry Council, we began the work of identifying trees in our neighborhood. Then in winter of 2019, Judi Shellabarger with WTUFC told us of the Memphis City Beautiful Community Grant Program. Applying for the grant was extremely helpful! Responding to the requested materials transformed our wish into an organized plan! Our mission to protect the trees in our neighborhood went into action when Memphis City Beautiful awarded our neighborhood the $500 grant.
“When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
ALDO LEOPOLD
We have been able to identify trees with the generous support of the West Tennessee Chapter of the Urban Forestry Council (WTUFC) volunteers on the Memphis Botanical Garden‘s tree team. Thus far, about 40 different varieties of trees have been labeled with markers indicating each tree’s common name and scientific name (genus and species). The specimen tree markers were funded entirely by the Memphis City Beautiful’s generous grant.
We would like to continue to label more specimen trees. To date, Avon Woods Arboretum has identified more than 1,000 trees, and 100 different species of trees, the natural beauty that distinguishes our neighborhood.
If you live in the Avon Woods Neighborhood and believe you have a specimen tree of a species we have not added to the arboretum, or you’re curious what species of trees are in your yard, please send a message via our contact page. We’ve made a record of all the neighborhood trees just in case you would like help identifying your trees. Note that as a public arboretum, only trees in a front yard or side yard and close to the street can be a specimen tree in the arboretum.
STAFF MEMBERS
Judith Rutschman, principal lead
Jay Perdue, website and communications