Exploring the Arboretum

As you enter Section Bredell, look to your right to see a massive tulip tree towering above the landscape. In spring, the trail and nearby roadsides come alive with daffodils (as seen in the first photo below), part of a broader display that stretches along Bellefontaine’s self-guided driving tour route. This section is also home to the unique gordlinia trees (× Gordlinia grandiflora SWEET TEA,  pictured here in the second photo), an intergeneric hybrid combining the rare Franklin tree and loblolly bay. These summer-blooming trees produce camellia-like white flowers that are a delight during a period when there are few other trees or shrubs blooming.

Map Reference: Stop 5, Letter G   

Robert Coyne Clifford

World War I Doughboy | Lot #64

First Lieutenant Robert Clifford died while serving in the U.S. Army during World War I in the 103rd Field Artillery Regiment, 26th Infantry Division. Clifford’s family included the Latin phrase “Dulce et Decorum est Pro Patria Mori” at the bottom of his marker, which translates to “It is sweet and honorable to die for one's country.”

Map Reference: Stop 5, Letter H

William Greenleaf Eliot

Eliot Seminary | Lot #61

William G. Eliot was a multifaceted pillar of early St. Louis history. His major contributions included founding Eliot Seminary in 1853, which was later renamed Washington University in St. Louis. As the grandfather of modernist poet T. S. Eliot, William's extensive local impact also included supporting the public school system and founding numerous charitable institutions.