American Basswood, or American Linden, is a native tree with great value for wildlife – its flowers are full of nectars for bees, its leaves are food for deer and butterfly larva, and squirrels and chipmunks eat the seeds. This specimen tree is the largest in the state, and casts plenty of shade to enjoy on a hot summer day.

The Cut-Leaf Linden is a cultivar of “Big-Leaf Linden” that was selected for its irregularly-lobed leaves that appear to be cut or shredded. It is a rare tree to find in cultivation anywhere, and the cultivar is usually much smaller than a normal Big-Leaf Linden. Nevertheless, our specimen is the second-largest Big-Leaf Linden in the state and is surely the State Champion cut-leaf cultivar.

This enormous specimen of English Yew is the largest Yew in Pennsylvania. This tree appears in photographs of the original farmstead, predating John Jay Smith’s purchase of the land for Laurel Hill West in 1869. The beauty of this giant set against the historic receiving vaults can be enjoyed all year long, but is especially beautiful in the winter covered in snow.

On a small island of Laurel Hill West’s Franconia section is a weeping beech that is a tree giant – the state champion of the weeping form. What makes this tree so incredibly huge is the girth of its trunk, nearly fifteen feet around below the lowest branch. Enjoy this massive elephant-like tree all year round.

This very unusual weeping form of the Japanese Pagoda Tree (also known as the Chinese Scholar Tree) is a state champion tree in Pennsylvania. These cultivars were common in the first half of the 19th century, and this tree likely dates back to the original cemetery plantings.