In 2007, Mount Auburn dedicated more than an acre of land surrounding Washington Tower to establish a wildflower meadow.  This project was part of a comprehensive and ongoing program of improving the natural vegetation and wildlife habitat at Mount Auburn.

The wildflower meadow introduced a type of habitat that was currently not found at the Cemetery. This type of habitat is formed by a plant community that is becoming scarce in Massachusetts due to the fragmentation of farmland, development, pollution, invasive plant species competition and the suppression of naturally occurring ground fires that have historically supported it. Our wildflower meadow consists of over 40 different types of native grasses and wildflowers and shrubs that are represented by more than 15,000 individual plants.

As a whole, the meadow creates a habitat that encourages and sustains threatened species of birds, insects and mammals.  Mount Auburn is designated as an Important Bird Area by the Massachusetts Audubon Society, so it is important that the grasses in the meadow provide habitat resources for both native and migrating birds- especially for the nine species of native grassland birds that are recognized as being endangered in New England.  A water feature was also added to replicate small seeps found naturally in meadows help to attract a broad spectrum of wildlife.

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