page_title: Massachusetts Horticultural Society
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Massachusetts Horticultural Society / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Horticultural Society exhibit, Boston Common, 1850s
context_page_description: The Massachusetts Horticultural Society, sometimes abbreviated to MassHort, is an American horticultural society based in Massachusetts. It describes itself as the oldest formally organized horticultural institution in the United States. In its mission statement, the society dedicates itself to encouraging the science and practice of horticulture and developing the public's enjoyment, appreciation, and understanding of plants and the environment. As of 2014, it had some 5,000 members.
context_section_description: The society was established in 1829 in Boston as the Boston Horticultural Society, and promptly began weekly exhibits (in Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market) of locally grown fruit and later vegetables, teaching the newest horticultural techniques and breeds, including the local Concord grape in 1853.  It continued this tradition from 1871 through 2008 with its annual New England Spring Flower Show.
  In 1831 the society bought a 72-acre (290,000 m²) estate called "Sweet Auburn" for an arboretum, garden, and cemetery.  Although the horticultural garden never materialized, in 1835 the site was incorporated as Mount Auburn Cemetery.  Until 1976, the society received one-fourth of the proceeds from the sale of Mount Auburn's cemetery lots.
caption: Exhibition of the Society[3]
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