1. Pink & White Grafted Dogwood

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus Florida)

This dogwood tree is grafted, blooming half-pink and half-white in April. You can see the point on the trunk where the graft happened, giving the tree trunk a “Y” shape. We estimate that this tree is around 80 years old and may have been grafted by Mamie Winstead herself.

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2.

King Azalea

Flowering Azalea Bush (Rhododendron ovatum)

This grouping of azalea bushes started as one huge and unruly azalea, dubbed “King Azalea” by the current caretakers. Planted in the 1960s by Mamie Winstead, this prolific bloomer explodes twice a year into showy white blossoms with pink spotting.

Over the decades, King Azalea became so heavy that its drooping branches took root where they rested, resulting in a tangle of growth. Invasive vines and climbers defied regular trimming. King Azalea got a major haircut and separation in 2024 thanks to the efforts of Tim Dake and the Knoxville Civil War Round Table.

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3.

Holly Berries Everywhere

American Holly (Ilex opaca)
English Holly (Ilex aquifolium)
Round-Leaf Holly (Ilex rotunda)

We have several types of holly at the cemetery. These tall trees are likely English holly, most associated with Christmas holly. Smaller trees near the front include American holly and a round-leaf holly bush near the house. Most hollies are dioecious, meaning that both male and female plants are required for berry production.

Our bevy of hollies helps keep our over-wintering bird population fed. Cardinals, crows, bluebirds, and cedar waxwings need these natural calories to stay warm and fueled when most insects have gone dormant.

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4.

Sentinel Magnolia

Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)

This enormous magnolia tree marks the separation between Calvary Catholic and Bethel Cemeteries. It puts out fragrant blooms in May.

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5.

Matching Mulberries

Black Mulberry (Morus nigra)

In Potter’s Field, you can see a three-trunked mulberry tree that drapes over the eastern Bethel cemetery fence. In Calvary Catholic Cemetery, a matching three-trunked tree dips its branches at the same point along the western fenceline. The sweet, purple-juiced berries ripen in June and draw birds, small animals, and insects to feast.

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6.

Flames in the Garden

Japanese Maple (Acer Palmatum)

Mamie Winstead was fond of the Japanese maple, and the cemetery has several sublime specimens. In the autumn, understory-sized maples flame bright red around the site. This wide, feathery auburn variety squats near the monument. The flaming scarlet foliage contrasts well with the sugar maples’ sunny yellow autumn regalia.

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7

Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia)

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