The town of Hanover, NH, Dartmouth's Provost Office, Dartmouth's Facilities, Operations, and Management, the Class of 1989, and student volunteers from the Sustainability Action Program have created a unique conservation partnership to plant native wildflowers among the historic tombstones.
Three areas have been planted - two 25' x 25' sites on the western edge of the cemetery and one 20' x 15' area near the southeastern entrance. A total of 1,550 sq ft. were planted on 4/26/22. 1.25 lbs of native perennial seed were combined with 0.6 lbs of annual seed and then spread using 13 lbs of carrying sand.
- Eleazar Wheelock (1769-1779)
- John Wheelock (1779-1815)
- Francis Brown (1815-1820)
- Nathan Lord (1828-1863)
- Asa Dodge Smith (1863-1877)
- Samuel Colcord Bartlett (1877-1892)
- William Jewett Tucker (1893-1909)
- John George Kemeny (1970-1981).
The town of Hanover, NH has owned the site since 1943 and has been responsible for its upkeep. More recently, there has been a conservation effort between the town and the college to preserve the historic gravestones and make a connection with the current Dartmouth community. This pollinator project builds upon that partnership by expanding native conservation areas.
Native wildflowers are being donated and planted by the Class of the 1989 Pollinator Project in several locations throughout the 12-acre cemetery. Those areas will be featured prominently on cemetery tours given by Ilana Grallert, processing archivist at the Dartmouth Library’s Rauner Special Collections Library.
One challenge for conservation efforts in the cemetery is the significant amount of shade. In the past, that has made native plantings difficult to maintain. To combat the shade, the wildflowers being planted are designed to be shade tolerant and should do well with partial sunshine.
Areas are being planted with a combination of annuals and perennials. The non-native annuals should quickly stabilize the area, prevent additional erosion, and prevent severe weed infestations. The flowering annuals should also provide a wide variety of color and plant sizes during the 2022 growing season, providing a significant benefit for pollinators.
The native perennial wildflowers will take a little longer to establish themselves. Some should appear in late summer, 2022, but most won't start to thrive until the spring of 2023.
The wildflowers that were planted in these areas include:
| Botanical Name | Common Name | Life Cycle | Color | Height | Bloom Season | |
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Aquilegia canadensis | Eastern Red Columbine | Perennial | Red | 24" | Summer |
 |
Asclepias incarnata | Swamp Milkweed | Perennial | Pink | 48" | Summer |
 |
Asclepias tuberosa | Butterfly Weed | Perennial | Orange | 36" | Summer |
 |
Aster novae angliae | New England Aster | Perennial | Purple | 48" | Summer, Fall |
 |
Chamaecrista fasciculata | Partridge Pea | Annual | Yellow | 36" | Spring |
 |
Coreopsis lanceolata | Lance-Leaf Coreopsis | Perennial | Yellow | 48" | Summer, Fall |
 |
Eupatorium maculatum | Spotted Joe Pye Weed | Perennial | Pink | 96" | Summer, Fall |
 |
Gaillardia pulchella | Indian Blanket | Annual | Red, Yellow | 24" | Summer |
 |
Heliopsis helianthoides | Ox-Eye Sunflower | Perennial | Yellow | 72" | Summer |
 |
Liatris spicata | Blazing Star or Gayfeather | Perennial | Purple | 48" | Summer, Fall |
 |
Lupinus perennis | Wild Lupine | Perennial | Blue | 36" | Spring, Summer |
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Monarda fistulosa | Wild Bergamot | Perennial | Pink | 48" | Summer, Fall |
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Oenothera biennis | Evening Primrose | Biennial | Yellow | 48" | Summer |
 |
Penstemon digitalis | Beard Tongue | Perennial | White | 36" | Spring |
 |
Rudbeckia hirta | Black-eyed Susan | Perennial | Yellow, Orange | 30" | Summer, Fall |
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Rudbeckia submentosa | Sweet Black Eyed Susan | Perennial | Yellow, Orange | 30" | Summer, Fall |
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Rudbeckia triloba | Brown-eyed Susan | Annual | Yellow | 60" | Fall |
 |
Solidago rigida | Rigid Goldenrod | Perennial | Yellow | 60" | Summer |
