Olive Scott Petty Arboretum
The Olive Scott Petty Arboretum is a 20-acre arboretum located in Hardin County, directly behind our Kountze office. has a pond, a park bench, and is home to numerous species of native hardwoods.
The arboretum’s mission is to promote tree knowledge and appreciation through recreational and education opportunities, and scientific research.
Explore Olive Scott Petty Arboretum
Discover the Olive Scott Petty Arboretum and its beautiful trails, where you can explore the plants and trees that make Texas forests special.
Hours
Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Become a donor
Our arboretum is always growing. When complete, it will serve as a living classroom- a site for teaching, research, and public education of the native trees and plants of southeast Texas.
You can be part of the Olive Scott Petty Arboretum legacy. Your donation of $100 or more will be used to plant a tree in honor of or in memory of a loved one. Names of those who are honored or remembered will be listed at the Arboretum. More information can be found on the donor form which can be accessed through the Kountze Office.
History
We received this land from Scott Petty in remembrance of his father, Olive Scott Petty (1895–1994), to be used as an arboretum for the betterment of Texans.
Olive Scott Petty was the son of V.A. Petty Jr., president of the Olive Sternenberg Lumber Company (renamed in 1908). He was born in Olive, Texas. This land is where he developed a love and appreciation for the outdoors. It was Mr. Petty’s dream to use the property to educate young people about the city of Olive, Texas’ forests, and the outdoors as a whole. Mr. Petty’s favorite tree was the southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), and it was the first tree planted at the Arboretum.