Arbor vitae is Latin for “tree of life”. Although that sounds wonderfully mysterious, arborvitae – without the space – is a type of cypress often used in hedges. Considering that most of Inglewood’s earliest roadways copied their names from plants – Buckthorn, Osage, Tamarack, Nutwood, etc. – it’s a safe bet that Arbor Vitae Street, christened in 1887, owes its name to the bushy evergreen and not to some Latin-speaking secret society.
Find it on the map:
