a green mountain with a city below

Exploring the Global Garden: Vietnam

By Erin McLaughlin, on
Dr. Matt Taylor on a hike through the mountains while collecting near the town of Sapa.

If you've ever visited Longwood Gardens, you've probably been wowed by our exuberant and unique displays. The beauty is plain to see. But have you ever wondered where all these plants come from?

This unknown species of magnolia stands 3-5 meters tall. The team found this growing in the mountains alongside Hedychium, Cyathea, and ferns.

We add to our plant collections through various means. In addition to purchasing many plants from domestic sources (nurseries, seed companies, and plant breeders), we also receive plants from suppliers abroad, plant societies, and in cooperation with public gardens throughout the world. One of the most exciting ways that we expand our collections is through plant exploration.

An unknown plant with clusters of bright blue berries.

These plant-finding trips are true expeditions, sending our horticulturists into far-flung regions of the world. Since 1956, we have been involved in 60 plant exploration trips that have reached every continent excluding Antarctica. Our Floriculture Leader, Dr. Jim Harbage, and our Research Manager, Dr. Matt Taylor, are currently exploring the mountains of Vietnam in search of exciting and exotic plants. They spend their days hiking through remote terrain, collecting species as they go. Every evening, they catalog their finds and clean the seeds for successful transport back to the States.

These large purple flowers with yellow whip-like stems caught everyone’s attention.
Bright yellow Hypericum flowers.
This view from the summit of Fan Si Pan Mountain (10,300 feet) is incredible.

Once the seeds arrive back in the US, they enter into our research program, where we evaluate them to test their viability for our display, often breeding the plants to draw out recessive traits and create a striking new cultivar.

The team, including staff members from Longwood Gardens, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens (England), Logan Botanic Garden (Scotland), the University of British Columbia Botanic Garden, and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (Vietnam). After only 5 days of travel, they collected more than 240 plant specimens.
Codonopsis collected from Fan Si Pan Mountain.
An unknown member of the nightshade family with bright red berries.
A view of the mountains that surround the city of Tam Son, Vietnam.
A bright fruit of an unknown plant in the same family as watermelons, found while journeying to the mountain’s peak.
A Camellia specimen collected from their exploration.
Terraced rice production.
The seed of Aesculus wangii, a rare species of chestnut native to Vietnam and China.
Drying seeds in the hotel room.
Andy Luke (left) from Kew Gardens talking with Dr. Jim Harbage (right) while waiting to get permits signed. Once this process is complete, they will be able to start collecting from this region of Vietnam.

While Jim, Matt, and the team continue the field exploration, we look forward to their return and to the arrival of new plant specimens from Vietnam’s lush environments. These specimens will enrich Longwood’s core collection, provide opportunities for plant research, and enhance the diversity and aesthetics of our Gardens.

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