Explore Longwood Gardens

Large Christmas trees and Italian cypress trees, lit with white lights, reflect in pools of water inside a glasshouse at night.
Laurie Carrozzino

Longwood Gardens, one of America’s quintessential landscapes, is a place of ever-changing seasonal beauty, handcrafted feats of horticultural wonder, and an awe-inspiring collection of the most beautiful plants from around the globe. 

From our humble beginnings as a Quaker farmstead and arboretum, to Pierre S. du Pont’s forward-thinking stewardship, to today’s collection of renowned landscape designers, horticulturists, and architects, our great garden of the world evolves and emerges again and again.

Through Longwood Gardens and its program of outstanding horticultural display, every visitor to the Gardens has the opportunity to gain, culturally and spiritually, a better peace of mind.

Russell J. Seibert, Longwood’s first director

Explore nearly 200 acres of lush, formal gardens, open meadows, and winding paths to breathtaking Brandywine Valley vistas. Together, mesmerizing displays, feats of engineering, and science-based research and conservation work harmoniously toward the overarching goal to unite and inspire our guests in appreciation of beauty—as only Longwood can. 

Explore Our Gardens

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  • Our Districts
    A stone path winds through a lush room of colorful plants with a hanging light above

    Our Districts

    Explore nearly 200 acres of lush, formal gardens, open meadows, and winding paths.

  • Our Seasons
    looking through fall leaves to the canopy cathedral treehouse

    Our Seasons

    We honor the four seasons with five unique Longwood seasons, celebrating the bounty of our gardens throughout the cycles of renewal, growth, and ever-evolving splendor. 

  • Our Plants
    close up of orange Clivia Miniata with green and yellow center

    Our Plants

    Explore over 10,000 species and varieties of plants, representing 200 different plant families. 

  • Our Science
    A person holds a small vial with plant material inside in a lab

    Our Science

    Our scientific work lays the groundwork for discoveries that expand our understanding of the natural world and help perpetuate and celebrate its beauty for generations to come.

What's in Bloom

See More of What's in Bloom

  • Bird-of-paradise

    An evergreen perennial with red-edged, banana-like leaves, bird-of-paradise blooms intermittently from summer through to winter. The flowers resemble the head of the crowned crane, hence the common name, crane flower in its native South Africa.  It is named in honor of Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, with the specific epithet reginae meaning ‘of the queen’. The plant can be grown from seeds or division, prefers a loamy soil, and is well adapted to full sun.

  • Rice Flower

    Pink Rice Flower is a small evergreen shrub that prefers full sun or light shade and has narrow green leaves. This plant produces clusters of small fragrant pink, white, or cream-colored flowers that smell similar to rosemary or honey. These sweetly scented blooms attract bees and other pollinators, adding to its charm. It is often found in coastal regions and areas with sandy soils.