Meadow & Forest District

Gardens in this District

Forest Walk

Forest Walk

Wander paths in a realm of scenic, intimate woodland beauty, shaded by soaring tulip-trees and the canopy of other deciduous hardwoods. Don’t miss two of our famed treehouses for a squirrel’s eye view into sylvan serenity.
Meadow Garden

Meadow Garden

Enjoy expansive vistas, sweeps of stunning native plants, and a tapestry of texture as you wander miles of trails past carefully managed wetlands, ponds, open fields, and the forest’s edge, set to the hum of busy insects and rustling plants.

Explore Our Natural Lands

Approximately 65 percent of our 1,100-acre property consists of natural lands—meadows, forest, wetlands, and agricultural fields—that provide an oasis for migratory birds and native wildlife while creating a buffer between the Gardens and neighboring properties. The Meadow and Forest District represents 120 acres of these managed lands that are open to our guests for exploration, learning, meditation, and beauty. Our legacy of conservation, preservation, and restoration continues here in the richly biodiverse habitats that can only thrive where they are given the proper care and space. We continue to shape this land with the same spirit of beauty, innovation, and stewardship that has led a century of progress at Longwood.

In the Meadow and Forest District, we harmonize the best practices in ecological restoration with garden design—allowing us to showcase horticultural excellence and amplify beauty for our guests while prioritizing plant and animal communities. By following this approach, we preserve and improve the quality of the entirety of Longwood’s ecosystems, and biodiversity, from water to soil to air—while celebrating the human connections along the way.

District Highlights

Two small children run down a dirt path through a field of green and yellow plants at sunset

A small stone house with red shutters sits beside a tall tree behind an area of meadow plants under a blue sky

The Webb Farmhouse provides a space to warm up on a winter hike. Stop by to learn about the history and ecosystem of the Meadow Garden.

A small blue bird sits atop a wooden bird house in the middle of a light gold meadow bed of plants

A set of stairs leads up to a tall wooden and metal tree house sitting among green trees

A long bridge over a body of water leads into the distance with a wooden arching side railing

A long tin blue insect hovers mid-air next to a brown prickly plant

During the summer months, the common blue damselfly is one of the many beneficial insects that call the Meadow home.

A wooden path leads to a large treehouse surrounded by tall green trees

What’s in Bloom

Cardinal-flower

Lobelia cardinalis

Lobelia cardinalis, commonly known as cardinal flower, is a striking perennial native to North America, celebrated for its vivid scarlet-red blooms that attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Typically found in moist environments like stream banks and wetlands, this plant thrives in full sun to partial shade and can grow up to four feet tall. Its bright flowers bloom from mid to late summer, providing a vibrant splash of color when many other plants begin to fade. Despite its beauty, all parts of the plant are toxic if ingested, a natural defense that helps deter herbivores, like deer. Not only does it enhance garden biodiversity but it also plays an important ecological role in supporting native pollinators.
- Meadow Garden
- Peirce's Woods
Hollow Joe-Pye-weed

Eutrochium fistulosum

Joe-Pye-weed is a native plant, related to asters, that attracts butterflies and is profuse in our late summer Meadow. It was used medicinally by Native Americans for the treatment of fevers, and was named for the Mohican leader, Joseph Shauquethqueat, who was also known as Joe Pye.
Siberian Burnet

Sanguisorba tenuifolia ′Purpurea′
- Idea Garden
- Meadow Garden
Purple Milkweed

Asclepias purpurascens

Purple Milkweed is a striking but increasingly uncommon milkweed native to the eastern and Midwestern United States, where it naturally grows along woodland edges and open prairies. Its rich purple flower clusters attract a wide variety of pollinators, while its leaves provide essential food for monarch butterfly caterpillars. More restrained than Common Milkweed, it forms tidy clumps, making it a beautiful choice for native gardens. Unlike Common Milkweed, it rarely produces seed pods, so many populations persist by slowly expanding from underground rhizomes. This is one reason it has become uncommon across much of its native range. It is now listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern in several states, making it one of the more conservation-worthy milkweeds in North America.
- Meadow Garden