Meadow & Forest District

When visiting the Meadow and Forest District, it’s not uncommon to get lost—in the moment, that is. While immersed in this expansive landscape, all of your senses will come alive, from the rhythmic sounds of the resident insects to the fleeting flash of a swooping bird. Wander miles of trails that traverse sunny fields and shaded forest alike, taking in carefully choreographed grand vistas of managed ecosystems, home to hundreds of flora and fauna that play a vital role in the overall health of our gardens and beyond.

About This District

The Meadow and Forest District is a large-scale landscape shaped over time and reflecting thousands of years of human cultivation. From the eastern deciduous woodlands where the indigenous Lenni-Lenape lived, hunted, and planted crops, to the European-style livestock pastures of the 18th and 19th centuries, to the principles of garden design and science-based land management that guide us today, this land takes guests not only on a journey through diverse habitats, but also time.

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

Wild Bergamot

Monarda fistulosa

This native plant, like its garden counterpart, bee-balm (Monarda didyma), has tubular shaped fragrant flowers, ranging from pinkish purple to pale lilac, that are a favorite of hummingbirds and bees as well as a wide variety of butterflies. It is also grown for its showy flowers and for mint tea made from its aromatic leaves. It grow 2-4 feet tall in full sun or part shade and well-drained soils. In winter, the round, honeycomb heads of bergamot pods are one of the longest lasting seedpods in the Meadow.
Prairie-coneflower

Ratibida pinnata
Late Boneset

Eupatorium serotinum
- Idea Garden
- Meadow Garden
Gloriosa Daisy

Rudbeckia hirta

Rudbeckia hirta is an annual or short-lived perennial that has an upright habit and can grow up to three feet tall. It grows naturally in fields, meadows, home gardens and along roadsides in ordinary, well-drained soil and full sun. Like other plants in the aster family, gloriosa daisy's flowers have dark brown centers comprised of many disc florets and yellow-orange "petals" which are ray florets. These cheerful flowers bloom the entire summer while providing nectar to bees, butterflies and other insects. Later in the year, birds will enjoy its seeds.
- Meadow Garden
Swamp Milkweed

Asclepias incarnata

Another native milkweed featured in the Meadow is the fragrant swamp milkweed. Like the other milkweeds, it is a favorite food source for monarch butterfly larva and has seeds that are attached to silky fibers that act like parachutes when released from their pods. But unlike the others, this species does well in moist to wet sites and can even tolerate heavy clay soil.
- Hillside Garden
- Meadow Garden
Downy Skullcap

Scutellaria incana
- Meadow Garden
- Peirce's Woods
Culver's Root

Veronicastrum virginicum

Culver’s Root, is a tall, graceful native perennial prized for its elegant spires of tiny white to pale lavender flowers that bloom in midsummer. These slender, candelabra-like flower spikes rise above whorled leaves on sturdy stems, adding vertical interest to meadows, prairies, and pollinator gardens. It is a magnet for a wide range of pollinators, including native bees, butterflies, moths, and wasps, and is especially valuable for specialist pollinators. Look for a variety of cultivars on display in other areas of the gardens.
Queen of the Prairie

Filipendula rubra
- Idea Garden
- Meadow Garden