Explore Longwood Gardens

A series of Christmas trees lit in blue lights border a faux-snow covered path inside a conservatory, leading to a glimpse of a larger tree in the distance, with white lights hanging down from above like icicles.
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

  • Poinsettia

    In the late 1820s, Joel Roberts Poinsett sent cuttings of Euphorbia pulcherrima from Mexico to the United States. When people saw that the bracts of this species turned red around Christmas, it was put into commercial production for holiday sale. Thus, the poinsettia became a favorite emblem of Christmas. By the mid-1900s, poinsettia breeders began to experiment with bract color. Today, poinsettias come in a range of colors and are the top selling potted flowering plant each year.

  • Moth Orchid

    Each orchid orb spans four feet in diameter and features 75 orchids. To create these orbs, our horticulturists layer wet sphagnum moss and Phalaenopsis orchids in rows along custom-built metal forms.