While I’ve often heard gardeners jokingly remark that botanists like to change names just to keep them guessing, botanical name changes happen often and represent advances in science and our understanding of the relationships in the plant world.

In my first few weeks here at Longwood, I found that my linguistics background would definitely come in handy … especially when I made an orchid discovery that would bring my past studies and my current plant records work full circle.

The field of ethnobotany—the study of how a region’s plants are used by the local culture and people—is a fascinating topic and one that considers much more than a given plant’s aesthetic appeal.

Among Longwood’s many methods of caring for our trees and helping facilitate their longevity is our lightning protection plan. Journey along with me as I walk you through the field of lightning protection.

Our new nursery production greenhouse is much more than a new building. With its groundbreaking design, it allows us unprecedented flexibility to accommodate a variety of plant materials, growing methods, and environments, all in one remarkable facility.

While we nurture each and every plant across our Gardens with the utmost care, it is with solemnity that we must say goodbye to a portion of our tree boxwood in the eastern part of our Gardens due to boxwood blight infection.

As Longwood’s Land Stewardship Operations Manager, a Chester County forest fire warden and first responder, and a wildland firefighter, it’s my absolute honor to protect the landscape.

A meadow is a moment in time, like the shape of a cloud or cherry blossoms in the spring. A meadow is ephemeral.

Names, in general, allow us to make an association with an object, living or not, and are a basic facet of our everyday life. In the world of biology, living things have scientific names … and plants are no exception.

Flowers of countless garden favorites abound this time of year and among them are several of our most cherished, useful, unusual, and rare native plants.

Our most far-reaching educational experiences start with a seed sent to gardens around the world … resulting in not only the sharing of seed that is not readily available commercially, but allowing for even more public garden visitors worldwide to experience the beauty of Victoria.

Our Conservatory’s Tropical Terrace is home to one of the rare wonders of the botanical world … and this rock star plant has just completed the performance of a lifetime.

Deeply inspired by science and nature, artist Natalya Zahn—who created the more than 50 pieces of art that appear throughout our Meadow Garden—shares expert field sketching tips.

If you live in a place where Eastern bluebirds might thrive, you can support this species at home with your own bluebird house.

Very little trace of this iris garden survives today (we don’t even know where it was located!), and only by delving deep into the archives are we able to piece together the story of this long-vanished garden.

Part of the greater Horticulture department, the Research and Conservation team is vital to the growth of Longwood and the health of horticulture as a whole.

At Longwood, we have developed an orchid conservation program that addresses the science, research, and curation of locally, nationally, and globally rare species.

In the Meadow Garden this time of year, life is all around when you look for its clues—and careful observation yields beautiful results.

Trees are an exceptionally important part of Longwood Gardens’ heritage and our future … they are nothing less than the backbone of our Gardens. When considering our tree management efforts in the context of climate change modeling, we not only consider the future, but also the present.