Meadow & Forest District

Aerial view of large gold meadow garden with forest areas surrounding it

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
    Two children holding toy airplanes run along a wooden walkway out of a wooden treehouse

    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
    a curving bridge punctuates a large grassy meadow under a blue sky

    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.

What’s in Bloom

  • Yellow petals surrounding round, red, coned center.

    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.

  • 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.

  • Slender, white spike-like racemes, composed of tiny tubular flowers, and arranged in a candelabra-like formation with multiple spikes branching from the same stem.

    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.  

  • Large, feathery clusters of small, fragrant, pink plumes, rise above large, deeply lobed, and attractive foliage,

    Queen of the Prairie 

    Filipendula rubra