House & Theater District

Native to eastern North America, this deciduous holly can commonly be found in swamps, low woods, along streams and ponds, and in damp thickets. The bright red berries appear in late summer and persist on the plant until spring, providing an important food source for many birds, including the American Robin. Winterberry Holly also goes by the name Fever Bush, due to its medicinal use by indigenous Americans.  Hollies are dioicous meaning you need both male and female plants for reliable fruit production. Grow extra Winterberry so you can use some berries in holiday decorations!  Look for a variety of Winterberry cultivars throughout the gardens!  

Widespread in its native home of South Africa, this plant favors loam or clay soils and can be found growing in full sun amongst rocks or grasslands. The orange flowers can be spotted from late summer, all through autumn, and attract birds and butterflies with their nectar, making the garden a hub of activity. Early South African dwellers (Khoisan) smoked the dried leaves and flowers, reporting a feeling of calm and euphoria, giving birth to the common name, wild dagga. The leaves are rough on the upper surface, with toothed margins and give off a herbal aroma when brushed or crushed.

Franklinia, or the Franklin tree is a small deciduous tree in the camellia family. It was first discovered by the Philadelphia based botanists John and William Bartram on the banks of the Alatamaha River in Georgia in 1765. William Bartram collected seed in 1773, and successfully cultivated the plant at the Bartram gardens in Philadelphia. Bartram named the new plant Franklinia alatamaha in honor of his father’s friend Benjamin Franklin.  It is a unique tree as it is the only species in its genus, and it is now extinct in the wild. The original stand of trees was restricted to a small area and the species went extinct soon after its discovery, with the last confirmed sighting recorded in 1803. The probable causes for its demise were increased activity associated with settlers; for example fires and land clearance. All known living specimens in cultivation today are descended from the seed collected by William Bartram.  Interestingly, while the tree was discovered in Georgia, it performs well in more northern climates. It has therefore been hypothesized that the tree was pushed south during the last ice age, then stranded when the ice retreated. The trees that the Bartrams discovered might have been the last remnants of a once much larger population.  The Franklin tree is available commercially and is prized in cultivation for both its story and its fragrant camellia-like flowers and red fall foliage.

As an autumn blooming orchid, Spiranthes bightensis is a native plant to the north-eastern United States. It is a small terrestrial plant that can often be found growing alongside of other bog dwelling plants in areas of low competition. Its spirally arranged flowers are small, white, and fragrant, scented of vanilla and jasmine. Spiranthes have tuberous roots and basal rosettes of papery or fleshy rounded leaves.