House & Theater District

Carolina silverbell is a deciduous tree native to the southeastern United States, best known for its delicate, bell-shaped white flowers that dangle in clusters like tiny lanterns in spring. Despite its dainty appearance, it’s a hardy tree that can tolerate a range of soils and grows well in partial shade, making it a favorite for woodland gardens. The flowers bloom before the leaves fully emerge, in early spring. After flowering, it produces distinctive four-winged seed pods that add interest through fall and winter. Carolina silverbell is also a magnet for pollinators, especially bees, and plays a quiet but important role in our native ecosystem. Though not as widely known as other flowering trees, it’s a hidden gem for gardeners who want something graceful, native, and just a little bit unusual.

Commonly known as woodland phlox or wild blue phlox, is a charming spring-flowering perennial native to eastern North America, including much of the Mid-Atlantic and southeastern United States. It naturally occurs in open woodlands, along stream banks, and in rich, humus soils where dappled light filters through the canopy. Growing in loose clumps, it produces softly fragrant, five-petaled flowers in shades of pale blue, lavender, or occasionally white, creating a gentle carpet of color in mid-spring. The species name divaricata, meaning “spreading” or “open,” reflects its airy, habit. Well adapted to woodland ecosystems, it plays a role in supporting early-season pollinators such as butterflies and native bees, while its semi-evergreen foliage helps stabilize soil and retain moisture in its native habitats. A must for every woodland garden!  

In Autumn, over 300,000 tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and other bulbs are planted each year along the Flower Garden Walk and in the Idea Garden. We purchase these bulbs from Holland each October in preparation for Spring Blooms. 

Rhododendron canescens is a deciduous shrub native to the southeastern United States, where it grows in open woodlands, stream banks, and moist slopes. Blooming in early spring, often before the leaves fully emerge, it produces shell-pink fragrant flowers with long, elegant stamens that attract pollinators such as native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Well adapted to its native habitat, it thrives in acidic, well-drained soils and dappled shade, making it a valuable and ecologically important choice for naturalistic landscapes.

Magnolia acuminata is native to eastern North America, reaching its largest size in the southern Appalachian Mountains. It typically occurs in moist soils in wooded valleys, bluff bases and thickets along the river with other deciduous trees.  Its common name, cucumber magnolia, refers to the shape and color of the fruits when they are young. This magnolia produces slightly fragrant, tulip-like flowers. In color they are a mixture of glaucous green and yellow, but specific color forms can be found varying from a blue to a yellow.

Fothergilla gardenii, dwarf fothergilla