Legacy Collections

Legacy Collections are integral to the history, guest experience, and aesthetic of Longwood Gardens. 

Holly Legacy Collection

Red berries stand out amidst leafy covered stems.

Hollies were a favorite plant group of our founder, Pierre S. du Pont, and the holly legacy collection includes native species, cultivars, and hybrids of the genus Ilex. Hollies are prominently featured throughout our Gardens and Natural Lands. Two cultivars, Ilex × attenuata ‘Longwood Gold’ and Ilex opaca ‘Longwood Gardens’, were selected at Longwood Gardens and will be maintained in perpetuity.

Iconic Floriculture Legacy Collection 

Spikes of blue flowers stand out amidst a backdrop of green foliage and windows.

This legacy collection includes plants that are an essential part of our seasonal displays, in particular, cultivars that are held only at Longwood Gardens or that are difficult to obtain commercially. Examples of these include Coleus thyrsoideus, Echium candicans 'Select Blue', Echium wildpretii, and Geranium maderense.

Iconic Garden and Conservatory Legacy Collection

Sunlight peaks through giant, palm-like green leaves

This legacy collection includes plants that are an essential part of our permanent conservatory display, species and cultivars that are held only at Longwood Gardens, or ones that are difficult to obtain commercially, or are plants of conservation value. Examples of these include Amorphophallus titanum, Encephalartos woodii, Citrus 'Oroblanco', and Allamanda cathartica ‘Hendersonii.’

Clivia Legacy Collection

Yellow bouquets of blooms pop amidst dark green foliage.

The clivia legacy collection reflects nearly 50 years of breeding at Longwood Gardens and serves as a valuable germplasm resource. Initiated in 1976 to produce a superior yellow-flowered clivia, the program led to its first release more than 30 years later. Since then, five additional Longwood selections have been introduced, each distinguished by unique flower color or form.

Watch Now 

Living Plant Collections, Clivia Spotlight

Clivia have captivated plant enthusiasts with bright, colorful blossoms and dark, evergreen foliage since its discovery in the 1800s. Hear from Ashley Clayton, Senior Research Specialist, Conservation Horticulture & Collections to learn about the plant breeding journey taken to produce a superior yellow flowering clivia, and share the secrets behind growing these very special plants.

Propagating the King of Longwood's Conservatory

The "King of the Conservatory," Longwood's Encephalartos woodii is the most prized plant in Longwood's Conservatory since it is extinct in its native environment of South Africa.  Very few of these plants exist elsewhere around the world, so Longwood Gardens is lucky to have a beautiful specimen growing in the East Conservatory. 

From Our Blog 

  • Longwood Releases Clivia miniata ‘Longwood Sunset’
    a grouping of orange clivia blooms

    Blog

    Longwood Releases Clivia miniata ‘Longwood Sunset’

    With soft, pastel-colored flowers, Clivia miniata ‘Longwood Sunset’ is a color breakthrough for our 40-year-old clivia breeding program. Apricot and peach tones imbue the reflexed, overlapping tepals with hues of a blushing sunset. Before being named and released, ‘Longwood Sunset’ received multiple awards at the North American Clivia Show in 2014. This year ‘Longwood Sunset’ will be exclusively available for purchase through a partnership with White Flower Farm.

  • The Newest Member of the Royal Family

    Blog

    The Newest Member of the Royal Family

    In January 2010, we posted a blog about our “King of the Conservatory,” Encephalartos woodii. The Encephalartos is the most prized plant in Longwood’s Conservatory since it is extinct in its native environment of South Africa.

  • Bold and Beautiful: The Life of Echium Wildpretii
    tall and red Echium wildpretii surrounded by a bed of purple flowers

    Blog

    Bold and Beautiful: The Life of Echium Wildpretii

    The beauty of our spring display would not be complete without the towering, striking, and unusual plant, Echium wildpretii, ‘tower-of-jewels’. While this plant stands at nearly seven feet tall, its tiny, salmon-colored flowers are what make it truly magnificent. As each tassel of flowers blooms into graceful curves along the plant, the stamens stick out as if dancing from the tiny flowers, transforming this tower-of-jewels into a whimsical display of beauty.

  • The Botany of Beer

    Blog

    The Botany of Beer

    For the past several years, we have been working closely with Victory Brewing Company to create a unique collection of botanically-inspired beers. While some of the ingredients used in flavoring these beers have come to us from around the world, others were grown right here at our Gardens. All, however, possess rich botanical histories that have imbued these beers with a unique character (and flavor!) that is quintessentially Longwood. Get to know our brews better by taking a closer look at some of the plants essential to our brewing process.