What’s in Bloom

Known for their beauty, the highly ornamental flowers of lotus are extremely fragrant and symbolic in many cultures.  Emerging from the murky waters into the bright clear day is how Nelumbo nucifera, also referred to as the sacred lotus, first became a symbol of enlightenment. The fact that the sacred lotus is able to emerge without any trace of the muddy depths from which it was born is how it became associated with purity. Further elevating its sacred status, it’s reputed that Buddha rose up from the heart of a lotus bud more than 2,500 years ago.

Butterfly-weed is a type of milkweed that is native to North America. It grows in open, upland woodlands, dry fields or prairies, and on rocky slopes or glades. This clump forming perennial has orange, occasionally red or yellow, flowers that bloom from late May until August, and which attract butterflies, as well as bees and nectar-loving flies.

‘Annabelle’ is a selection of the native, deciduous, long-blooming smooth hydrangea. It grows three to five feet tall and has large white flower clusters can reach sizes of up to one foot across.  ‘Annabelle’ requires moist, well-drained soil and prefers partial sun, but will tolerate full sun if provided with constant water and no periods of drought. New growth is required for blooming, so this hydrangea should be pruned back in late winter.  Look for other cultivars of Hydrangea arborescens growing throughout the gardens!  

Longwood’s first Director, Russell Seibert, brought back Disa uniflora from Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa in 1963.  Longwood Gardens was the first institution to flower this terrestrial orchid in the United States.  Disa uniflora is native to mountainous stream banks in South Africa and are one of several groups of terrestrial orchids we are actively hybridizing and propagating from seeds.

Although known as the Japanese stewartia, Stewaria pseudocamellia is found in both Japan and Korea. It is a small, slow-growing, pyramidal, deciduous tree which typically matures to 20 to 40 feet. It has cup-shaped, camellia-like white flowers two and a half inches in diameter with showy orange-yellow anthers. The flowers appear in early summer. The Korean name for this tree is No-gak-namu which translates as "deer's horn tree", which symbolically describes the beauty of the mottled, peeling bark with its tones of orange, green and grey.

Purple coneflower is native to the eastern and central United States and grows in rocky open woodlands, prairies, and thickets. A clump forming perennial, it has soft pink flowers that grow to a height of 3 to 4 feet, and blooms from mid June to August. Purple coneflower has become a very popular ornamental plant and many different cultivars and hybrids can be found in the trade. As with the other members of the aster family, it has many ecological benefits including attracting butterflies, birds and especially native bees. Look for other plantings of purple coneflower throughout the gardens!  

The dense, pyramidal 'Bracken's Brown Beauty' has lustrous evergreen leaves of a dark-green shade. At maturity, it reaches a height of about 35 feet and a width of 20 feet. Its large white flowers are lemon-scented and bloom in the late spring.  These blooms form fascinating fruits with large red seeds after flowering.  This southern magnolia cultivar prefers full or part sun and moist soil. It has no serious pest problems and tolerates winter conditions far better than the species.  Considered a beautiful specimen tree, southern magnolia, with its many ornamental characteristics, earns a standalone place in the garden where it can be admired.  Look for other plantings of Magnolia grandiflora throughout the gardens!  

This native, climbing rose has fragrant, pink flowers from which bees collect pollen.  The showy red fruit will attract wildlife and serve as a food source, especially for songbirds.  Growing up to 15 feet with support, prairie rose can be used in shrub borders, rose gardens, native plant gardens or can grow to form a thicket, hedgerow or other informal barrier.

Native to North America, and a member of the dogbane and milkweed family, hemp dogbane grows widely across North America, especially in open woods, prairies, and along stream banks. It's well-adapted to a variety of soils and is known for spreading aggressively.  While toxic to ingest, the plant’s flowers are rich in nectar and attract a wide range of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and moths, making it beneficial in native pollinator gardens.  It's earned the common name "dogbane" because it was thought to be poisonous to dogs.  Despite the name hemp dogbane, it’s not related to Cannabis. However, Native American tribes used its fibers similarly – for making cordage, nets, textiles, and bowstrings due to their exceptional strength.

An herbaceous perennial, pitcher plants have modified leaves (traps) that consist of a vertical cone with an opening at the top and a lid. Insects like flies, ants, wasps, and  bees are attracted to the pitchers by their smell, color, and nectar. When they descend on the pitchers they lose their footing on the slippery, waxy surface around the rim and tumble into a pool of digestive juices.  After falling the drowsy insects face a series of downward -pointing hairs that prevent them from escaping.  They eventually drown in a pool of digestive enzymes. 

Longwood Gardens received this pomegranate bonsai in 1998. It was collected from a hedgerow and its training as a bonsai began around 1960. The tree has been shaped in the informal upright style characterized by an upright trunk that curves or bends. In this tree the thick, nicely tapered trunk bends and twists subtly, making for a very natural representation of a very old tree. The effect is enhanced by the scars on the trunk. Though natural on this tree, bonsai growers sometimes make such scars on purpose, to give the same weathered look.

Arches of the climbing rose, Rosa ‘American Pillar’, welcome visitors to the Gardens

Named for its distinctive foliage, oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) features deeply lobed leaves that resemble those of oak trees (Quercus). Fittingly, its species name, quercifolia, literally means “oak-leaved.” Unlike many hydrangeas, it puts on a spectacular fall display, its foliage turning brilliant shades of red, purple, and maroon, making it a prized ornamental for multi-season interest. While most hydrangeas produce rounded flower heads, oakleaf hydrangea showcases striking, cone-shaped panicles of white flowers that gradually fade to pink or tan with age. Adding to its year-round appeal, the bark exfoliates as it matures, revealing rich, cinnamon-brown layers that bring texture and color to the winter landscape. It’s a low-maintenance, adaptable shrub that thrives in shady garden areas where other flowering plants might struggle. Native to the woodlands of the southeastern U.S., it supports local ecosystems by providing nectar and cover for birds, bees, and butterflies.