What’s in Bloom

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.

Hydrangea quercifolia is an elegant, native, deciduous shrub, with deep green foliage and panicles of white flowers that bloom June to July. The flower heads turn from white to pink during the summer months and finally become a handsome russet before the foliage turns a spectacular wine-colored fall color. Snow Queen will grow to 6 feet high with an equal spread and does well in sun or shade.

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.

Bottlebrush buckeye is a native, deciduous shrub which grows in open woodlands of the eastern United States and grows to 12 feet tall and 15 feet wide. In early summer it produces 12 inch long panicles resembling a bottle brush, composed of small, individual one-to two-inch white flowers, which attract ruby-throated hummingbirds and butterflies. The long, upright panicles provide a textural complement to the mounded habit of the plant. The palmately compound leaves, arranged in opposite pairs, turn a bright clear yellow in the autumn. This low-maintenance, suckering shrub prefers partial shade and moist, acidic soil and is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8.

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.  

Another plant that benefits butterflies in the garden is dill.  Known as a culinary herb, dill is a host plant for swallowtail butterfly larvae and caterpillars.  Besides being a food source for humans and butterflies alike, it is a beautiful plant with feathery foliage and umbels of yellow flowers that can be seen now growing in our Ornamental Kitchen Garden.

Commonly known as the Mexican Grass Tree, sculptural, slow-growing succulent native to northeastern Mexico. It features a symmetrical rosette of long, slender, grass-like leaves that radiate from a central trunk, creating a soft, fountain-like silhouette. The leaves are olive-green to glaucous and spineless, making the plant fun to touch and interact with as they sway gracefully in the breeze or with a gentle nudge. Over time, it develops a woody trunk and can reach up to 13 feet tall. Mature plants produce a towering flower spike up to 13 feet high, with small white to yellowish-brown blooms, every few years.  Highly drought-tolerant and an ideal plant for xeriscaping.

The International Waterlily and Water Garden Society hosts an annual New Waterlily Competition each year.  Longwood served as the official site and grower for the competition from 2016 through 2018 when waterlily hybridizers from around the world sent their best new creations to be judged. ‘Pink Silk’, bred in Thailand, was awarded best new intersubgeneric waterlily in 2017.  This hybrid demonstrates outstanding qualities of both hardy and day-blooming waterlilies, which are included in its parentage.

‘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!  

Look for other cultivars of Hydrangea arborescens throughout the gardens!  

Look for other cultivars on display in the West Conservatory.  

Look for other cultivars on display in the West Conservatory.  

The Victoria ‘Longwood Hybrid’ is a giant waterlily developed in 1961 at Longwood Gardens by horticulturist Patrick Nutt, who crossed Victoria amazonica and Victoria cruziana to create what would surpass its parents in vigor, flower, leaf size, and cold-tolerance. The genus Victoria was named in honor of Queen Victoria during the 19th century, when the plant’s discovery in the Amazon captivated Europe with its enormous floating leaves and dramatic, night-blooming flowers. The hybrid continues that legacy with massive blooms that open white on the first night, releasing a sweet, pineapple-like fragrance to attract scarab beetles, then reopen pink on the second night. Since the beetles are native to the Amazon, Longwood staff must hand-pollinate the flowers to ensure seed production and maintain the collection. The ‘Longwood Hybrid’ remains a living tribute to botanical innovation and the era that first celebrated its wonder.