Our Science Strategy

Ensuring a Beautiful Tomorrow 

Our Vision for Science 

Our Science Strategy advances research and supports discovery to deepen our understanding of plants, guide the care of our landscapes and natural resources, inspire curiosity and connection, and ensure a future for our global garden.

Building on a long history of research and stewardship, Longwood’s Science Strategy carries our work forward. It ensures that research informs action, guiding how we care for plants and landscapes so our gardens serve as living examples of how science, stewardship, and beauty come together for the benefit of people and the planet.

It unites expertise in horticulture, ecology, conservation, and agriculture to strengthen collaboration, address global challenges and inspire people through the extraordinary contributions of plants.

Aligned with our mission and 2030 Organizational Plan, the Science Strategy ensures that conservation, research, and sustainability remain central to Longwood’s work.

Our Four Scientific Pillars

Our strategy is organized around four pillars, Conserve, Grow, Sustain and Inspire. These pillars connect research, practice, and purpose, guiding how Longwood protects living systems, advances horticultural innovation, and shares knowledge and beauty in ways that move people to act.

Conserve

We protect plants, ecosystems, and the knowledge needed to sustain life in a changing world. Through conservation science and stewardship, we work to ensure that plant diversity and the systems that depend on it endure for generations.

Examples

  • Advancing a species-first conservation model for threatened native orchids in Tanzania through research, propagation, and preservation.
  • Developing long-term stewardship plans for Longwood’s natural lands to protect biodiversity and ecosystem health over time.

Grow

We advance research that informs how plants, landscapes, and ecosystems are cared for at scale. By integrating science across disciplines, we turn knowledge into systems-level stewardship that strengthens resilience and performance.

Examples

  • Expanding ecological research and monitoring to guide evidence-based adaptive management across landscapes.
  • Refining and expanding the portfolio of soil amendments and technical resources to improve plant health and performance.

Sustain

We care for the systems that support life by managing resources responsibly and modeling practices that restore balance and resilience. Through this work, we demonstrate how thoughtful action today can regenerate the living systems of tomorrow.

Examples

  • Developing and implementing a holistic watershed stewardship plan to improve ecosystem function and resilience.
  • Advancing material circularity through improved composting systems and infrastructure that support long-term sustainability.

Inspire

We bring science and beauty together to reveal the wonder of the living world. By sharing the art and science of horticulture, we spark curiosity, deepen understanding, and invite people to care more deeply about plants and the planet.

Examples

  • Using displays and behind-the-scenes storytelling to showcase remarkable horticultural techniques and the science that makes them possible.