Main Fountain Garden District

Native to eastern North America, this deciduous holly can commonly be found in swamps, low woods, along streams and ponds, and in damp thickets. The bright red berries appear in late summer and persist on the plant until spring, providing an important food source for many birds, including the American Robin. Winterberry Holly also goes by the name Fever Bush, due to its medicinal use by indigenous Americans.  Hollies are dioicous meaning you need both male and female plants for reliable fruit production. Grow extra Winterberry so you can use some berries in holiday decorations!  Look for a variety of Winterberry cultivars throughout the gardens!  

‘Bluebird’ is a native aster selection from Mt. Cuba Center that offers violet-blue flowers in abundance on 3-foot stems.  Asters are late blooming perennials that attract pollinators and bring color to the garden in autumn.  Discover other native species of asters in bloom throughout the outdoor gardens!  

Coreopsis tripteris is an upright perennial with strongly branched stems and grows from rhizomes. It grows naturally in sandy loamy soils, boggy meadows, woodland edges, fields, and along streams. It prefers full sun to part shade with moist to average well-drained soil. It has nice lemon yellow flowers, and the fact that it is long lived and easy to grow make it an exceptional plant. Tall tickseed can be found growing natively in the southeastern and western portions of Pennsylvania.

Pumpkin displays found throughout the Gardens bring the colors, shapes, and textures of the harvest season to Longwood. Pumpkins belong to the genus Cucurbita, which is native to the Americas and includes many familiar squashes and gourds. The orange-skinned Cucurbita pepo pumpkins commonly carved as jack-o’-lanterns, trace their domestication to Mexico about 10,000 years ago, making pumpkins one of the earliest cultivated crops in the Americas. 

Salvia madrensis ‘Red Neck Girl’ is a statuesque late-season sage distinguished by red-purple, winged stems that contrast with its large green leaves and butter-yellow flowers. Introduced by Plant Delights Nursery in 2002, this selection blooms earlier than many forms of the species and can reach 7 feet tall. The species is native to moist mountain habitats in Mexico’s Sierra Madre Oriental, reflected in the name madrensis. Blooming from late September until frost, its tubular flowers provide a valuable late-season food source for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Enjoy multiple species of salvia peaking in every color throughout the gardens!

Chrysanthemum ‘Sheffield Yellow’ is often associated with the Rubellum Group, hardy perennial chrysanthemums of complex Eurasian ancestry known for their loose, bushy growth and daisy-like flowers. Opening from apricot-gold buds, its single yellow blooms bring warmth to the late-autumn garden. Taller and more naturalistic than the compact Chrysanthemum × morifolium cultivars commonly used in seasonal displays, ‘Sheffield Yellow’ also provides late-season food for bees and other pollinators.