Explore Longwood Gardens

A view down a brick walk toward a single fountain, surrounded by flowers and foliage of various heights, textures, and colors.
William Hill

Longwood Gardens, one of America’s quintessential landscapes, is a place of ever-changing seasonal beauty, handcrafted feats of horticultural wonder, and an awe-inspiring collection of the most beautiful plants from around the globe. 

From our humble beginnings as a Quaker farmstead and arboretum, to Pierre S. du Pont’s forward-thinking stewardship, to today’s collection of renowned landscape designers, horticulturists, and architects, our great garden of the world evolves and emerges again and again.

Through Longwood Gardens and its program of outstanding horticultural display, every visitor to the Gardens has the opportunity to gain, culturally and spiritually, a better peace of mind.

Russell J. Seibert, Longwood’s first director

Explore nearly 200 acres of lush, formal gardens, open meadows, and winding paths to breathtaking Brandywine Valley vistas. Together, mesmerizing displays, feats of engineering, and science-based research and conservation work harmoniously toward the overarching goal to unite and inspire our guests in appreciation of beauty—as only Longwood can. 

Explore Our Gardens

View All Gardens
  • Our Districts
    A stone path winds through a lush room of colorful plants with a hanging light above

    Our Districts

    Explore nearly 200 acres of lush, formal gardens, open meadows, and winding paths.

  • Our Seasons
    looking through fall leaves to the canopy cathedral treehouse

    Our Seasons

    We honor the four seasons with five unique Longwood seasons, celebrating the bounty of our gardens throughout the cycles of renewal, growth, and ever-evolving splendor. 

  • Our Plants
    close up of orange Clivia Miniata with green and yellow center

    Our Plants

    Explore over 10,000 species and varieties of plants, representing 200 different plant families. 

  • Our Science
    A person holds a small vial with plant material inside in a lab

    Our Science

    Our scientific work lays the groundwork for discoveries that expand our understanding of the natural world and help perpetuate and celebrate its beauty for generations to come.

What's in Bloom

See More of What's in Bloom

  • Swamp-haw

    A stunning native shrub cultivar, Viburnum nudum ‘Winterthur,’ starts off the growing season with glossy, green foliage and clusters of creamy white flowers in June. These later give way to multi-colored berries, set against wine red foliage in the fall. For the best fruit production, plant in groups to ensure cross-pollination. Reaching about six feet tall, ‘Winterthur’ will grow in rich, wet, shady sites as well as sunny, well-drained locations, and is hardy from zone 5 to 9.

  • Japanese Flowering Dogwood

    This tree delights in all four seasons. In late spring, after the foliage has emerged, it has an abundance of creamy white bracts which last quite a long time.  Flowers are followed by bright red, bumpy fruit (like large raspberries) which are edible and can be quite sweet. The deep red fall foliage and the stunning exfoliated bark give fall and winter interest. Cornus kousa is slower growing and later blooming than other dogwood trees.  With age it reaches 30 feet tall with a similar spread and can look quite stately.