Longwood Gardens

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United States of America - Pennsylvania - Kennett Square

Institution Code: KEN

BGCI Member: Yes

ArbNet Accredited: Level IV

Each spring, the 600-foot-long Flower Garden Walk bursts into color with more than 90,000 blooming bulbs.
Each spring, the 600-foot-long Flower Garden Walk bursts into color with more than 90,000 blooming bulbs.

About the Longwood Gardens

Longwood Gardens is sure to delight anyone who loves exquisite flowers, majestic trees, beautiful meadows, and opulent architecture. Here, amid 1,100 acres (445 hectares) with 20 indoor and 20 outdoor gardens, you’ll find beauty at every turn.

Information: Call (610) 388-1000 or visit www.longwoodgardens.org

Main Address:
Longwood Gardens
1001 Longwood Road
P.O. Box 501
Kennett Square
Pennsylvania 19348-0501 United States of America

Telephone: 610-388-1000 x443
Fax: 610-388-2078
URL: www.longwoodgardens.org
Primary Email:

Staff Details

  • Director's Name: Mr. Paul B. Redman, President and CEO
    Curator's Name: Dr. Peter Zale, Associate Director, Conservation, Plant Breeding and Collections
    Plant Records Officer's Name: Ms. Kristina Aguilar

About the Garden

  • Institution Type: Botanic Garden
  • Status
  • Status: Private: Yes
    Status: State: No
    Status: Educational: Yes
    Status: Municipal: No
    Status: Satellite: No
    Status: Trust: Yes
  • Date founded: 1906
  • Physical Data
  • Natural Vegetation Area: Yes
    Natural vegetation area: Size: 100 Hectares
  • Landscaped Area: Yes
    Landscaped Area: Size: 121 Hectares
  • Total Area: 425 Hectares
    Latitude: 39.8688089
    Longitude: -75.6745077
    Altitude: 0.00 Metres

Features and Facilities

  • Herbarium: Yes
    Herbarium: Number of Specimens: 9100
    Arboretum: Yes
    Arboretum Size: 5
  • Micropropagation/ Tissue Culture Facilities: Yes
    Published Plant Catalogue: Yes
    Computer Plant Record System: Yes
  • Open to public: Yes
    Retail Outlet: Shop: Yes
    Retail Outlet: Plant Sales: Yes
    Disabled access: Yes
  • Number of Visitors: 1500000
    Number of Volunteers: 800

Plant Collections

  • Accession Number: 14404
    Cultivation Taxa Num: 10297
  • Special Collections:Orchidaceae (2,105 taxa), Rosaceae (306 taxa), Chrysanthemum (291 taxa), Rhododendron (142 taxa), Bromeliaceae (130 taxa), Camellia (126 taxa), Nymphaea (124 taxa), Acer (72 taxa), Picea (66 taxa), Pinus (47 taxa), Quercus (47 taxa)
  • Invasive Species Monitoring: Yes
    Invasive Species Policy: Yes
    ABS Policy: Yes
    Plant Collection Policy: Yes

Conservation Programmes

  • Conservation Programme: Yes
    Medicinal Plant Programme: No
    Ex Situ Conservation Programme: Yes
    Reintroduction Programme: Yes

Research Programmes

  • Biotechnology: No
    Plant Breeding: Yes
    Conservation - Biology: Yes
    Conservation - Genetics: Yes
    Data Management Systems and Information Technology: Yes
    Ecology: Yes
    Ecosystem Conservation: Yes
    Education: Yes
    Ethnobotany: No
    Exploration: Yes
    Floristics: Yes
    Horticulture: Yes
    Invasive Species Biology and Control: Yes
    Molecular Genetics: No
    Pollination Biology: No
    Restoration Ecology: Yes
    Seed/Spore Biology: Yes
    Systematics and Taxonomy: Yes
    Sustainability: Yes
    Pharmacology: No
    Agriculture: Yes
    Land Restoration: Yes
    Urban Environments: No

Education Programmes

  • Visitor/Education Centre: Yes
    Education Signs in Garden: Yes
    Public Lectures/Talks: Yes
    Education Booklets/Leaflets: Yes
    Guided Tours: Yes
    Permanent Public Displays: Yes
    Special Exhibitions: Yes
    Courses for School Children: Yes
    Courses for University/College Students: Yes
    Courses for General Public: Yes
    Education Programme: Yes

Impact of reforestation and forest edge “softening” on avifaunal population dynamics

Successional forest edges with young trees and shrubs is a habitat that is an important breeding ground for con-specific songbirds.  This habitat was created in conjunction with the relocation of a Pennsylvania (PA) State road and is now being monitored for avifaunal population dynamics to better understand the role of restoration for habitat creation.

Creating resilient ecosystems and habitats are some of the many important goals of Longwood Gardens’ Land Stewardship program. With land development often creating abrupt forest edges, the successional forest edge habitat is lost. In 2011, Longwood Gardens and the PA Department of Transportation completed the relocation of PA state route 52 the intersects Longwood’s property. Part of this project was the reforestation of 4.5 hectares (11.1 acres) agricultural field that was adjacent to a mature forest. Over 5,500 trees of 25 different species were used for reforestation and trees had an average age of 4 years. This provided an opportunity to create a “softened” successional forest edge that is a rare and important habitat for nesting birds. Currently, avifaunal surveys are being conducted to determine species using this habitat.


The goals of the project are to determine the spatial ecology of breeding songbirds within Longwood Garden’s natural areas, which in addition to the successional forest, includes 240 hectares (600 acres) of mature forests, wetlands, meadows and agricultural fields. Secondly, does softening of forest edges affect territory densities and foraging behaviour in con-specific breeding songbird. And finally, can Longwood Gardens generate prescriptive land management objectives for other land managers in the region through detailed documentation of management practices concurrent with bird studies.  Preliminary data shows that avifaunal species richness is greatest in successional forest edges, followed by mature forest and is lower in meadow habitats.

Reforested successional forest edge and in the background a new bridge for relocated Pennsylvania State Route 52.