Peirce’s Woods, Longwood Gardens

This seven-acre area has been developed as an "art form" garden that brings together the most ornamental characteristics of the eastern deciduous forest. Under the high branches of oak, ash, maple and tulip trees, sweeps of native shrubs and native ground cover plantings carpet the woodland floor, punctuated by flowering understory trees. Various "rooms" have been created within the woods, with emphasis on native deciduous azaleas blooming from early spring to summer. The concept of using native plants to create the woodland garden as an art form is one of the first such projects in any public garden.


Thumb Species Characteristics

Actaea pachypoda
White Baneberry, Dolls Eyes

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist

Allium cernuum
Nodding Onion

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun
Water: Moist

Amelanchier canadensis
Canadian Serviceberry, Canadian Service-berry, Shadblow Serviceberry, Juneberry, Shadbush, Junebush

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist

Amelanchier laevis
Allegheny Serviceberry, Allegheny Service-berry, Serviceberry

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Asclepias tuberosa
Butterflyweed, Butterfly Weed, Butterfly Milkweed, Orange Milkweed, Pleurisy Root, Chigger Flower, Chiggerweed

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun
Water: Moist, Dry

Athyrium filix-femina
Common Lady Fern, Subarctic Lady Fern, Lady Fern, Ladyfern

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb, Fern
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist

Carya glabra
Pignut Hickory, Sweet Pignut Hickory, Coast Pignut Hickory, Pignut, Sweet Pignut, Smoothbark Hickory, Broom Hickory, Red Hickory, Swamp Hickory, Switch Hickory, Switchbud Hickory

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Dry

Cercis canadensis
Eastern Redbud, Redbud

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Cornus florida
Flowering Dogwood, Virginia Dogwood, Florida Dogwood, White Cornel, Arrowwood, American Boxwood, False Box, St. Peter's Crown, Corona De San Pedro

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Diphylleia cymosa
American Umbrellaleaf, Umbrella-leaf

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light:
Water:

Drosera filiformis
Threadleaf Sundew

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light:
Water:

Drosera intermedia
Spoonleaf Sundew

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun
Water:

Dryopteris intermedia
Intermediate Woodfern, Evergreen Wood-fern, Fancy Wood Fern

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb, Fern
Light: Shade
Water: Moist

Echinacea purpurea
Eastern Purple Coneflower, Purple Coneflower

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Dry

Enemion biternatum
Eastern False Rue Anemone, Isopyrum

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist

Fraxinus americana
White Ash, American Ash, Cane Ash, Smallseed White Ash, Biltmore White Ash, Biltmore Ash

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Geranium maculatum
Spotted Geranium, Wild Geranium, Cranesbill

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Hamamelis virginiana
Witch-hazel, American Witch-hazel, Common Witch-hazel, Winterbloom, Snapping Hazelnut, Striped Alder, Spotted Alder, Tobacco-wood, Water-witch

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Hibiscus coccineus
Scarlet Rosemallow, Crimson Rosemallow, Wild Red Mallow, Texas Star Hibiscus

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun
Water: Wet

Houstonia caerulea
Azure Bluet, Quaker Ladies, Bluets

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist

Hydrangea arborescens
Smooth Hydrangea, Wild Hydrangea, Sevenbark

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist

Ilex opaca
American Holly, White Holly, Prickly Holly, Evergreen Holly, Christmas Holly, Yule Holly

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Dry

Ilex verticillata
Common Winterberry, Winterberry, Michigan Holly, Black Alder

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist, Dry

Jeffersonia diphylla
Twinleaf

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist

Leucothoe axillaris
Coastal Doghobble, Coast Leucothoe

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Liatris spicata
Dense Blazing Star, Dense Gayfeather, Dense Liatris, Marsh Blazing Star, Marsh Gayfeather, Marsh Liatris

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun
Water: Moist

Lindera benzoin
Northern Spicebush, Spicebush, Wild Allspice

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist, Dry

Luzula acuminata
Hairy Woodrush

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Light:
Water:

Magnolia virginiana
Sweetbay, Sweetbay Magnolia, Southern Sweetbay, Swampbay, Swamp Magnolia, Sweet Magnolia, Small Magnolia, Laurel Magnolia, White Bay, White Laurel, Swamp Laurel, Beaver Tree

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist

Osmunda regalis
Royal Fern

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb, Fern
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist

Pachysandra procumbens
Allegheny Spurge, Mountain Spurge

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Physocarpus opulifolius
Common Ninebark, Atlantic Ninebark

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist, Dry

Quercus alba
White Oak, Northern White Oak, Eastern White Oak, Stave Oak, Ridge White Oak, Forked-leaf White Oak

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Quercus bicolor
Swamp White Oak

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist

Quercus phellos
Willow Oak, Swamp Willow Oak, Pin Oak, Peach Oak

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist

Quercus velutina
Black Oak, Quercitron Oak, Yellow Oak, Smoothbark Oak, Yellowbark Oak

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Dry

Rhododendron flammeum
Piedmont Azalea, Oconee Azalea

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light:
Water:

Rhynchospora latifolia
Sand-swamp Whitetop Sedge, Tall Whitetop Sedge, Whitetop Sedge, Sand-swamp Whitetop, Tall Whitetop, Whitetop, Colorful Rush

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Grass/Grass-like
Light: Part-shade
Water: Wet

Sanguisorba canadensis
Canadian Burnet, American Burnet

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light:
Water: Wet

Sarracenia flava
Yellow Pitcherplant, Trumpets, Yellow Pitcher Plant

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light:
Water:

Sarracenia leucophylla
Crimson Pitcherplant, Crimson Pitcher-plant, Crimson Pitcher Plant

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light:
Water:

Sarracenia psittacina
Parrot Pitcherplant, Parrot Pitcher Plant

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light:
Water:

Sedum ternatum
Woodland Stonecrop, Wild Stonecrop

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist

Spiranthes odorata
Marsh Ladies'-tresses, Fragrant Ladies'-tresses, Marsh Lady's Tresses

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light:
Water:

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Aromatic Aster, Aromatic American Aster, Fall Aster, Wild Blue Aster, Shale Aster

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Tiarella cordifolia var. collina
Heartleaf Foamflower, Wherry's Foamflower

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Trillium grandiflorum
White Wake-robin, White Trillium, Large-flower Wake-robin, Large-flower Trillium, Large-flowered Wake-robin, Large-flowered Trillium

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Tsuga canadensis
Eastern Hemlock

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Uvularia grandiflora
Largeflower Bellwort, Large-flower Bellwort, Merrybells

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Shade
Water: Moist

Uvularia perfoliata
Perfoliate Bellwort, Mealy Bellwort, Merrybells

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun
Water: Moist

Vaccinium corymbosum
Highbush Blueberry

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist, Dry

Vernonia gigantea ssp. gigantea
Giant Ironweed, Tall Ironweed

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet

Veronicastrum virginicum
Culver's Root

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist