The Scree Garden is an area where drought and heat tolerant plants grow.   This garden’s dominant design element is a large exposure of Gneiss and a crushed rock walking path that forms the rear border of the planting area.

The Rock Outcrop garden is an exposure of an indigenous rock formation known as Gneiss.  It is an area of approximately 3000 sq. ft. and was created to represent a naturally occurring rock outcrop habitat where heat and drought tolerant plants grow.

Oakleaf hydrangea’s leaves turn vibrant red and purple as the fall progresses.

The house was designed by Victorine and Samuel Homsey and the original landscape was designed by Thomas Sears.

This Mt. Cuba Center introduction adds height to the garden and is drought tolerant.

A bright addition to the border garden with amazing and long-lasting fall color display.

A combination of native perennials and exotic annuals bring added color to the Round Garden throughout the seasons.

The Trial Garden is currently evaluating hydrangea, one of the most popular perennials in today’s garden.

Monarda, commonly known as bee balm, has been a popular garden perennial for many years. Mt. Cuba Center set out to determine which Monarda are the top performing, most disease resistant selections for the mid-Atlantic region. We also investigated the differences in nectar among the cultivars and species. Our trial included 43 species and cultivars, including some plants that are relatively unknown to the gardening public. Learn more.

These Pinus strobus trees are special forms that grow from Witches’ Brooms—irregular growth patterns that result in large clusters of small shoots on woody species. Many dwarf species of woody plants come from Witches’ Brooms.

Look for this finely textured and frilly native fern on shady wooded slopes and ravines. Springtime sees the emergence of surprising pink fiddleheads.

With elegant, lacy foliage this native can be used as a beautiful ground cover growing to a height of 20 inches.

A golden splash of color best suited for the woodland garden.

Rich purple and red fall color add to this plant’s year-round interest.

Blue-stemmed goldenrod is a beautiful, easy to grow perennial that really shows off in shady as well as sunny areas. When planted in large numbers, the flowers form streaks of gold shooting off the stems. It performs well with Monarda didyma, Chrysogonum virginianum, Echinacea spp., and Andropogon gerardii.

Perennial sunflower adds height and color to the fall garden.

Take in the pond life, active year-round.

The Moss bank offers a unique composition of mosses, shaded by the dogwood canopy above.

Attractive branch structure and bright fall color add to this tree’s year-round interest

Bright red fruit attract birds through winter.

Hair-awn muhly is a beautiful, showy native grass for both perennial border plantings and native meadow gardens. From September to October, it bursts into pink frothy cotton candy-like blooms, making it perhaps the most ornamental native grass.

This summer flower backdrop takes center stage with vibrant colors in fall.

Delicate blue flowers add a pop of color on the Woods Path.

Unique seeds make this a marvel each fall.

A signature tree of local forests, this “king of the magnolia family” grows rapidly in youth producing straight, unbranched trunks creating cathedral-like columns.