Mighty Amazon and Paraná Rivers in South America

Photograph from Longwood Gardens' 2011 plant exploration expedition to Bolivia.

The plant exploration program at Longwood Gardens began in 1956, under the leadership of Dr. Russell J. Seibert, who realized that the future of Longwood as a world-class display garden would depend on expanding and diversifying its collections. That year, Longwood launched its first plant-hunting trip with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, establishing a collaborative partnership that would serve as a model for future expeditions. Since then, Longwood Gardens, along with its global partners, has participated in more than 78 plant collecting trips to 51 countries on six continents. These plant exploration efforts have helped Longwood create an unrivaled collection of ornamental plants. Many have found their way into American gardens or have been preserved in cultivation even as their original habitats are threatened.