Mt. Cuba Center—Spring 2024

By FCGN member Jeff Schuetz

Mt. Cuba Center was the sixth of six gardens my wife Nita Beck and I visited during our trip to Philadelphia in the spring of 2024. (1,083 acres, with the vast majority being in an adjoining nature preserve; paid admission; mtcubacenter.org)

Only about 15 minutes from Longwood Gardens, just over the Pennsylvania state line into Delaware, Mt. Cuba is a world away in feel. Whereas at Longwood you’ll be one of hundreds of guests, at Mt. Cuba you’ll be one of a couple handfuls.

Intimate and with a quiet beauty, Mt. Cuba was the more modest home of du Pont heir Lammot du Pont Copeland and Pamela Copeland starting in 1935. Their horticultural interests grew in the 50’s and 60’s, with a focus on naturalistic gardening, and the Mt. Cuba Center began in 1983. Trial gardens started in 2002 to assess various native cultivars relative characteristics. Educational programs were added, and general public admissions started in 2013.

At Mt. Cuba, there’s a formal feel to the gardens abutting the Copeland homestead, but as one moves farther out naturalism takes over. Dappled woods with clearings and walkways are the norm, with beautiful spring-fed ponds down below. Our timing was perfect to enjoy the wonderful Trillium collection. Natives of the mid-Atlantic region are the focus throughout.

Modest in stature but impactful in effect, Mt. Cuba is a beautiful, relaxing, educational joy. It’s also a great online resource for plant information.

Photos © 2024 Jeff Schuetz