Forty under 40 perspectives: Native plant trials at Mt. Cuba Center By Sam Hoadley

Mt. Cuba Center has a long history of conservation dating back to the 1930s when Pamela and Lammot du Pont Copeland purchased land in the rolling hills of northern Delaware. The Copelands had a particular love for the natural world and wildflowers, and realized that these habitats and native plants needed to be safeguarded and preserved for future generations. 

The gardens evolved to feature native wildflowers, and the Copelands developed plans to open the gardens to the public. 

“I want this to be a place where people will learn to appreciate our native plants and to see how these plants can enrich their lives so that they, in turn, will become conservators of our natural habitats,” Mrs. Copeland said at the time. 

This founding intention lives on today and serves as the guiding light for all of Mt. Cuba’s planning and initiatives. Mt. Cuba opened to the public in 2013 and now spans 68 acres of gardens and more than 1,000 acres of natural lands. Featuring formal and naturalistic gardens and three miles of scenic trails, the Center’s stunning landscapes demonstrate how native plants enrich our environment. 

Mt. Cuba Center maintains native plant research, education and open space preservation, having protected 15,000 acres in the mid-Atlantic region. The gardens are open Wednesday through Sunday, April to November, with events throughout the season. Gardening, art, conservation and wellness classes are offered year-round as well.

MT. CUBA’S MISSION

Our mission is to inspire an appreciation for the beauty and value of native plants and a commitment to protect the habitats that sustain them. 

It was Mrs. Copeland’s intention to turn the cut flower garden into a trial garden for native plants. In 2002, after her passing, her wishes for the space were realized. 

In the trial garden’s early days, various native plants were grown to assess ornamental qualities and to observe if the plants were suitable for a home garden setting in the mid-Atlantic region.

Under the management of Jeanne Frett and Vic Piatt, the program grew quickly and established the framework for future trials. 

The team selected asters for the first assessment of a large group of similar native plants and published a detailed report of the trial results identifying the top performing selections. The report was distributed to the public with the goal of providing gardeners and nurseries in the mid-Atlantic region information about selecting and cultivating native plants. 

TRIAL FOCUSED 

In 2012, the trial garden was revitalized with new walkways, perimeter fences and construction of a shade structure — adding shade plant evaluations and full sun versus shade comparisons to the mix. 

During this time, George Coombs, director of horticulture at Mt. Cuba Center, managed the trial garden and further refined the program by assessing the ecological value of plants through the incorporation of pollinator studies into the evaluations. 

For the first pollinator study, Mt. Cuba partnered with researchers from the University of Delaware to identify insects visiting 25 different coreopsis selections. The findings revealed that some coreopsis species attracted very different pollinators despite appearing very similar to each other to the human eye. 

In subsequent trials, the trial garden team has worked with the Pollinator Watch Team, a trained group of Mt. Cuba volunteers who observe pollinator activity. To date, they have recorded pollinator observations for the monarda, phlox, helenium, echinacea, wild hydrangea, vernonia and solidago trials. The data collected has been invaluable for gardeners who wish to select plants based on pollinator value in cultivation. 

In 2019, Sam Hoadley was hired to manage the trial garden, and under his leadership Mt. Cuba published reports on helenium, echinacea, wild hydrangea, carex and amsonia. Ongoing evaluations include asclepias, tiarella, ferns, physostegia, oakleaf hydrangea and pycnanthemum. 

Many recent trials have a renewed focus on species and incorporate the sourcing and inclusion of locally native plant material. Based on the strong performance of some straight species in these trials, Mt. Cuba is pursuing ways to encourage the use of these species in conservation and restoration projects in addition to home gardens. 

The beauty and value of the assemblage of native plants in each new trial brings opportunities for learning, teaching and inspiration in Mt. Cuba’s trial garden. For more information, visit mtcubacenter.org.

Sam Hoadley

Sam Hoadley is the manager of horticultural research for Mt. Cuba Center and a member of GPN’s Forty Under 40 Class of 2023. He can be reached at shoadley@mtcubacenter.org.