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Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania contains a collection of eclectic and extraordinarily impressive Metasequoias in a grand horticultural display garden, one of the finest and most famous in the country. Founded by industrialist Pierre Du Pont, the garden is 1050 acres in size, featuring twenty outdoor gardens, twenty indoor gardens, and four entire acres of greenhouses. Longwood is also noteworthy for its amazing fountains, renowned educational programs, and outstanding art events. It is quite possibly the most dynamic garden in the Delaware Valley. Longwood is in an interesting area, a few miles north of Wilmington, Delaware in the suburbs of Philadelphia. It is noteworthy because it is on the southern edge of the Eastern broadleaf oceanic forest, and the northern tip of the Outer coastal plain region. It is also on the border between Hardiness Zones 6 and 7, temperate zones. Winds are light, precipitation is average, and the dominant soil types are Ultisols. |
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Of the twenty-six Metasequoias at Longwood, data from ten were collected for my study. All of these ten trees are Arnold originals received and planted in 1948. It is no surprise that the Longwood received these trees early in the dissemination of seedlings, as it is one of the most prominent gardens in the United States. The most important specimen at Longwood is 100 feet tall with a base diameter larger than any other in my study. This tree has a base 62 inches in diameter. This is a spectacular tree that quite possibly has the largest base of any Metasequoia in the country. It is one of only two trees with a base diameter over 60 inches, the other being at the Willowwood Arboretum. Additionally, Longwood has another tree that is 100 feet tall with a base 57 inches in diameter. Yet these trees with massive bases are not the tallest Metasequoias even at Longwood, which perhaps explains why none of these trees reached the Top Ten. There are three specimens over 100 feet tall, one at 122 feet. But none of these tall trees have massive base diameters – they range from 31 to 39 inches. Longwood also has a group of trees that simply have not grown that tall, but have rather impressive base diameters. Several trees are in the 50 foot range, yet have base diameters at around 30 inches, which is a very large base for a 50 foot tall tree. These unusual numbers are hard to analyze. They are some of the most interesting height and base numbers in my study. It seems possible that this is largely due to varying conditions in the garden. Regardless, this prestigious garden has an undeniably impressive group of Metasequoias that scored very well on the Chart graph that you see above. They did not score quite as well on my Average Ratings map because they were not given a bonus for being younger trees that grew quickly, because they were originals planted in 1948. Yet the collections at Longwood are outstanding, and absolutely worth checking out. Longwood Gardens Route 1 Kennett Square, PA 19348 |
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