Plants in Early American Gardens - Possum Haw

Possum Haw (Viburnum nudum)

This handsome shrub is native from New York to Louisiana and was first introduced to European gardens in 1752. While living in Paris, Thomas Jefferson desired to introduce many North American species to his European friends. In 1786, he wrote to the Philadelphia nurseryman John Bartram, Jr. requesting seed of various native trees and shrubs, including this species.

Contact The Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants at
Email chp@monticello.org
Phone 434-984-9819

South Carolina - Rice Plantation Rose Hill

Rose Hill c 1820. Unidentified artist. Charleston Museum, South Carolina. Home owned by Nathaniel Heyward (1766-1851) & his wife Henrietta Manigault (1769-1827), the rice plantation Rose Hill on the Combhee River was home to 152 slaves. Rose Hill is also illustrated in the marginialia of the diary of their son Charles (1802-1866) which is at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston

Plants in Early American Gardens - Lewis' Prairie Flax

Lewis' Prairie Flax (Linum perenne lewisii)

In 1806, Lewis and Clark observed this western North American perennial in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains. It was named Linum Lewisii after Capt. Meriwether Lewis. This subspecies, which is more robust than the common European species, bears funnel-shaped, clear blue flowers on slender, somewhat nodding, 2-3 foot stems in early to mid-summer.

Contact The Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants at
Email chp@monticello.org
Phone 434-984-9819

Plants in Early American Gardens - Giant Musselburgh Leeks

Giant Musselburgh Leeks (Allium ampeloprasum cv.)

The garden leek is a Mediterranean species that was cultivated by the Egyptians as early as 3,200 BCE. Jefferson planted a variety of Flag Leek in his vegetable garden at Monticello in 1812. The Giant Musselburgh Leek originated in England in the early 1800s, and was praised by Fearing Burr in Field and Garden Vegetables of America (1863) as “[h]ardy and of excellent quality.”

For more information & the possible availability
Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello 

Garden to Table - Cow's Horn Okra

Cow's Horn Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus cv.)

Thomas Jefferson frequently grew okra at Monticello after his retirement in 1809, often as a companion plant to his “tomatas.” Jefferson family recipes include various types of okra stews in which okra was blended with tomatoes and other tangy vegetables. A member of the Mallow family, okra is a highly ornamental vegetable with large, tropical leaves and handsome yellow flowers. 'Cow's Horn' is a southern heirloom variety with distinctive curved fruits.

For more information & the possible availability
Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello 

18C New England Garden & Cultural Landscape

1700s New England. Sometimes said to be Thomas Banister House, in Rhode Island

Plants in Early American Gardens - Red Wethersfield Onion

Red Wethersfield Onion (Allium cepa cv.)

Thomas Jefferson grew several types of onion at Monticello, including Madeira, Spanish, Tree, and White. The Red Wethersfield Onion is a 19th-century variety that derives its name from Wethersfield, Connecticut, where it reputably originated. It forms a large, flattened bulb 5” in diameter with purplish white, mildly pungent flesh.

For more information & the possible availability
Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello