What's New in Plants Is Old: A Look at the Pennsylvania State House Garden, 1786

Sue Hunter, Owner, Heartwood Nursery

Realization is widely growing that planting native is essential to support our ecosystems. While a number of conservation groups began incorporating and promoting natives 15-20 years ago, now many digital influencers and mainstream news are also promoting native plants. In the past month alone, NPR and the New York Times Magazine, to name a couple outlets, have covered native plants, and recently Grist noted that "native plants are now flying off the shelves."

At Heartwood, where we've specialized in growing native plants since 1987, this makes us excited and hopeful for humans and our planet.  As do you, friends and customers who are equally dedicated to our native ecosystems.

As you may have heard me say, however, gardening and landscaping with native plants is not at all a new concept. In the spirit of America's 250th Anniversary, I'd like to share a story to illustrate this.  

First, our native species flourished in North America long before European colonization. Indigenous Peoples had deep knowledge of and relationships with native plants for thousands of years. Without their teachings, the early colonists would not have survived.

Among America’s earliest movers and shakers there were champions of our new country’s native plants. I’m a longtime reader of books on historical landscaping and nurseries, and years ago I made a wonderful discovery--the list of plants intended for the new Pennsylvania State House Garden in 1786.

I hope you take a minute to read this list closely, and enjoy it. It is a paean to America’s native species.

The 1786 landscape design list of native plants intended for the new Pennsylvania State House Garden in Philadelphia, which later became Independence Square. Photo credit: U.S. National Park Service

The list is the work of Samuel Vaughan, a renowned landscape designer of the Colonial Period.

An English merchant who was a friend of Benjamin Franklin, Vaughan arrived in Philadelphia in 1783. He became friends with George Washington as well as a pivotal figure in Philadelphia intellectual circles.

As a wealthy landowner, Vaughan had an experienced eye for large-scale, detailed landscaping and architectural design. During his time in America, Vaughan directed the design and creation of the Pennsylvania State House Garden in Philadelphia, one of the most significant public gardens of the time.

“It is my wish to plant in the State house square specimens of every tree & shrub that grow in the several states on this Continent that will thrive here," Vaughan wrote in 1785.

Vaughn envisioned an arboretum-scale planting of hundreds of native trees and shrubs: Redbud, Ninebark, Black Cherry, American Elm, Sycamore, and more. If you look closely on the left, at top he specified 100 American Elms and, in the middle, 92 Hollies for the project!

To purchase many of the plants, Vaughan worked with Philadelphia born and renowned naturalist, botanist, and artist William Bartram.

Vaughan's State House Garden landscaping project ultimately was sized down in scale, yet resulted in many native trees and shrubs planted.

The State House Garden was re-named Independence Square in 1826. It is one of America’s oldest green public spaces. 

Although much altered since then, it remains the landscape south of Independence Hall.

To learn more about Samuel Vaughan’s design of the State House Garden celebrating America’s native plants, see the National Gallery of Art.