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Major Plant Groupings at Winterthur
In 1962 an interviewer asked Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969)
to discuss the defining aesthetic principles of his great naturalistic garden at Winterthur. Du Pont replied, "For me,
color is the thing that counts more than any other."
The following is a list of the major plant grouping at Winterthur, showing the flower colors and time of bloom in Delaware
(Zone 6B). For more than 65 years H. F. du Pont observed succession of bloom, experimenting with thousands of plants and
refining the color combinations that are the essence of the Winterthur Garden.
| March Bank |
Color |
Time of Bloom |
| Galanthus spp. (Snowdrops) |
White |
January-March |
| Adonis amurensis (Amur Adonis) |
Yellow |
March |
| Eranthis hyemalis (Winter Aconite) |
Yellow |
March |
| Chionodoxa spp. (Glory-of-the-Snow) |
Violet blue |
March |
| Scilla spp. (Squills) |
Royal blue |
March |
| Leucojum vernum (Spring Snowflakes) |
White |
March |
| Crocus tomasinianus (Tommies) |
Lavender |
March |
| Crocus hybrids |
Various |
March |
| Cornus officinalis (Cornelian-cherries) |
Yellow |
March |
| Muscari spp. (Grape-hyacinths) |
Purple |
March |
| Narcissus spp. and cv. (Daffodils, early) |
Yellow |
March |
| Anemone apennina (Italian Windflowers) |
lavender, white |
April |
| Uvularia grandiflora (Bellworts) |
Yellow |
April, May |
| Mertensia virginica (Virginia Bluebells) |
Blue |
April, May |
| Phlox divaricata (Wild Phlox) |
Lavender |
April, May |
| |
| Winterhazel Walk |
| Corylopsis spp. (Winterhazel) |
Yellow |
April |
| Rhododendron mucronulatum (Korean R.) |
Rosy lavender |
April |
| Rhododendron mucronulatum (Korean R.) |
Rosy lavender |
April |
| Helleborus spp. (Hellebores) |
Plum, cream |
April |
| Corydalis bulbosa |
Rosy lavender |
April |
| Primula abchasica (Abkhazian Primrose) |
Cerise and yellow |
April |
| |
| Quince Walk |
| Chaenomeles spp. and cvs. (Flowering Quince) |
Coral, pink, white, red, orange |
April |
| Viburnum spp. |
Chartreuse, white, pink |
April, May |
| Spiraea spp. |
White |
April |
| Exochorda spp. (Pearlbushes) |
White |
April, May |
| |
| Sundial Garden |
| Magnolia spp. and cvs. |
White, pink |
April |
| Spiraea spp. |
White |
April |
Chaenomeles spp. and cvs.
(Flowering Quince) |
Pink, red |
April |
| Prunus spp. and cvs. (Cherries) |
Pink |
April |
| Viburnum spp. and cvs. |
White, pink |
April |
| Fothergilla spp. and cvs. |
White |
April, May |
| Malus cvs. (Crabapples) |
Cerise |
April |
| Exochorda spp. and cvs. (Pearlbushes) |
White |
April, May |
| Syringa cvs. (Lilacs) |
Lavender, white, deep
purple-red |
May |
| Paulownia tomentosa (Princess Trees) |
Lavender |
May |
| |
| Azalea Woods |
| Anemone apennina (Italian Windflowers) |
Lavender, white |
April |
| Trillium spp. |
White, various |
April, May |
| Rhododendron (Kurume hybrid Azaleas) |
Pastels |
May |
| R. kaempferi (Torch Azaleas) |
Coral |
May |
| Rhododendron spp. and cvs. |
Pastels |
May |
Hyacinthoides hispanica
(Spanish Bluebells) |
Blue |
May |
| |
| Peony Garden |
| Paeonia (Hybrid tree peonies) |
Red, gold, white |
May |
| Paeonia (Herbaceous peonies) |
Salmon, white, pink, red |
May |
| Rhododendron (Kurume Azaleas) |
Pink |
May |
| Weigela cvs. |
Pink |
May |
| Kolkwitzia amabilis (Beautybush) |
Pink |
May |
| |
| Sycamore Hill |
| Narcissus cvs. (Daffodils) |
Yellow, white |
April |
| Forsythia spp. and cvs. |
Yellow |
April |
| Cercis canadensis (Redbuds) |
Rosey lavender |
April, May |
| Paulownia tomentosa (Princess Trees) |
Lavender |
May |
| Syringa spp. and cvs. |
Lavender |
May |
| Aesculus cv. (Horse Chestnuts) |
Rosey red |
May |
| Kalmia latifolia (Mountain-laurels) |
Pink |
May, June |
| Chionoanthus virginicus (Fringe Trees) |
Cream |
May, June |
| Deutzia spp. and cvs |
White, lavender |
May, June |
| Philadelphus cvs. (Mock-oranges) |
White |
May, June |
| Viburnum spp. and cvs. |
White, cream |
May, June |
| Rosa cv. (Roses) |
Various |
May, June |
| Spiraea spp. and cvs. |
White |
May, June |
| |
| Quarry Garden |
| Chionodoxa spp. (Glory of the Snow) |
Lavender blue |
March |
| Scilla spp. (Squills) |
Royal blue |
March |
| Narcissus cvs. (Daffodils) |
Yellow |
March |
| Caltha palustris (Marsh-marigolds) |
Yellow |
March, April |
| Cornus spp. (Cornels) |
Yellow |
March, April |
| Primula denticulata (Drumstick Primroses) |
Lavender |
April |
| Rhododendron spp. |
Pink |
April |
| Primula hybrids (Candlabra Primroses) |
Fruit shades |
May, June |
| Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) |
Red |
July, August |
| Lobelia siphilitica (Blue Lobelia) |
Blue |
July, August |
| Ligularia sibirica v. speciosa |
Yellow |
July, August |
| Hosta spp. and cvs. |
White, lavender |
July, August |
| |
| Enchanted WoodsTM |
| Cercis canadensis (Redbuds) |
Rosey lavender |
April, May |
| Mertensia virginica (Virginia Bluebells) |
Blue |
April, May |
| Primula elatior (Oxlip) |
Yellow |
April |
Hyacinthoides non-scripta
(English Bluebells) |
Blue |
May |
| Rhododendron (Kurume hybrid Azaleas) |
Red, white, pinks |
May |
| R. kaempferi hybrids (Torch azalea hybrid) |
Rose, salmon |
May |
| Rhododendron bakeri (Cumberland Azalea) |
Orange |
June |
| Hydrangea spp. and cvs. |
Lavender, white |
July, August |
| Hosta spp. and cvs. |
Lavender, white |
July, August |
| Clethra alnifolia ( Summersweet) |
White |
August |
| Begonia grandis (Hardy Begonia) |
Pink |
August |
| Aster divaricatus (White Wood Aster) |
White |
September |
For more information, see Winterthur in Bloom by Harold Bruce (New York: Chanticleer Press, second printing, 1986),
and The Winterthur Garden: Henry Francis du Pont's Romance with the Land by
Denise Magnani (New York: Abrams, 1995).
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