Colonial Gardens of Philadelphia

When William Penn founded Pennsylvania in 1681, he laid the groundwork for a colony which would become a political centerpiece in the American Revolution, as well as a hotbed for scientific inquiry, a center for medical learning, and a hub for the transatlantic plant trade. The Colonial Garden Consortium is a group of sites across Philadelphia with vibrant green spaces and ties to the city’s colonial and early American history. These sites represent Philadelphians’ historic ingenuity in using plants as medicine, food, botanical discovery, and sources of pleasure. Visitors can go to Bartram’s Garden, The Woodlands, Fort Mifflin, Powel House, Pennsylvania Hospital, The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Wyck Historic House, and Grumblethorpe to see stunning gardens and get a sense of how people in the colonial era used and cultivated the natural world around them.