Hagley’s 235-acre property is home to some of the rarest plants and habitat types in Delaware. Its rolling Piedmont topography and location on the Brandywine River provide uniquely specific conditions, which allow uncommon ferns, aquatic species, and other less encountered mid-Atlantic plants to thrive. In fact, Hagley is home to six very rare plant species, with two of these occurring nowhere else in the state.
Working with William McAvoy, Delaware’s state botanist, Hagley is attempting to safeguard the rarest plants on Hagley’s property through documenting plant health, regularly monitoring and removing invasive species, and propagating plants via seed and cuttings to ensure their future survival. Hagley staff members collected and shared hazelnuts with Mt. Cuba Center from an exceptionally rare-to-Delaware shrub, Corylus cornuta, with a goal of establishing more populations of this beautiful plant, thus preventing its extinction from Delaware.
In the future, Hagley staff members are planning to conduct frequent botanical surveys of the property with conservation partners to determine what natural resource management practices provide the best means for protecting rare plants and their associated habitats across the property. Ultimately, Hagley hopes to inspire guests on why conservation matters and educate the public on steps they can take to nurture habitats and support their local flora and fauna.
