Lunch and Learn: Heritage Plants and Historic Sites

Many plants have historic importance; heritage plants also have a legacy. They connect us to individuals and places in direct and specific ways. In the pre-industrial world, people interacted more personally with plants than most of us do now. Plants provided food, medicine, entertainment and were essential to all kinds of communication. This was especially true at Stenton, where successive generations of Logans also made significant contributions to the development of botany, horticulture and agriculture from the Colonial era through the 19th century.

Join us for a special Lunch and Learn presentation by Claudia Levy and Denis Lucey, exploring the importance of plants to historic sites, including several examples in Germantown. Within the context of Stenton’s remarkable horticultural heritage, revealed through extensive surviving primary documentation, we will look at several specific plant species—their history at Stenton, their horticultural and cultural significance now, and looking to the future.

Landscape architect Claudia Levy has been working on planning and design for the rejuvenation of the Stenton landscape since 2012. Denis Lucey consults on horticulture at Stenton including plant selection and sourcing, installation, and maintenance.