Cosmopolitan Meadow at Weld Hill

Fun Facts

Purchased by Harvard University in 1922, Weld Hill is named for the family who farmed here and buried some of their kin in the small cemetery on Peters Hill.
Plants chosen for the “cosmopolitan urban meadow” are selected to fulfill a number of ecological and aesthetic criteria. Tough perennial species with a range of bloom times provide visual interest and pollinating activity over the entire growing season.
The native and non-native species growing here thrive in typical urban soil and create a long-lived, attractive meadow. The hillside is mowed once a year—in fall—mainly to prevent incursions of woody plants and grasses.

About

In 2011, the Arboretum opened the Weld Hill Research Building in the northwest corner of the parcel to increase its capacity to conduct research in the plant sciences. Terraced into the hillside, the building occupies less than a quarter of the Weld Hill landscape. The remainder of the parcel is characterized by mature woodland and open pasture. Weld Hill itself rises 172 feet, planted from top to bottom with a wildflower mix developed by Senior Research Scientist Emeritus Peter Del Tredici.

Plants found in the cosmopolitan urban meadow include:

Plants found in the cosmopolitan urban meadow

Species Name	Common Name	Plant Family	Bloom Time
Achillea millefolium	yarrow	Asteraceae	summer
Aster (Symphytrichum) pilosus	white heath aster	Asteraceae	fall
Cichorium intybus	chicory	Asteraceae	summer
Leucanthemum vulgare	oxeye daisy	Asteraceae	spring
Tanacetum vulgare	tansy	Asteraceae	summer
Rudbeckia hirta	blackeyed Susan	Asteraceae	summer
Lotus corniculatus	birdsfoot trefoil	Fabaceae	spring
Trifolium hybridum	alsike clover	Fabaceae	spring/summer
Trifolium repens	white clover	Fabaceae	spring/summer
Vicia cracca	bird vetch	Fabaceae	spring/summer
Lolium perenne	perennial ryegrass	Poaceae	spring

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Explorers Garden Tour

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