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Open 365 days a year, Mount Vernon is located just 15 miles south of Washington DC.
From the mansion to lush gardens and grounds, intriguing museum galleries, immersive programs, and the distillery and gristmill. Spend the day with us!
Discover what made Washington "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen".
The Mount Vernon Ladies Association has been maintaining the Mount Vernon Estate since they acquired it from the Washington family in 1858.
Need help with homework? Our Digital Encyclopedia has all of the answers students and teachers need.
The Washington Library is open to all researchers and scholars, by appointment only.
Sweet acacia bears golden, sweet-smelling flower during the winter months that are attractive to a variety of pollinators. Its ferny foliage and serpentine branch structure add interest to the garden. Acacia trees make almost impenetrable hedges due to their thorny branches, while the flowers are used…
This plant is used as a perennial fodder crop for livestock.
Cayenne peppers are large prolific plants. They produce bountiful crops of slender, spicy red peppers that can be used fresh or dried.
This blue-flowered perennial is common as a roadside weed, but has a long history of being used as an edible or fodder.
Chinaberry is a fast-growing deciduous tree often made of several smaller trunks, as it is able to readily sprout from the roots. The widely spreading crown, pale purple tube-like fragrant blooms, and attractive yellow drupes that persist all winter made it a popular ornamental shade tree in southern…
This large tropical plant is used for various medicinal and economic purposes. The oil from the nuts is currently being studied as a potential source for biodiesel.
Lombardy poplar is best suited as a street tree or short-lived privacy screen. It is very fast-growing to approximately 40 feet.
Mangelwurzels are incredibly large beets, sometimes over a foot long. They have typical red and green foliage, but their roots can weigh as much as 10 lbs.
Palmettos are the most northern palm to grow in the United States. They were a common food source for southern Native American tribes.
This small, colonizing tree produces the largest edible fruit indigenous to the United States. It has dark maroon flowers in the early spring which are pollinated by flies.
Sainfoin is a fodder crop that is highly nutritious for livestock and also provides nectar for bees.
An iconic tree of the south, magnolias are beautiful in both form, leaf, and flower. Widely for their fragrant blooms, they also provide winter interest with both their seedpods and shiny evergreen leaves which are often used in wreaths.
This stately tree is well-known for its fall color and production of maple syrup. It is a tree of northern forests and does not tolerate the heat or humidity of the south.
Virginia pines add a distinctive profile to the landscape, particularly in winter, when they are a bright spot among all the grays and browns. This medium sized pine tree provides habitat for birds, and were used for pine tar, as well as lumber.
White oaks are well known for their distinctive silhouette. They are massive trees which provide excellent shade as well as habitat for birds and other wildlife. Their acorns are especially attractive to deer and squirrels.
