Purple and white corkscrew flowers on a background of bright green leaves.

Overview

The Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants, established at Monticello in 1986, collects, preserves, and distributes historic and native plant varieties and strives to promote greater appreciation for the origins and evolution of garden plants. We are Monticello’s unique nursery located in a beautiful garden setting at Jefferson’s Tufton Farm.

Aerial view of part the Center for Historic Plants growing area showing part the octagonal noisette rose garden, two trellises, small grassy areas all boarded by various shrubs, trees, plant beds.
Aerial of the Center's various garden beds and trellises.

The program centers on Thomas Jefferson's horticultural interests and the plants grown at Monticello, but covers the broad history of plants cultivated in America by including varieties documented through the nineteenth century, and choice North American plants, a group of special interest to Jefferson himself.

Jefferson owned over 5,000 acres in Bedford County, Virginia (at Poplar Forest), and he also owned 5,000 acres in Albemarle County, Virginia. Monticello was his pride and joy, but he also maintained five satellite farms surrounding Monticello: Milton, Tufton, Lego, Shadwell, and Pantops. Tufton Farm is now home of the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants.

The Center's Barn serves as offices and working spaces for seed collecting and packaging.

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Heirloom Seeds and Plants from the Monticello collection

Plant history in your gardens with seeds and plants from Monticello and the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants.

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A ten-section, glass-lidded, rustic cedar box with seed varieties from the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants: Rouge Demi-Longue de Chantenay Carrot, Long Red Cayenne Pepper, Bull Nose Pepper, Cherokee Purple Tomato, and Long Green Improved Cucumber.

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Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants

Plant Collections