More About the Littlefield Garden

The Lyle E. Littlefield Ornamentals Trial Garden is located on the University of Maine campus.

The Littlefield Ornamentals Trial Garden has nearly 2,500 plantings, with an extensive collection of cold-hardy landscape plants. Research focuses on container and field crop production, propagation, and plant culture.

History of the Lyle E. Littlefield Ornamentals Trial Garden

The Ornamentals Trial Garden was founded in the early 1960s by Lyle E. Littlefield, then Professor of Horticulture, for the research, teaching, and demonstration of a wide range of activities involving landscape ornamental plants. Starting in 1989, a major redesign and renovation of the Garden was begun and much of the space has been redesigned. Enhancement of the native woody plant collection began in 2000 with the planting of 42 native plant species, donated by green industry businesses across New England.