Sam Hoadley

Sam Hoadley is the Manager of Horticultural Research at Mt. Cuba Center in Hockessin, Delaware where he evaluates native plant species, old and new cultivars, and hybrids in the Trial Garden and has authored several publications designed to help gardeners make informed decisions when selecting native plants for their landscapes. When Sam is not in the gardens he can be found working as a liaison with the mid-Atlantic horticultural and nursery community to help promote the use of beautiful and ecologically valuable plants from Mt. Cuba’s evaluations. Sam grew up in East Granby, Connecticut where his passion for plants and the natural world grew and led him to the pursuit of his degree in Sustainable Landscape Horticulture and at the University of Vermont.

He was selected as a PPF Scholar shortly before his senior year at UVM and during a summer internship in Outdoor Display Horticulture at Longwood Gardens. The PPA meeting in 2011 took place in Atlanta and was a formative experience for Sam who was able to visit some incredible private and public gardens, network with other students and professionals, and meet some of his horticultural heroes that he had previously read about and admired from afar.

Updated 7.2025