Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Unveils 200th Anniversary Brand
The century-old institution launched a new identity and website as it marks its bicentennial year in Philadelphia.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Botany
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society unveiled a new brand identity and website for its bicentennial, developed with Philadelphia-based creative studio Smith & Diction. The organization was founded in November 1827 and is launching a yearlong 200th anniversary celebration.
Why it matters
The rebrand is intended to raise awareness of the organization's reach and build greater support for its mission across Philadelphia and the surrounding region. Stakeholders identified the anniversary as an opportunity to strengthen public engagement with its work.
The anniversary marks 200 years since the organization's November 1827 founding, a milestone the new wordmark illustrates with three plants growing from its letters. The announcement does not detail the budget for the rebrand or the complete calendar of yearlong programming.
The players
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
A Philadelphia-based nonprofit founded in 1827 that promotes gardening, horticulture, and greening programs across the city and region.
Smith & Diction
A Philadelphia-based creative studio that collaborated with the society on its new brand identity.
The details
The new visual system includes an expanded garden-inspired color palette and hand-drawn botanical illustrations, shaped through a collaborative process with staff, leadership, board members, and stakeholders. The organization also developed a Third Century Plan, a new strategic roadmap, and a redesigned website that makes it easier to volunteer, become a member, or donate.
Timeline
November 1827: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is founded.
2026: The yearlong bicentennial celebration and brand unveiling take place.
Big Picture
Founded in 1827, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is among the oldest civic gardening organizations in the United States, and its bicentennial rebrand positions it to extend that long-running role in Philadelphia's green spaces into its third century. The Third Century Plan signals a strategic shift toward the next two centuries of public horticulture work.
Residents can now find volunteer, membership, and donation options more easily through the redesigned website. The yearlong celebration will offer public events and programming that invite participation across the region.
The takeaway
Anniversaries offer a chance to reconnect with an organization's mission, and the bicentennial gives Philadelphia residents a clear entry point. Checking the society's redesigned website is a simple way to find ways to volunteer, join, or give.
Further reading
For more on the plants and gardens behind this milestone, explore Botany coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Nursery Management.
