Piccadilly Herb Club
The Piccadilly Herb Club (Piccadilly) was founded in 1949 by a group of women from the Pittsburgh Civic Garden Center, focused on growing, using, and learning about herbs. The Club held its first organizational meeting on September 13, 1949, and officially adopted its name in 1954, inspired by the herb shops in Piccadilly Circus, London.
Piccadilly members were involved in a variety of projects, including participating in the Pittsburgh Garden Center’s May Market from 1950 to 1994, providing the community with their famous herb bread at this event. When the May Market moved, Piccadilly organized and ran the May Herb Plant Sale at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve (Beechwood) from 1995 to 2009 with the proceeds going to support environmental education at Beechwood. Over the years, Piccadilly members maintained various herb gardens in Allegheny and Beaver County, most notably the herb garden at Beechwood since 1980. The Club has received numerous awards for its contributions to community beautification and garden club activities.
Throughout its history, Piccadilly emphasized herbal education and community engagement as members hosted symposiums, published a cookbook, conducted garden tours, and organized numerous lectures and programs. The Piccadilly Herb Club celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2024 and the Club dissolved in 2025. Read about the Club’s detailed history here.
An endowment from a long-standing generous member provides for the continuation of the Herb Garden which is maintained in a joint effort by Beechwood and The Herb Society of America, Western Pennsylvania Unit. For more information on the Herb Society of America, please visit https://www.herbsociety.org
