When my two children moved to Asheville, NC I was sad because they were two hours away. However, on one of my first trips to visit them, I discovered the North Carolina Arboretum. Now, every visit I make to see them includes a trip to the Arboretum.
Adjacent to the Blueridge Parkway in Asheville, the North Carolina Arboretum is nestled in one of the most beautiful natural garden settings in America. It was established in 1986 by the North Carolina General Assembly to serve as a resource almost 100 years after Frederick Law Olmsted completed his landscape design project at the Biltmore Estates. (The original design included a research arboretum at the estate, but it was never built.)
The Arboretum sits on 424 acres of the most botanically diverse areas in North America and includes 65 acres of cultivated gardens. The different garden areas highlight and pay tribute to the region’s rich cultural heritage and reinforce the importance of plants in our world. Strolling through the Arboretum’s gardens is a perfect way to reconnect with nature in a peaceful setting.
Perennials, seasonal annual plantings, topiary plants and metalwork accent the Baker Landscape garden. The Blue Ridge Court garden features a sculpture of Frederick Law Olmsted. The Heritage Garden features an old homesite with plants used in the region’s medicinal herb and craft industries. The National Native Azalea Collection was established to preserve and protect native azaleas and includes 16 of the 17 species native to the US as well as hybrids and cultivated varieties. The rich tradition of quilting in the Appalachian region is highlighted in the Quilt Garden. Traditional quilt patterns are translated into seasonal floral exhibits and every 2 years a different pattern is featured. Visitors can get a bird’s eye view of the quilt from a stone overlook. The Arboretum is also home to wildflowers and pollinator plants for insects and birds.
One of the most spectacular areas is the Bonsai Garden. Established in 2005, the Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden is a world-renowned garden that can host up to 50 bonsai specimens at a time. Represented are traditional Asian bonsai, tropical plants, and American species. Classes in the art of bonsai are also available at the garden.
As a research facility associated with the University of North Carolina, the Arboretum is a leader in conservation with its research, plant specimen cataloging, seed banking, and emphasis on sustainability and energy efficiency. Conservation of all resources is a priority. Geothermal heating, water recycling and conservation strategies are integrated in the buildings and gardening techniques.
Because Western North Carolina contains a large variety of landforms, climate, soils and geology, it has resulted in one of the most diverse assemblages of plants found in the world’s temperate deciduous forests. Because of these factors, the Arboretum has developed a diverse germplasm collection to enable the long-term conservation of our extraordinarily diverse flora and provide valuable research materials for scientists. The North Carolina Arboretum Germplasm Repository has collected and conserved more than 2,000 samples of the region’s diverse native germplasm, including seeds and endophytes.
The North Carolina Arboretum provides a relaxing place to walk, view native plants and seasonal plantings, take a class or just hang out. Next time you are in Asheville head towards the Blueridge Parkway and visit the Arboretum.
Gail Greear, Headwaters Master Gardener