Once taller than the Alps, North Carolina’s granite and greenstone mountains have had about 200 million years to soften into lovely layers of fog-shrouded ranges. No wonder their flora and fauna appear to be the fruits of a primordial garden. Throughout the mountain region, changes in altitude create significant differences in both temperature and rainfall, engendering a lush variety of plant life.
1 North Carolina Arboretum
1 North Carolina Arboretum
AshevilleSee on mapA 434-acre regional and international resource celebrating the Southern Appalachian landscape.
2 Wilkes Community College Gardens
2 Wilkes Community College Gardens
WilkesboroSee on mapOutstanding theme gardens winding through a college campus.
3 Daniel Boone Native Gardens
3 Daniel Boone Native Gardens
BooneSee on mapTwelve separate gardens in a special preserve designed by Doan Ogden.
4 Chimney Rock State Park
4 Chimney Rock State Park
Chimney RockSee on mapBotanical diversity from mountaintop to forest to a spectacular waterfall.
5 Cherokee Botanical Garden and Nature Trail
5 Cherokee Botanical Garden and Nature Trail
CherokeeSee on mapHerbs and vegetables of the Cherokee Indians in the 18th century Oconaluftee Village.
6 Botanical Gardens at Asheville
6 Botanical Gardens at Asheville
AshevilleSee on mapDoan Ogden-designed gardens, displaying plants and flowers of Southern Appalachians.
7 The Campus Arboretum of Haywood Community College
7 The Campus Arboretum of Haywood Community College
ClydeSee on mapDoan Ogden design creating this varied and exceptional college landscape.
8 Biltmore
8 Biltmore
AshevilleSee on mapGeorge Vanderbilt’s incomparable Gilded Age gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted.