North Carolina Botanical Garden

North Carolina Botanical Garden We're a public garden in Chapel Hill, NC, dedicated to cultivating connections between plants, people, and place through science, engagement, and conservation.
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We manage over 1,200 acres of gardens and nature preserves, all free to visit. Come enjoy! A CONSERVATION GARDEN

The North Carolina Botanical Garden (NCBG), part of the University of North Carolina, is a 1,000-acre assemblage of display gardens and natural areas in and around Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Garden celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2016 and is nationally known as a center for th

e study, display, interpretation, and conservation of southeastern native plants. Through its educational, recreational, therapeutic horticulture, and research programs, it extends opportunities for connection with nature to people of all abilities and backgrounds. From the preservation of local biodiversity to sustainable gardening and event management practices, NCBG incorporates a conservation ethic into all parts of its operations. Surrounding the James & Delight Allen Education Center, the first LEED Platinum certified state-owned building or public museum in North Carolina, are NCBG’s main display gardens, which include an extensive southeastern native carnivorous plant collection and habitat gardens that mimic the natural plant communities of North Carolina. NCBG also manages Battle Park and Coker Arboretum on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus, the Piedmont Nature Trail system behind the display gardens, Mason Farm Biological Reserve, and the UNC Herbarium, a collection of over 800,000 plant specimens. The North Carolina Botanical Garden is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday and from 1-5 p.m. on Sunday. The Garden is closed to the public on Mondays and University holidays. Your support helps us conserve the natural heritage of North Carolina and the southeastern United States by protecting conservation areas, maintaining the largest herbarium in the southeastern United States, safeguarding rare and endangered plant species from extinction, and educating new generations of botanists and scientific leaders. Donate here: https://give.unc.edu/donate?from=wt&p=NCBG

09/02/2026

Up next in part two of our fall feature on Goldenrods we cover White Prairie and Licorice goldenrod, the latter of which is named for its sweet-smelling, gland-dotted leaves. As our many Solidago species begin to flower their way into fall, which species would you like to see highlighted?

Big news! UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University will unite their herbaria under the management of the North Carolina Botan...
08/31/2026

Big news! UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University will unite their herbaria under the management of the North Carolina Botanical Garden. Together, the collection will comprise about 1.7 million specimens, making it the third-largest university herbarium in the country after Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley; and the largest in the southeastern United States. Herbaria are collections of preserved plant specimens that serve as irreplaceable scientific archives and enable researchers to study biodiversity, long-term climate shifts, invasive species and other changes in plant life across generations. Find out more on our website: https://ncbg.unc.edu/2026/08/31/unc-chapel-hill-duke-combine-herbaria

08/31/2026

Goldenrods (Solidago) are among our region’s most diverse groups of southeastern wildlfowers, so how can we better identify them? Join Botanist Scott Ward in a multi-video tribute to identifying some of our region’s conspicuous (and not so conspicuous) species. Featured in part one are guides to identifying Pineywoods goldenrod, Silverrod and Southeastern Bold Goldenrod. Stay tuned for more featured species this fall!

08/05/2026

Late each winter our horticulture staff conduct prescribed burns to help maintain our native plant habitats and wildflower meadows throughout the garden. And each summer, we get to highlight this showy transformation from “litter to glitter.” While conducting small, controlled burns may not yet be feasible for most homeowners or landscapers across the south, establishing native wildflower and grassland meadows in our own backyards and public spaces can still be an easy and effective alternative to the typical turf lawn. It’s also a great way to create habitat for insects and birds that benefit from uninterrupted spans of vegetation, however big or small. Luckily, engaging in small acts of biodiversity kindness is often easier than you think (e.g., Monarda by the Mailbox; Dichanthelium by the Driveway); we hope you too will reconsider redefining beauty with native plants.

07/21/2026

What’s in bloom in late July at the garden? In short, a lot! Despite the drought and heat waves many gardens have been experiencing across the southeast this year, our horticulture staff are still hard at work watering and maintaining the many spaces in which our conservation garden shines. Here is a major thanks to our region’s hort staff from the gardeners and plant-loving people that indulge in and engage with these cultivated spaces each day. Our native plants thank you too!

Friday, July 3 is a UNC-Chapel Hill holiday so the Garden will be closed. The Garden will be open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Sat...
07/02/2026

Friday, July 3 is a UNC-Chapel Hill holiday so the Garden will be closed. The Garden will be open 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, July 4 and 5.  Coker Arboretum, Battle Park, and our other natural areas are open dawn to dust every day. Find out more at ncbg.unc.edu/visit

Scroll to experience just a few of the beautiful plants our team has the opportunity to work with in the coastal plain o...
06/24/2026

Scroll to experience just a few of the beautiful plants our team has the opportunity to work with in the coastal plain of North Carolina… These photos have been taken by members of our Conservation Department over the past couple months of their field excursions!

Cleistesiopsis divaricata (large dragonhead pogonia) — imperiled in NC

Calopogon tuberosus var. tuberosus (tuberosus grass-pink) — vulnerable in NC

Hypericum species 2 — endemic to wet pine savannas of NC’s outer coastal plain

Sarracenia flava (yellow pitcherplant)

Spiranthes eatonii (Eaton’s ladies’-tresses) — globally vulnerable

Stenanthium densum (crow-poison)

Pogonia ophioglossoides (rose pogonia) — threatened in NC

Dionaea muscipula (Venus flytrap) in fruit! — globally imperiled

Aletris farinosa (white-tubed colicroot)

Cleistesiopsis oricamporum (small dragonhead pogonia) — globally vulnerable

Calopogon tuberosus var. tuberosus (tuberosus grass-pink) (again!)

Triantha racemosa (coastal false asphodel)

Eurybia paludosa (southern swamp aster)

Rhexia alifanus (rose meadowbeauty)

06/23/2026

In nutrient-poor environments across the world, plants have evolved unique ways to supplement their diets with insects. Catching the insects is the trick. In the southeastern United States, 5 different types of native carnivorous plants can be found, and in our state of North Carolina, all five can be seen growing in the wild. Join NCBG Research Botanist Scott Ward from the field as he gives a quick run-down of our region’s carnivorous plants. For those looking to see these fascinating plants in action, come visit the garden Tuesday-Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm, where our carnivorous plant beds are cared for meticulously by Horticulture staff year-round.

Our carnivorous plant beds are cruising into peak bloom. Stop by to see Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, roughleaf looses...
05/22/2026

Our carnivorous plant beds are cruising into peak bloom. Stop by to see Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, roughleaf loosestrife, common grass-pink, and orange milkwort blooming their hearts out, rain or shine!

We are open our normal hours this holiday weekend, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Tuesday - Sunday.

1. Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
2. Pitcher plant (Sarracenia sp.)
3. Roughleaf Loosestrife (Lysimachia asperulifolia)
4. Common grass-pink (Calopogon tuberosus var. tuberosus)
5. Orange milkwort (Senega lutea)

Address

100 Old Mason Farm Road
Chapel Hill, NC
27517

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

(919) 962-0522

Website

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