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

Call for Artists!The deadline for entries to this fall's Sculpture in the Garden show is Tuesday, June 30th.Sculpture in...
06/12/2026

Call for Artists!

The deadline for entries to this fall's Sculpture in the Garden show is Tuesday, June 30th.

Sculpture in the Garden is our annual sculpture show that invites visitors to enjoy locally-made artwork in the beautiful natural setting of the North Carolina Botanical Garden. It runs from Sunday, September 13 through Sunday, December 6.

More information for interested artists can be found at: https://ncbg.unc.edu/visit/exhibits/sig-artist-info/

Photo: Red Boat by Pat Day (front); Lonesome George by TJ Christiansen (middle): Scarred, Criss-Cross, Almost Blue by Karen Ives (back) in the 2024 Sculpture in the Garden exhibition

We conducted a prescribed burn at Mason Farm Biological Reserve on March 19, and now the summer flowers are starting to ...
06/11/2026

We conducted a prescribed burn at Mason Farm Biological Reserve on March 19, and now the summer flowers are starting to bloom! Check out these photos from Natural Areas Steward Rese Milkereit.
 

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Brazilian vervain (Verbena brasiliensis)

Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium)

Common wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium)

To reach Mason Farm, you will need to hike in through Parker Preserve because the entrance via the low water crossing (aka ford) remains closed. Tropical Storm Chantal fundamentally changed the portion of Morgan Creek that flows through Mason Farm, depositing thousands of metric tons of sediments. This raised the creek level and created multiple debris dams, making the creek unsafe to cross.

Visitors and neighbors, please keep an eye out for this dog. Thanks!
06/06/2026

Visitors and neighbors, please keep an eye out for this dog. Thanks!

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)

Please remember that glitter is litter as you celebrate graduations, weddings, and everything else this time of year! La...
05/22/2026

Please remember that glitter is litter as you celebrate graduations, weddings, and everything else this time of year! Last weekend, guests at the Garden used shredded mylar for a photo op, and our staff has spent hours trying to clean it up. Microplastics, including glitter and other small plastics, are terrible for our environment. Instead, use a filter to make your photos look like you used glitter without actually littering. In addition, please don't celebrate by throwing seeds--leave the planting to our highly-skilled gardening staff!

As temperatures heat up once again across the southeast, we welcome the many familiar flowers that usher in this transit...
05/15/2026

As temperatures heat up once again across the southeast, we welcome the many familiar flowers that usher in this transition time between late spring and early summer. Across our various Carolina-inspired habitats can be seen the deep magentas and purples of Grass-Pink orchids and Spiderworts, the bright whites of Wild Indigos, Beardtongues and Barbara’s Buttons, and the alluring pinks of Tracy’s Sundews, Mountain Laurels and Rose Pogonias. Be sure to stop by soon and through the summer to catch a glimpse of the many beautiful southeastern plants that happily call the garden home.

1. Grass-Pink Orchid (Calopogon tuberosus var. tuberosus)

2. Smooth Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohioensis)

3. Spiked Wild Indigo (Baptisia albescens)

4. Tall White Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)

5. Piedmont Barbara’s Buttons (Marshallia obovata var. obovata)

6. Tracy’s Sundew (Drosera tracyi)

7. Tracy’s Sundew sticky leaves

8. Tracy’s Sundew and White-topped pitcher plant (Sarracenia leucophylla)

9. Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)

10. Rose Pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides)

Photos by Scott Ward

We're getting ready for our Spring Native Plant Sale, rain or shine! At tomorrow's sale, we'll be joined by Mellow Marsh...
05/01/2026

We're getting ready for our Spring Native Plant Sale, rain or shine! At tomorrow's sale, we'll be joined by Mellow Marsh Farm, Growing Wild Nursery, and Carolina Habitats. You can expect a wide variety of southeastern native perennials, shrubs, trees, ferns, grasses, and carnivorous plants! The morning timed-entry windows are full, but no pre-registration is required for the open shopping period from 12-2 p.m. We hope to see you there!

We're getting ready for our Spring Native Plant Sale, rain or shine! At tomorrow's sale, we'll be joined by Mellow Marsh...
05/01/2026

We're getting ready for our Spring Native Plant Sale, rain or shine! At tomorrow's sale, we'll be joined by Mellow Marsh Farm, Growing Wild Nursery, and Carolina Habitats. You can expect a wide variety of southeastern native perennials, shrubs, trees, ferns, grasses, and carnivorous plants! The morning timed-entry windows are full, but no pre-registration is required for the open shopping period from 12-2 p.m. We hope to see you there! https://ncbg.unc.edu/event/spring-native-plant-sale/

Our Spring Native Plant Sale is next Saturday, May 2! We still have openings for the 10:30 - 12 shift, and no reservatio...
04/24/2026

Our Spring Native Plant Sale is next Saturday, May 2! We still have openings for the 10:30 - 12 shift, and no reservation is needed to shop 12-2. Find out more at go.unc.edu/plantsale.

Sneak Peak! We'll have nettleleaf sage (Salvia urticifolia) and spiked wild indigo (Baptisia albescens) for sale.

Nettleleaf sage is in the mint family, and prefers dry soil and partial shade. It is drought-tolerant when established. This plant is rarely found for sale at nurseries!

Spiked wild indigo grows best in partial shade to full sun and is known for being tough, tolerating drought, poor soil, and erosion. It's blooming now in our Courtyard Garden.

Our Spring Native Plant Sale is next Saturday, May 2! We still have openings for the 10:30 - 12 shift, and no reservatio...
04/24/2026

Our Spring Native Plant Sale is next Saturday, May 2! We still have openings for the 10:30 - 12 shift, and no reservation is needed to shop 12-2. Find out more at go.unc.edu/plantsale.

Sneak Peak! We'll have nettleleaf sage (Salvia urticifolia) and spiked wild indigo (Baptisia albescens) for sale.

Nettleleaf sage is in the mint family, and prefers dry soil and partial shade. It is drought-tolerant when established. This plant is rarely found for sale at nurseries!

Spiked wild indigo grows best in partial shade to full sun and is known for being tough, tolerating drought, poor soil, and erosion. It's blooming now in our Courtyard Garden.

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

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