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North Carolina Botanical Garden is a tax-exempt nonprofit that opened to the public in 1966 and now manages more than 1,200 acres of gardens and natural areas, with programs in conservation, therapeutic horticulture, children's education and plant sales.

Second Saturday Garden Tour

Almost Winter Forest Bathing Walk

Give

Growing Impact: Therapeutic Horticulture Graduate Stories

Be on the Look Out: Pussytoe-Pineapples

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed ... All Things Blue

Fall Plant Sale 2026: Fall is for Planting!

Arrgh Matey, Yer Plant Press or Yer Life: William Dampier, Pirate and Plant Collector

Your Plant Press or Your Life: William Dampier, Pirate and Plant Collector

UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke to combine herbaria, creating the third-largest university plant collection in the United States

Garden Receives Grant to Transform Visitor Experience

Garden Awarded Funding for National Plant Checklist

Mississippi Rare Plants: A Case Study in the Herbarium

Damon Waitt

Michael Kunz

The 38th annual Sculpture in the Garden is up and running, featuring 74 sculptures by 62 local artists. Visit and vote now for your favorite sculpture to win a People's Choice Award - voting closes November 12! We'll announce the winners on social media on Friday, November 13. Sculpture in the Garden is up through Sunday, December 6. It's free and open to the public during normal Garden hours (9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays). Explore the show with a free map and guide, and pick up a sculpture scavenger hunt for little ones. Learn more at the link in our bio!

is feeling: Moody at the Main Garden ☁🍂

Last month, the Conservation team travelled to Asheville, NC to attend the Natural Areas Conference: Where Science Meets Stewardship! 🌿 While there, they learned along with conservation practitioners from around the country about how to care for our wild places and species. They also shared their research on advancing management practices to prevent plant extinctions of the Venus flytrap and Schweinitz’s sunflower as well as their work in plant materials development and stewardship, an effort that restores biodiversity locally and across the Southeastern US. They even squeezed in a field trip to some of NC’s best botanical sites! Special thanks to our funders and partners for helping make this happen: @allenphilanthropies, @friendsofplantconservation, @nsfgov, @usfws, NC Plant Conservation Program, @u.s.forestservice, @segrassland, and many more. 🫶

Dichotomous keys have long been the botanist’s most useful tool for plant identification, but what about for self-taught naturalists or gardeners? People can often feel overwhelmed by overly technical botanical jargon and can sometimes lose confidence while trying to “key out” plants. Join NCBG botanist and UNC-Chapel Hill Herbarium researcher Scott Ward as he walks us through a very basic key-writing example from a group of plants you may already know well: The Elephant’s Feet. #ncbotanicalgarden #Herbarium #DichotomousKey #botany #Elephantopus

The ford is open! Once again, visitors can access the Mason Farm Biological Reserve by driving through Morgan Creek behind Finley Golf Course. This access point had been closed since Tropical Storm Chantal fundamentally changed the flow of the creek in July 2025. A lot of time and effort went into making this crossing safe, and we are excited to offer easier access to this local wildlife haven and birdwatching gem. A permit is required to visit: sign up at https://ncbg.unc.edu/visit/mason-farm-biological-reserve And be sure to check the water level of the ford to make sure it is safe to cross when you visit! You can access that information on the same webpage.

The weather forecast looks a bit breezy and wet for tomorrow's NatureFest, so we are moving the fun indoors! We will still have crafts, nature activities, carnivorous plants, and live animals including owls, hawks, salamanders, turtles, and more. Free, designed for families with children up to age 10.

As fall brings color and change to our region, pollinators are still on the prowl for fall-blooming wildflowers. From our courtyard display gardens to the wild pine savannas downeast, goldenrods provide easy fuel and food for native insects and birds. Join Scott as he engages us once again in two more native goldenrods of North Carolina. #ncbotanicalgarden #goldenrods #nativeplants #botanyeducation

It's planting time! In this region, fall is the best time to add native plants to your garden. Our Daily Plant Sale is overflowing with great options for your home. Stop by Tuesday -Sunday, 9-5.

Bring the whole family for a day of outdoor fun, learning, and exploration! Perfect for children up to age 12, this free event features hands-on stations setup throughout the display gardens that invite kids (and grown-ups) to connect with the wonders of nature in North Carolina. We’ll be joined by community partners Chapel Hill Public Library, New Hope Bird Alliance, NC Herpetological Society, NC Science Trail, Raptor Insights, and Triangle Land Conservancy. Free and open to the public! Locopops will be available for purchase.

The deadline for applying for our Irrigation Technician position has been extended to Monday! The Communications Assistant position closes today. Please share!

Who’s excited for our fall plant sale this weekend? Many of you often come hunting for new plants to add to your gardens and showy, low maintenance perennials are a great start. Join Scott Ward and Jessica Hoyt as they showcase just a few plants that will be available this weekend. A big thank you is due to our nursery, horticulture and administrative staff for helping to pull off our plant sales and a big shout out to you and the many people who have gathered here for years to support southeastern native plants. #ncbotanicalgarden #nativeplants

Join our team! We currently have two positions open!

You can start making your shopping list for our Fall Plant Sale on Saturday, September 26! We have posted the list of plants that will be available at the beginning of the sale. Find that list and more information at NCBG.unc.edu/fall-plant-sale If you would like first pick of these plants, become a member of the North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation. Members have access to shop on Friday, September 25. There are still slots available that evening!

Our Therapeutic Horticulture program is one of the finalists for the National Garden Bureau’s Therapeutic Garden Grant, which would provide funding to help us expand accessibility at the Farm at Penny Lane. The grant would allow us to add several new raised beds and shade cloths to the garden to make it easier for participants with a range of mobility and sensory needs to comfortably participate throughout the seasons. As part of the grant, there is a public voting process, and the top voted project gets the largest amount of funding support. Please watch our video and cast a vote for "NC Botanical Garden – The Farm at Penny Lane" using the link below: https://ngb.org/therapeutic-garden-grant-voting/

Up next in our 3rd feature on goldenrods are the seaside and “bog wand” goldenrod groups, known for their their distinct basal rosettes and inflorescence “wands” that flower tall above their preferred salt marsh or boggy habitats. Join NCBG Botanist Scott Ward from the field as he entices us once again in Solidago, the southeast’s most diverse genus of aster. #Solidago #Goldenrod #bogwandgoldenrods #bogs #saltmarshes

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? #ncbotanicalgarden #Solidago #Goldenrods #nativeplants

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

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! #Solidago #Goldenrods #Asters #NativePlants #NorthCarolinaBotanicalGarden

Hummingbirds may not carry much weight around (about as much weight as a coin), but they do carry lots of character! With a few simple steps, you too can help bring these feathery floral feeders to your own backyard. In addition to hummingbird feeders, planting native wildflowers and shrubs nearby will also help to provide critical nectar sources for these high energy birds. And yes, it’s just that simple! As our fall plant sale approaches and with many native plant nurseries expanding their inventories across the southeast, it’s never been a better time to consider planting species like cardinal flower, coral honeysuckle, and scarlet beebalm. In the meantime, enjoy this video of our local (sometimes competitive) Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds at work on our feeders and Cardinal Flower and consider registering for our hummingbird banding demonstration by Susan Campbell this September. #ncbotanicalgarden #hummingbirds #cardinalflower #nativeplants

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. #NativePlants #Grasslands #Meadows #BringingNatureHome #Biodiversity

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! #ncbotanicalgarden #nativeplants #horticulture #conservationgardening

Our Carnivorous Plant Collection is an easy favorite for many garden visitors, but what does it take to curate these bogs and their many insect-loving plants? Tune in with Horticulture staff Chris Liloia and Shakita Holloway as they discuss some of the day-to-day work that goes into bog maintenance and curation. Watering, weeding, and (yes) even taxonomy all play an important role. What more would you like to learn about maintaining our bogs and other habitat gardens? Feel free to drop in the comment section about all things BOG 🤓. #CarnivorousPlants #NorthCarolinaNativePlants #Bogs #BogGardens #Horticulture Botany Polygalaceae

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

Check out 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)

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. #CarnivorousPlants #NativePlants #NorthCarolinaBotanicalGarden #VenusFlyTraps

Last week, our Conservation team was in the field near Wilmington, NC, collecting data for a project studying the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) — an iconic but rare plant found in the fire-dependent longleaf pine savannas of coastal North and South Carolina. These unique ecosystems support an incredible diversity of plants, many of which rely on frequent prescribed fire to maintain the open, sunny conditions they need to thrive. In collaboration with researchers at Kansas State University and Duke University, we’re studying how changing climate conditions and fire management influence Venus flytrap populations and the broader plant community. Using experimental climate chambers, we’re simulating future environmental conditions, including warmer temperatures and drier soils, to better understand how these ecosystems may respond to climate change. By monitoring both rare and common plant species, our goal is to provide land managers with science-based recommendations for conserving these habitats and the species that depend on them. This research is supported by a Partnership to Advance Conservation Science and Practice grant, jointly funded by Allen Family Philanthropies and the National Science Foundation.

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 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.

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! 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 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 #NorthCarolinaBotanicalGarden #NativePlants #ConservationGarden #SoutheasternPlants #PlantDiversity Biodiversity Orchids CarnivorousPlants

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!

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.

CBS Sunday Morning dropped by in December to learn more about Venus flytraps for a story about flytrap conservation work. The story is ready to air! Tune in to your CBS station this Sunday to watch!

This time of year, our conservation volunteers are on the hunt for Youngia japonica, commonly known as Hawksbeard. Youngia japonica is native to southeast Asia, grows easily, and spreads fast, making it a high priority for our team to remove from natural areas. The leaves are arranged in a basal rosette, and the flowering stalk can be anywhere from less an inch to several feet off the ground. The composite flowers are small and yellow and can turn to seed even after being picked! To remove, pull the plant by the root and dispose of it in a sealed receptacle, like a trash bag you can close. On the go and don't have time to pull weeds? Break off the flowering heads of the plant and dispose of them in a sealed receptacle. Do not leave pulled plants or flowers on the ground; the flowers will continue developing to seed and spread. Our volunteers like to use old flat head screwdrivers to loosen the roots from the dirt. Photos: Rese Milkereit

There’s nothing like April in Chapel Hill. The Garden is awash with rainbows: red buckeyes, orange Florida flame azaleas, yellow golden ragwort, green EVERYTHING, blue phlox, purple irises. 🌈🌳🌸 Here’s some of what’s been blooming this week: 1: Golden ragwort (Packera aurea) in the foreground; red buckeye and azalea in the background. 2: Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) 3: Rose (Rosa ‘Old Blush’) 4: Dwarf crested iris (Iris cristata) 5: Great white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) and eastern blue phlox 6: Perfoliate bellowort (Uvularia perfoliata) 7: Azalea and red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) 8: Eastern blue phlox (Phlox divaricata) 9: Florida anise-tree (Illicium floridanum) 10: Northern sundial lupine (Lupinus perennis ssp. perennis) 11: Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) 12: Atamasco lilies (Zephyranthes atamasco) 13: Coastal Plain dwarf iris (Iris verna) 14: Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) 15: Eastern bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana) 16: Scarlet paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea) in front of foamflower 17: Lady Banks rose (Rosa banksiae ‘Alba’) 18: Tall blue wild indigo (Baptisia australis) 19: Eastern red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) with ragwort and phlox 20: Coastal doghobble (Leucothoe axillaris) P.S. A note from Emily, outgoing communications & exhibits coordinator: I’ve been managing the Garden’s social media since 2017, but I’m leaving this week for a new role. It has been the honor of a lifetime to get to share the beauty and magic of this incredible place with y’all. Thanks for following along – and stay tuned for lots of exciting things coming from the Garden soon! ❤️

On an April day in 1966, the North Carolina Botanical Garden opened its first site to the public: a nature trail through an oak-hickory forest. A large sign greeted visitors: "This is a trail in the North Carolina Botanical Garden. You are invited to walk the trail at different seasons, to enjoy the changing variety in nature, to observe the development of the Garden, and to suggest appropriate ways in which the Garden may better serve its purposes of conservation, education, and research. - C.R. Bell, Director. 10 April 1966." In the last 60 years, NCBG has blossomed into an 1,200+ acre assemblage of gardens and natural areas; a center for the study and protection of southeastern plants; and a place where people come to connect with and learn about plants and nature. None of this would've been possible without the efforts of early staff members, work-study students, and volunteers, who poured countless hours into helping the Garden flourish. The last 20 years have seen even more growth: the construction of the Allen Education Center complex – the first state-owned LEED Platinum certified building in North Carolina; the hiring of the Garden's first full-time director, Damon Waitt; the public opening of new natural areas, like Parker Preserve; and the adoption of new community programs like Edible Campus and the Carolina Community Garden – just to name a few! To everyone who's been with us along the way: thank you. Here's to the next 60 years!

Heads up: we’ve got a bit of an unusual schedule this week. Our main garden and Allen Education Center will be closed on Friday (a University holiday) but open normal hours on Saturday and Sunday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. It looks like the weather will be great, and we’re entering a beautiful spring season. Come enjoy! ➡️📹: You can expect to see native wildflowers like eastern red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), bluets (Houstonia caerulea), and eastern blue phlox (Phlox divaricata var. divaricata) — and probably some anoles.🦎

Hello, spring! 🌸 Here’s a sample of what’s in bloom at our main garden, from native azaleas to jessamine to columbine. All of the plants pictured here are native to the southeastern U.S.! 1: Eastern blue phlox (Phlox divaricata var. divaricata) 2: Florida flame azalea (Rhododendron austrinum) 3: Great white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) 4: Eastern red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) – available at our Daily Plant Sale! 5-6: Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) 7: Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) 8: Violet (Viola sp.) 9: Alabama snow-wreath (Neviusia alabamensis) 10: Golden ragwort (Packera aurea) 11-12: Pinxterflower azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides) – in a pot! Come enjoy! #nativeplants

Today is #GiveUNC, and you can help us unlock a $6,000 challenge gift that supports programs like Camp Flytrap → visit our link in bio (or go to giveunc.unc.edu/cause/north-carolina-botanical-garden) to give today! 🌻 In celebration of the Garden’s 60th anniversary, supporters Clay Harrell, BA ‘68, MD ‘72, Jane Harrell, BA ‘69, and Lauren Rivers, BA ‘93 have stepped forward with a challenge gift: 60 gifts of $125 or more to the Garden during GiveUNC, their $6,000 gift will be unlocked. GiveUNC – the University’s annual day of giving – is an opportunity to support the work that happens here every day: managing more than 1,200 acres of gardens and natural areas, safeguarding rare and endangered plant species, and inspiring meaningful connections between plants, people, and place. Every summer, kids join us for weeklong camps full of outdoor discovery and nature-based learning. From finding salamander larvae in the creek to cutting open pitcher plants, Camp Flytrap invites kids to explore the wonders of nature. Your donation helps us expand camps and make them accessible to more families! 🔗 Give today at giveunc.unc.edu/cause/north-carolina-botanical-garden. 📹: Footage by @riversagency

Tomorrow is #GiveUNC, and we need your help to unlock a special challenge gift! → Visit our link in bio to make your gift count! 🌸 In celebration of the Garden’s 60th anniversary, supporters Clay Harrell, BA ‘68, MD ‘72, Jane Harrell, BA ‘69, and Lauren Rivers, BA ‘93 have stepped forward with a challenge gift: if the Garden receives 60 gifts of $125 or more during GiveUNC, their $6,000 gift will be unlocked. GiveUNC – the University’s annual day of giving – is an opportunity to support the work that happens here every day: managing more than 1,200 acres of gardens and natural areas, safeguarding rare and endangered plant species, and inspiring meaningful connections between plants, people, and place. 🔗 Make your gift at giveunc.unc.edu/cause/north-carolina-botanical-garden. (Gifts today count, too!) 📷: Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) blooming in our Piedmont Habitat.

Can you spot the pollinator on these pawpaw flowers? 🪰 That’s right: it’s a fly! Common pawpaws (Asimina triloba) flowers have a pungent, yeasty smell and look a little like rotting meat, qualities that help them attract their main pollinators: flies and beetles. You’d hardly guess these stinky flowers turn into tropical-tasting fruits in autumn! Unfortunately for pawpaws, flies and beetles tend to be less efficient than bees at pollination: they don’t have the special pollen-carrying hairs many bees have, and they usually visit flowers to feed themselves, rather than making many trips to and from a nest to feed their larvae, as bees do. (Fewer flower visits mean fewer opportunities for pollination!) Pawpaws can also have a hard time setting fruit because they require cross-pollination: pollen needs to move between two genetically distinct individuals to be successful. To make for more fruits, backyard growers and pawpaw farmers have tried a number of techniques, from hand pollination to hanging roadkill around the trees! Have you heard of (or tried) any other odd pawpaw pollination tricks? 👀 #pawpaw #pollinators #spring

Our Daily Plant Sale is open for the season! We’re starting out with a small selection of early spring favorites like trout lilies, golden ragwort, mayapple, and foamflower. All of these southeastern native plants are grown with love right here at our nursery – some of the spring ephemerals can take more than five years of care before they’re ready to be sold! The selection of plants will change regularly: you can see what’s available at go.unc.edu/dailyplantsale. (Note that this list isn’t tied to live inventory, but our nursery staff do their best to keep it up-to-date!) While you’re picking up plants, check out our new Wildflower of the Year t-shirts, featuring an original illustration of big-headed aster by Dot Wilbur Brooks. We have a standard short-sleeve shirt and a slimmer, v-neck option. Also new in the Garden Shop: spring decor and gifts! Come explore!

We’re celebrating 60 years of saving rare species, creating transformational educational experiences, and stewarding places where people can connect with nature. 🌱 What began in 1966 as single public nature trail has become a flourishing mosaic of 1,200 acres of gardens and natural areas. Where there was once one lone employee, there are now 40 full-time staff working to document and protect the plant biodiversity of the Southeast and engage new generations of nature-lovers. Community support made our first 60 years possible: with your help, we can ensure the Garden thrives for the next 60. We’re one week out from #GiveUNC, UNC-Chapel Hill’s annual day of giving. Thanks to a challenge gift by two generous supporters, your donation will go further on March 24 than any day of the year. 🔗 Make a plan to give and learn more via our link in bio or at https://giveunc.unc.edu/cause/north-carolina-botanical-garden

Have you ever looked at a big patch of trout lilies and wondered how many there actually were? Here, NCBG research botanist Scott Ward (@newyork_botany) takes to the Piedmont Nature Trails behind the Garden to demonstrate a simple, old-school method plant ecologists still use to estimate the number of plants in an area. Dimpled trout lilies (Erythronium umbilicatum), the most common trout lilies in our area, are blooming now in their large, clonal mats. This species is endemic to the Southeast! If you live in the Triangle area, American trout lilies (Erythronium americanum) are less common, but you can occasionally find them. This species – more common in the Northeast – typically blooms a couple of weeks after the dimpled trout lilies here. A key way to tell them apart is by prying apart the flower to look at the ovary: dimpled trout lilies have a striking dimple (like an innie belly button) at the top, whereas American trout lily ovaries end in a smooth, round, un-dimpled top.

The spring ephemerals (and ephemeral-adjacent wildflowers) are coming and going quickly — as is their way! The bloodroot and trout lilies are already mostly past their peak; the trilliums and windflowers are just getting started. Here’s some of what we’ve seen this week. 1: Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis): Technically not a true ephemeral because its leaves last into summer, but its flowers last for only a few days! 2: Little sweet Betsy (Trillium cuneatum): The first of many in our Mountain Habitat have started to bloom. Also called purple toadshade! 3: Dimpled trout lily (Erythronium umbilicatum): Distinguishable from the closely related American trout lily by the dimple (like an innie bellie button) at the top of its ovary, which you can see if you peel back the tepals. 4: Windflower (Thalictrum thalictroides) 5: Sandhills pyxie moss (Pyxidanthera barbulata var. brevifolia): Rescued three years ago from a site in the North Carolina Sandhills slated for clearing. 6: Leatherwood (Dirca palustris): Most of this plants common names (also leatherbark, rope-bark) refer to its use by Indigenous Peoples for cordage. 7: Windflower (Thalictrum thalictroides) 8: Sharp-lobed liverleaf (Hepatica acutiloba) 9: A big patch of bloodroot, already on its way out, in our Mountain Habitat.

Are you a college student or recent grad looking for hands-on experience in field botany and applied ecology? We're hiring for an exciting new summer internship: the Venus Flytrap Intern! In this role, you'll join our ongoing research project studying the effects of climate change and fire on Venus flytraps and other rare plants in the North Carolina Coastal Plain. You'll get your hands (and boots) dirty conducting rare plant surveys and long-term demographic monitoring of Venus flytrap populations in the wild. And you'll have the opportunity to design and implement an independent field or lab research project focused on one of the plant species in question! Learn more and apply by March 28 at go.unc.edu/ncbgjobs. #hiring #internships #flytrap

Toad-al madness: a group of American toads caused quite a stir in our Native American Garden today! 🐸 Eager single males hurled themselves at mating pairs, hoping to get in on the action, but the pairs fended them off with lots of kicking and thrashing. It’s a tough life for a single frog! These native amphibians make their way to collective breeding sites like this – often the same ones each year – in late winter. Successful pairings produce clutches with thousands of eggs in long strings, which you can see in these clips! #americantoad #anaxyrusamericanusamericanus #herpsofnc

Have you ever noticed the way a single oak tree can have differently-shaped leaves? Many trees, including oaks, have broader "shade leaves" lower on the trunk and narrower "sun leaves" higher on the tree. This comes in handy when you're trying to identify an oak based on its leaves: while the shade leaves can get a little funky, the sun leaves tend to be the most distinctive and true to type. If you poke around in the leaf litter for sun leaves, it'll help narrow down your ID! Here, NCBG research botanist Scott Ward (@newyork_botany) gets into a couple of common native red oaks in our area: pagoda oak (Quercus pagoda, also known as cherrybark oak) and southern red oak (Quercus falcata). Their shade leaves can look super similar, but their sun leaves are easier to tell apart: southern red oak tends to have distinctive, three-lobed sun leaves, with a sickle-shaped central lobe. Pagoda oak sun leaves typically have between 7 and 11 lobes! Another rule of thumb is that pagoda oak leaf bases tend to be more V-shaped than southern red oak, which usually has more U-shaped leaf bases. They also generally live in slightly different habitats: pagoda oak is most common in bottomland forests, and southern red oak is more of an upland species. (But, as ever, there are exceptions: both species can be found in higher and drier or lower and wetter habitats.) Dig into oak identification on our Flora of the Southeastern US site: fsus.ncbg.unc.edu.

Spring has arrived at Coker Arboretum! 🌸💐🌼 Come stroll among the magnolias and daffodils or pack a picnic and stretch out on an open lawn. Native spring ephemerals like trout lilies, trilliums, and bloodroot are also a little ahead of the ones at our main garden down the hill! Pictured: 1: Flowering quince (Chaenomeles sp.) 2: American trout lily (Erythronium americanum ssp. americanum) 3: Flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) 4: Willow-leaf magnolia (Magnolia ‘W.B. Clarke’) 5: Lily-of-the-valley bush (Pieris japonica) 6: Magnolia 7: Daffodils (Narcissus ‘Ice Follies’) 8: English primrose (Primula vulgaris ssp. sibthorpii) 9: Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia ‘Spectabilis’) 10: Quince (Chaenomeles x superba ‘Charming’) 11: Little sweet Betsy (Trillium cuneatum) 12: Magnolia ‘Ballerina’ 13: Quinces and magnolias 14: Magnolia ‘Ballerina’ Learn more and plan your trip at ncbg.unc.edu/visit/coker-arboretum.

Whether you’re based in North Carolina or on the other side of the world, we offer therapeutic horticulture training programs designed to help you discover the power of plants to support well-being and connection and incorporate them into your work! 🌿 Online Introduction to Therapeutic Horticulture: This self-paced, beginner-friendly, fully online course explores the ways gardens and plants support physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual wellness. It also serves as the first of four courses in our Online Certificate in Therapeutic Horticulture program, offered in partnership with NC State Extension Gardener; the next session runs from March 30 to May 17! 🌿 Hybrid Certificate in Therapeutic Horticulture: This nine-month program blends in-person instruction here at the North Carolina Botanical Garden (one Saturday per month) with recorded lectures. It’s ideal for those looking to apply therapeutic horticulture in professional or allied health settings. The next program runs from August 2026 to April 2027; register by March 31 to receive the $100 Early Bird discount! 🔗 Learn more about our therapeutic horticulture program offerings and register at go.unc.edu/TH.

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