Gardens In The Piedmont
Spring in the Piedmont leaves no doubt why the dogwood is the state flower of North Carolina. The temperature and climate create a hospitable home for flora and fauna, as well as for the land’s famed golden-leafed tobacco. Across this low, rolling plain, the sheer number of sumptuous gardens is a testament to generous fertility.
Become acquainted with the state’s signature gardens, regional treasures and smaller gardens of note. Many gardens are free to visit and double as historical sites as well, so make a day (or two) of taking time to appreciate the beauty of North Carolina in bloom. This guide groups gardens within an hour’s drive of one another together to make planning your next visit a breeze.
Charlotte, Belmont, Concord, Davidson, Salisbury
Hezekiah Alexander Homesite, Charlotte
Hezekiah Alexander Homesite, Charlotte
18th century-style herb and weavers gardens on the grounds of the Revolutionary War era home that is Mecklenburg County’s oldest surviving structure.
UNC-Charlotte Botanical Gardens, Charlotte
Outstanding indoor and outdoor environments offering year-round enjoyment.
Wing Haven Garden & Bird Sanctuary, Charlotte
Formal gardens and natural areas create a serene environment for birds and other visitors.
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Belmont
A vivid display of colors in the vast Perennial Garden, Four Seasons Garden and more.
Memorial Garden, Concord
A multitude of azaleas, dogwoods, magnificent flowering cherries and 14,000 tulips entwined through the 200-year-old cemetery of the First Presbyterian Church.
Davidson College Arboretum, Davidson
A major collection of woody plants and magnificent trees beautify this classical campus.
Elizabeth Holmes Hurley Park, Salisbury
Wildflower and azalea gardens, woodlands, streams and quiet pathways over 16 acres providing a haven for wildlife.
Hamlin Sensory Garden, Salisbury
Highly fragrant blossoms and a lush variety of textures.
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Pittsboro
Ellen Mordecai Garden, Raleigh
Ellen Mordecai Garden, Raleigh
Antebellum kitchen garden faithfully recreated from firsthand descriptions, with seasonal vegetables and culinary and medicinal herbs, surrounded by flowers.
The JC Raulston Arboretum, Raleigh
A model for excellence with the nation’s most effective plant introduction program.
Joel Lane Museum House, Raleigh
Beautiful period gardens found at Wake County’s oldest existing dwelling which include a formal garden and culinary and medicinal herb garden.
The Martha Franck Fragrance Garden, Raleigh
A garden providing a sensory experience employing scent, sound and touch for sighted and visually-impaired persons.
Martin Luther King Memorial Gardens, Raleigh
More than 8,000 flowers surround a life-sized statue of King and two-ton granite water monument honors 25 pioneers in civil rights and education.
Home to live monarch butterflies and ruby-throated hummingbirds, the Living Conservatory re-creates a dry tropical forest complete with cacti, heliconias, orchids and dazzling red-hot lips.
More than 6,000 different plants aesthetically displayed in rock, aquatic, desert, shade and grotto gardens and extensive mixed borders.
Raleigh Municipal Rose Garden , Raleigh
More than 60 varieties including hybrid teas, florabundas, grandifloras, English roses, miniatures, tree roses and climbers.
Magic Wings Butterfly House, Durham
Exotic butterflies and their tropical habitats.
The Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Durham
Landscaped on the campus of Duke University.
North Carolina Botanical Garden
North Carolina Botanical Garden and Coker Arboretum, Chapel Hill
Nearly 600 acres featuring the state’s native plants in a variety of collections.
Fearrington Gardens, Pittsboro
Formal perennial gardens, kitchen and herb gardens, three cutting gardens, white fragrant garden all yielding delightful displays of color.
Asheboro, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Clemmons
North Carolina Zoological Park, Asheboro
Re-created natural habitats in this outstanding zoo offer a glimpse of botanical life from the arctic to the tropics.
Gethsemane Gardens and Nursery, Greensboro
Spectacular mass plantings of bulbs, annuals and perennials, flowering trees and shrubs, and an extensive collection of woody plants.
Bethabara Community Garden, Winston-Salem
Well-documented colonial community and medical gardens.
The best documented restored community gardens in America, in a 1766 Moravian village.
Reynolda Gardens of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem
An early 20th century formal garden designed by Thomas W. Sears, surrounded by open fields and forests.
Tanglewood Park, Clemmons
An Arboretum and Fragrance Garden with new and historical native cultivars as well as a large AARS-accredited Rose Garden with over 800 bushes and 75 varieties.
Fayetteville, Pinehurst, Red Springs
Cape Fear Botanical Garden, Fayetteville
Old growth forest and lush flowers and plants at the confluence of the Cape Fear and Cross Creek Rivers.
Sandhills Horticultural Gardens, Pinehurst
27 acres of richly varied gardens on the Sandhills Community College campus.
Flora Macdonald Gardens, Red Springs
Breathtaking vistas of color punctuate informal botanical gardens with their vast display of azaleas and native flora and fauna.
Fremont, Wilson, Halifax
Charles B. Aycock Birthplace, Fremont
Charles B. Aycock Birthplace, Fremont
Seasonal vegetables, flowers and herbs intermingled in a typical 19th century kitchen garden.
The Wilson Rose Garden, Wilson
A unique public rose garden with over 1,000 plants blooming from mid-April through October and boasting rare Old Garden Roses and the latest All-American Rose Selections.
Historical Halifax, Halifax
Medicinal, repellant, tea, fragrance, craft and cooking herb beds typical of the late 1700’s located at the rear of the Eagle Tavern, circa 1790.
added: March 16, 2009
updated: April 16, 2013
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