Visit the North Carolina coast to explore manicured formal gardens, see masses of brightly blooming azaleas and learn about botanical treasures such as the rare Venus flytrap. It’s sandy, easy to cultivate the light, and the climate is tempered by the Gulf Stream for a lengthy growing season. It’s not hard to see why the earliest settlers were eager to make our shores their home.
1 Cupola House Garden
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1 Cupola House Garden
EdentonSee on mapA Colonial Revival garden designed by Donald Parker of Colonial Williamsburg, with parterres, orchard, arbor and herbs befitting this historically significant 1758 home.
2 Elizabethan Gardens
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2 Elizabethan Gardens
ManteoSee on mapA grand formal garden with abundant plantings, antique statuary and ornaments, and peaceful natural areas memorializing the settlers of The Lost Colony.
3 Bellamy Mansion Museum Gardens
3 Bellamy Mansion Museum Gardens
WilmingtonSee on mapVictorian elegance in gardens with year-round color, featuring a symmetrical series of elliptical and circular parterre beds.
4 Historic Halifax
4 Historic Halifax
HalifaxSee on mapMedicinal, repellant, tea, fragrance, craft and cooking herb beds typical of the late 1700s, located at the rear of the Eagle Tavern, circa 1790.
5 Tryon Palace
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5 Tryon Palace
New BernSee on mapElaborate 18th-century-style gardens benefiting the royal governor’s residence and first capitol of North Carolina.
6 Charles B. Aycock Birthplace
6 Charles B. Aycock Birthplace
FremontSee on mapSeasonal vegetables, flowers and herbs intermingled in a typical 19th-century kitchen garden.
7 Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens
7 Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens
WilmingtonSee on map18th-century-style gardens featuring a parterre garden and terraced orchard at the oldest museum house in southeastern North Carolina.
8 Airlie Gardens
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8 Airlie Gardens
WilmingtonSee on mapA 1920s garden filled with abundant camellias and azaleas offering beautiful waterfront views.
9 North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
9 North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Kure BeachSee on mapFeatures natural habitats and ecosystems, including plants that can prosper at the seashore with minimal care.
10 UNC-Wilmington Arboretum
10 UNC-Wilmington Arboretum
WilmingtonSee on mapA 10-acre wildflower preserve, 200 acres of pine savanna, numerous wetlands and more among the rich natural resources of this campus.