Happy Birthday, FLO!

Join us on Tuesday, April 26th from 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. to celebrate the 200th birthday of Frederick Law Olmsted! Like any good party, there will be treats, live music, games and activities for all ages. We're even giving away 200 tree seedlings so you can bring a piece of the Arboretum to your own yard!

See the new Thanks FLO exhibit and enjoy extended hours at Bent Creek Bistro and Connections Gallery gift shop through 6:00 p.m. Free Guided Trail Walks will be offered at 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. We invite you and your family to learn, play, and enjoy nature in celebration of Olmsted's legacy.

Thanks FLO is presented by Biltmore Farms and Pratt & Whitney.

Additional exhibit support is provided in part by: The North Carolina  Arboretum Society; Asheville Citizen-Times;  B.B. Barns Garden, Gift and Landscape Company; The Laurel of Asheville; Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty; RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide; Smoky Mountain Living Magazine; and Henco North Creative Imaging.

New Extended Spring Hours!

As of Friday April 1, we have moved to our extended spring hours of 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. daily.

As always, incoming gates close one hour before closing (8:00 p.m.) to allow you plenty of time to explore once you get here.
 

Mountain Science Expo Presents: Explore Your Arboretum on April 30, 11:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m.

Mark your Calendar, and join us for a day celebrating the wonders of the natural world! This year’s spring education event will feature walks led by graduates of the Arboretum’s Blue Ridge Naturalist and Blue Ridge EcoGardener certificate programs and Arboretum education staff. Outdoor exhibitors will include the WNC Nature Center, US Forest Service, FIND Outdoors, NC Division of Air Quality, and the Environmental Quality Institute. Learn how to participate in the City Nature Challenge, a four-day event that invites you to help observe and upload photo observations of plants and animals to aid scientists to learn more about our region and our world’s biodiversity using iNaturalist, an online network of naturalists and nature enthusiasts.

In addition, kids crafts, live animal demonstrations and more will acquaint you with the plants and animals that call the Arboretum home. All activities are free of charge, regular parking fees apply.

Save the Date! Spring Plant Sale

Calling all garden lovers! The North Carolina Arboretum's annual outdoor plant sale is back, and it's bigger and better than ever. Revitalize your garden and home when you shop with us this spring.

The spring plant sale will be conducted in two parts: On Thursday, May 26 from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Rhododendron-level ($150) members and higher will receive priority access at our special member preview sale. Then, on Friday and Saturday, May 27 and 28 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., we're opening up the plant sale for the rest of our members and the general public. 

We are thrilled to expand this year's general public sale by partnering with over 20 local vendors for a tailgate-style market. You won't want to miss the opportunity to shop an even greater selection of outdoor and indoor plants, honey, seasonings, and herbal and body care products. We can't wait to see you at this year's plant sale! 

What’s Outside? Ephemeral Wildflowers!

Early April is a very exciting time to be outside at the Arboretum as well as across much of the Southern Appalachians. Before the oaks, maples and other overstory trees leaf out the forest floor offers a special, brief, splash of color in the form of ephemeral wildflowers. These small forest gems pop up quickly, bloom, and seem to disappear within weeks. The truth is, of course, the plants themselves are still present. It’s just the showy blooms that disappear.

A stroll through the Arboretum’s woodlands will reveal an impressive lineup of these wildflowers. Guests visiting the Arboretum in early April are likely to find bloodroot, Virginia spring beauty, star chickweed, wood anemone and dimpled trout lily, among many other blooming wildflowers. You can help the Arboretum track the bloom times of these and other flowers by uploading observations to iNaturalist.org. All photo observations made at the Arboretum are instantly added to our Explore the NC Arboretum project upon upload to iNaturalist using the mobile app or website. Join us in celebrating these fleeting signs of spring and share your finds with us!
 

Your Arboretum: Best of WNC!

Thank you for voting Winter Lights first place in Holiday Event - Winter/Spring in Mountain Xpress Best Of WNC 2021! You also voted us second in: Walk - In or Near Asheville; Place for Outdoor Fun; Kid-Friendly Hike; Nature Camp; Place to Connect With Nature Within Asheville City Limits. We're so appreciative of your support throughout the year. Voting for 2022 is now open through the end of April.