Welcome to The Botanical Gardens at Asheville, located in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, one of the most diverse temperate ecosystems in the world! Our native plant collection includes more than 500 species native to the Southern Appalachians. These include many species of trees, shrubs, wildflowers, vines, grasses and sedges. Habitats vary from sunny and dry to shaded and wet, allowing for many suitable niche species. We have more than 70 species of plants that scientists consider uncommon, rare or endangered on a regional, state or federal level.
The Gardens are open daily from sunrise to sunset for the enjoyment of the community. Free parking is available on site and admission is always free. Our Visitor Center and restrooms are open daily from 10 am – 4 pm. The Visitor Center & Gift Shop as well as a small area in front of the Gardens are wheelchair accessible, all other trails are hard packed gravel and are mostly level with some small hills to navigate.
We aim to increase public awareness of this region’s unique botanical diversity by maintaining the gardens for the enjoyment of the public and by providing educational programs and research opportunities for the community. We hope that our Gardens will inspire our visitors to turn towards using native plants in in their own gardens, it’s an easy and important way to support a healthy environment.
The Botanical Gardens is an independent nonprofit corporation financially supported by memberships, donations, endowments, proceeds from the Garden Path Gift Shop, and fees from educational classes and special events. With the exception of the occasional competitive grant, we do not receive any city, state, or federal tax dollars. Although the Gardens is located on land belonging to the adjacent University of North Carolina at Asheville, we operate independently and are overseen by a Board of Directors elected by the general membership of the Botanical Gardens.
We invite you to visit the Botanical Gardens at Asheville to connect with nature and learn about the amazing variety of flora and fauna in our region and we appreciate any donation you are able to make to help us with ongoing care of the Gardens.