J. C. Raulston Arboretum

The JC Raulston Arboretum is a arboretum and botanical garden administered by North Carolina State University, and located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is open daily to the public without charge.

History

The Arboretum was established in 1976 by horticulturist Dr. James Chester Raulston, and after Dr. Raulston's death in 1996, the Arboretum was re-named in his honor.

Plant collections

The arboretum has a collection of plants from over 50 countries. Its plant collections now include over 6,000 total taxa of annuals, perennials, bulbs, vines, ground covers, shrubs, and trees, with significant collections of:
*''Acer (genus), Acer'' (maple)
*''Aesculus'' (buckeye)
*''Berberis'' (barberry)
*''Buxus'' (boxwood)
*''Cercis'' (redbud)
*Conifers
*''Ilex'' (holly)
*''Magnolia'' (magnolia)
*''Mahonia'' (grapeholly)
*''Nandina'' (heavenly bamboo)
*''Quercus'' (oak)
*Styracaceae (silverbell family)
*''Viburnum''
*''Wisteria''

The major gardens

* Annual Color Trials — an official All-America Selections (AAS) testing site, evaluating over 700 different annuals and tender perennials each year.
* Entry Garden — more than 100 types of tender perennials, mostly tropical.
* Finley-Nottingham Rose Garden — over 200 roses representing over 120 taxa, including hybrid teas, hybrid musk roses, David Austin roses, and climbing roses.
* Japanese Garden — Japanese plants with a raked-stone Zen garden; plants include ''Acer (genus), Acer palmatum'' ‘Kiyohime’, ''Acer (genus), Acer palmatum'' ‘Seiryu’, ''Chamaecyparis obtusa'' ‘Nana Gracilis’, ''Lagerstroemia fauriei'', ''Nandina domestica'' f. ''capillaris'' cultivars, and ''Pinus taeda'' ‘Nana’.
* Klein-Pringle White Garden — white-flowered plants and plants with gray, white, or silver foliage, inspired by the famous White Garden at Sissinghurst Castle Garden; plants include ''Acer (genus), Acer palmatum'', ''Lagerstroemia'' ‘Natchez’, ''Magnolia'' × ''loebneri'' ‘Merrill’, ''Styrax japonicus'' ‘Emerald Pagoda’, and ''Viburnum'' ‘Mohawk’.
* Lath House — over 700 kinds of shade-loving plants, including ''Acanthus (genus), Acanthus spinosus'', ''Cornus (genus), Cornus controversa'' 'Variegata', ''Farfugium japonicum'' 'Aureomaculatum', ''Gentiana saponaria'', ''Hydrangea macrophylla'' ‘Pia’, ''Pieris japonica'' ‘Shojo’, and ''Trochodendron aralioides''.
* Mixed Border — a large border planting (300 × 15 feet) (91 × 4.6 m) of trees, shrubs, groundcovers, perennials, and bulbs; plants include ''Campsis grandiflora'' 'Morning Calm', ''Chamaecyparis thyoides'' 'Rubicon', ''Clematis'' 'Betty Corning', ''Cornus (genus), Cornus sericea'' 'Silver and Gold', and ''Hamamelis × intermedia'' ‘Jelena’.
* Model Gardens — home demonstration gardens.
* Paradise Garden — for the senses of sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell; plants include ''Aloysia triphylla'', ''Corylus avellana'' ‘Contorta’, ''Hosta'' ‘Sum and Substance’, and ''Ziziphus jujuba'' ‘Inermis’.
* Perennial Border — nearly 1,000 plants in a large border planting (450 × 18 feet) (140 × 5.5 m), with color scheme based upon a plan by Gertrude Jekyll.
* Southall Memorial Garden — a Tsuga, hemlock tree grove, with mixed plantings and an open grassy area for gatherings.
* Xeric Garden — plants from Mexico and the American Southwest, including ''Agave'', ''Dasylirion'', ''Echinocactus'', ''Hesperaloe'', ''Nolina'', ''Opuntia'', and ''Yucca''.
* Winter Garden — plants at their best in winter, including ''Cryptomeria'', ''Chamaecyparis'', ''Cornus (genus), Cornus officinalis'' 'Kintoki', ''Edgeworthia chrysantha'', ''Epimedium'', ''Hamamelis'', ''Helleborus'' × ''hybridus'', ''Ilex'', ''Iris (plant), Iris unguicularis'', ''Prunus mume'' 'Rose Glow', and ''Yucca''.

See also

* List of botanical gardens in the United States

References

External links

JC Raulston Arboretum website

Guide to the J. C. Raulston Papers 1930-2006

{{Raleigh, North Carolina , state=autocollapse

Arboreta in North Carolina
Botanical gardens in North Carolina
North Carolina State University
Parks in Raleigh, North Carolina
1976 establishments in North Carolina