401 Ashland Drive
This 17-acre site features 14 plant collections, special display gardens and distinct structural features. The extensive variety of plants offers rich educational opportunities for children and adults, landscape designers, and homeowners.
The garden is open year-round. Admission is free.
GARDEN HOURS |
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|---|---|
| May-August | 8 am -8 pm |
| September-October March-April |
8 am-7 pm |
| November-February | 8 am-5 pm |
Reserve your 11"x14" William Mangum print of the Greensboro Arboretum.
To make a reservation for group events, weddings, or other special events, call 336-373-5888.
| P | Parking | 11 | Dr. & Mrs. William R. Findley Memorial Sun Shrub Collection |
| E | Entrance | 12 | Right Plant, Right Place Collection |
| i | Information | 13 | Kaplan Family Rose Garden & Arbor |
| 1 | Arboretum Classroom Building | 14 | Ornamental Grasses & Pollinator Meadow |
| 2 | Dwarf Conifer Collection | 15 | Robin B. Ward Meditation Garden & Groundcover Collection |
| 3 | Lee Britt Entrance Patio | 15a | Hart Chimes |
| 4 | Green Hill Farm Hosta Collection | 16 | Hydrophytic Collection |
| 5 | Greensboro Council of Garden Clubs Winter Garden Collection | 16a | R.R. Allen Family Butterfly Garden & Fountain |
| 5a | Tanger Family Wedding Gazebo | 16b | Marzulla Butterfly Bridge |
| 6 | Pattie S. Newlin Memorial Bouquet Garden | 17 | Blanche S. Benjamin Overlook |
| 7 | James W. Newlin Holly Collection | 18 | Beeson Rhododendron Collection |
| 8 | Irene H. McIver Vine Collection & Perennial Border | 19 | Conifer Collection |
| 9 | Small Tree Collection | 20 | New Garden Landscaping & Nursery Sequence of Bloom Collection |
| 10 | Gate City Kiwanis Club Shade Garden |  |
Restrooms |
| 10a | Van Dorn Memorial Woodland Classroom |
Greensboro Council of Garden Clubs Winter Garden Collection: Plants with interest during the winter months. |
Dr. & Mrs. William R. Findley Memorial Sun Shrub Collection: Plants which grow well in full sun. |
Dwarf Conifer Collection, adjacent to the Education Building. |
Gate City Kiwanis Club Shade Garden Collection: Plants which grow in varying degrees of shade. |
Irene H. McIver Vine Collection: A variety of climbing plants trained to grow on the Landmark Arbor. |
Robin B. Ward Meditation Garden & Groundcover Collection: Low-growing, spreading plants. |
Small Tree Collection: A variety of relatively compact trees. |
Hydrophytic Collection: Plants which tolerate moist soil. |
Conifer Collection: Cone-bearing plants. |
New Garden Landscaping & Nursery Sequence of Bloom Collection: Plants which blossom at progressive seasons for year-round beauty. |
Display Gardens |
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The Green Hill Farm Hosta Garden features dozens of varieties of hostas. |
The Kaplan Family Rose Garden & Arbor, features a variety of climbing roses growing on an arbor which mirrors the Landmark Arbor. |
The James W. Newlin Memorial Holly Garden features a variety of hollies. |
The R.R. Allen Family Butterfly Garden & Fountain is formed in the shape of two butterflies - each filled with colorful plants which attract butterflies. The garden's design is especially striking when viewed from the Overlook. |
A four-foot Perennial Border surrounds the Landmark Arbor, and provides spring, summer and fall beauty. |
The Beeson Rhododendron Garden features a number of varieties, blooming from early May to late June. |
The Woodland Trail is a nature walk winding through an established second growth forest within the Shade Garden Collection. |
The Pattie S. Newlin Memorial Bouquet Garden features plants suited for a cutting garden. |
FEATURES |
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The Tanger Family Wedding Gazebo, which hosts weddings, small musical ensembles, and special events. For information about weddings at the Greensboro Arboretum, click here. |
The Elena Marzulla Bridge features colorful butterflies and flowers incorporated in its design. |
The Dr. Lawrence & Alma Louise Hart Chimes -- a stunning, 23-foot tall trio of oversized wind chimes. |
The Blanche S. Benjamin Overlook provides a panoramic view of the Arboretum. Its design mirrors the Landmark Arbor. |
The Greensboro Arboretum began as a joint project of Greensboro Beautiful and the Greensboro Parks & Recreation Department to provide the community with an outstanding collection of plants 
for study and enjoyment. In the late 70's, after completing Bicentennial Garden, Greensboro Beautiful was searching for another area to serve the community and attract visitors to Greensboro. The City of Greensboro offered 17 acres within Lindley Park - centrally located and easily accessible from all parts of the city by major thoroughfares. It was also the site of remnants of the Anniversary Garden, a project of the Greensboro Council of Garden Clubs in the 50's. Greensboro Beautiful volunteer and Arboretum visionary, Irene McIver, proposed that special care be given to construct a landscape display garden which would utilize the natural topography of the site, which ranges from steep, almost cliff-like slopes to flat, meadow-like plains. She also suggested that the garden be constructed around existing wooded and open areas, and include collections of woody plants labeled for education, recreation and enjoyment of the public.
Greensboro Beautiful consulted with horticulture 
professors and NC State University, and contracted with Virginia Tech landscape architect and horticulture professor, Robert McDuffie, for a design and master plan. The plan involved woody ground covers, trees and shrubs to be grouped into labeled collection areas according to habit, family, color, growing conditions, and seasonal interest. Plant species selected were particularly hardy to the Piedmont Region of North Carolina. The plant material in each collection was separated by turf areas and paved walkways to allow close inspection of plants.
With the design in place and construction ready to begin, McIver began soliciting support from the community. Local businesses and nurseries were especially generous with contributions of plants and construction materials. Memorial and honor gifts were received and helped purchase trees and benches for the arboretum. City staff assumed responsibility for site preparation, installation of drainage, irrigation, planting, and maintenance. Construction began in 1986 and was completed in 1991.
In appreciation for her tireless dedication to the realization of the Greensboro Arboretum, Greensboro Beautiful named the Vine Collection in honor of Irene McIver.
The garden was formally opened to the public in 1991, and has proven to be a regional treasure - a living gallery of beauty, a learning laboratory for all ages, and a unique place for a tranquil walk.
A juried art and fine craft event featuring fifty artists from throughout the region. This event also features entertainment on three stages, interactive art activities, Art Bark, honey bee exhibit, two food courts, face painting, hula hooping, and beer and wine for sale. Admission is free!
With respect to precautions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be necessary for Greensboro Beautiful to revise either the event date or how the event is coordinated and presented to the community.
Help ensure that this free garden event continues and remains free.
Show your support! Links to websites and social sites are clickable.
Reserve your 11"x14" William Mangum print of the Greensboro Arboretum.
Classes - click here for information about classes at the Arboretum Weddings in the Gardens - click here for information about weddings in the Gardens |
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2800 E. Gate City Blvd.
Greensboro, NC 27401
Phone 336-373-2199
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