North Carolina Botanical Garden:
History and Mission

The NC Botanical Garden is a regional center for research, conservation, and interpretation of plants, particularly those native to the southeastern United States, but also including those with special botanical interest or horticultural plants with traditional uses.

The Garden has been recogized nationally in several areas, including natural habitat displays, wildflower propagation, the conservation of rare plants and natural areas,and the culture and propagation of carnivorous plants.

The Herb Garden has been recognized as the best in the Southeast and the Horticultural Therapy program has been widely praised for national leadership. The Garden's Mason Farm Biological Reserve has played a vital role as an outdoor laboratory and classroom for University faculty and students and protects some of the most important natural areas in our region.

The components of the mission of the Garden are:

Research
Instruction
Conservation
Collections
Public Programs

The Garden is part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is supported by the state of North Carolina and the Botanical Garden Foundation.

The Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports many Garden activities and provides significant funding for Garden programs, buildings and conservation efforts. Contributions to the Foundation above regular membership are tax deductible. The Foundation also owns and manages several natural areas for the preservation of rare plants and unique natural communities.

The four major interpretive themes of the Garden are:

The Richness Represented by the Earth's Biological Diversity

The Dependence of Human Quality of Life and Human Existence on This Diversity

The Critical Need for Conservation of Our Natural Heritage

The Importance of Botanical Research to Human Society

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