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The UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens consists of a notable combination of
outdoor and indoor garden facilities on campus. Our three main
garden areas are the Van Landingham Glen, the Susie Harwood Garden, and
the McMillan Greenhouse. The 7-acre Van Landingham Glen is a
woodland garden showcasing native plants of the Carolinas, as well
as being one of the most diverse rhododendron gardens in the
Southeast. The 3-acre Harwood Garden boasts
year-round attraction - with an impressive diversity of hardy ornamental landscape plants,
meandering paths, a pond with waterfalls, an oriental gazebo, and
naturalistic rock-work throughout. The McMillan Greenhouse complex consists
of 8 "rooms", plus surrounding beds, terraces, and a courtyard
bog garden featuring carnivorous pitcher plant hybrids. The greenhouse contains an outstanding orchid collection,
a rainforest conservatory, desert succulents, and many plants from the world's
tropical habitats.
A fortunate combination of campus setting and enthusiastic benefactors has made the gardens possible.
The gardens were founded in the mid-1960s with
the inspired leadership of Dr. Herbert Hechenbleikner, professor of biology
emeritus. The
greenhouse and gardens serve as a resource to the campus community, as well
as the greater Charlotte community and its visitors. A wide
variety of classes utilize the facilities to differing degrees - from the
plant-related Biology courses taught in the greenhouse classroom to art
classes using the outdoor gardens as inspiration to technical writing
classes designing informative text about the greenhouse. We have
visitors from all over the United States (and the world!), and serve as a
home base to several plant societies and a local garden club. The
support of the University, donations and endowments from passionate
individuals, the dedicated and knowledgeable staff, volunteers from the
community, and student workers are all integral parts of our success.
We invite you to visit the Botanical Gardens, experience this world of
plants, and come back often. |