Gallery

The Arboretum’s acclaimed bonsai collection includes traditional Asian bonsai subjects such as Japanese maple and Chinese elm, tropical plants such as willow-leaf fig and bougainvillea, and American species such as bald cypress and limber pine. Of particular importance are the plants native to the Blue Ridge region, such as American hornbeam and eastern white pine, which enable the Arboretum to bring the thousand-year tradition of bonsai home to the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Bonsai are back on display in the garden from the second Saturday in May, World Bonsai Day, through November. During the winter months, a selection of tropical bonsai are on display in the Baker Exhibit Greenhouse. The changing gallery below highlights a few of the specimens and landscapes that are hallmarks of the collection and visitor favorites in any season. Find a list of the bonsai currently on display in the Arboretum’s Bonsai Exhibition Garden here.

40 Acre Rock

Shimpaku Juniper (Juniperus chinensis var. shimpaku); Kingsville Boxwood (Buxus microphylla 'Kingsville Dwarf'); Stone slab from John Geanangel.

Appalachian Cove

American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana); Virginia Spiraea (Spiraea virginiana); Red Maple (Acer rubrum); Shrubby St. John's Wort (Hypericum prolificum); Container by Jerry King.

American Elm (Ulmus americana); Container by Eli Akins.

Paper Flower (Bougainvillea glabra); Container by Jack Hoover.

Carolina Hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana); Red Maple (Acer rubrum); American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana); Sweetspire (Itea virginica 'Shirley's Compact'); Ceramic slab by Ron Lang.

Natchez Hybrid Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia ‘Natchez’); Container by Sara Rayner.

Aunt Martha's Magic Garden

Hinoki Falsecypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Gracilis'); Crimson Pygmy Barberry (Berberis thunbergii 'Crimson Pygmy'); Japanese Spiraea (Spiraea japonica); Blue Forest Juniper (Juniperus sabina 'Blue Forest'); Chinese container.

Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum); Container by Sharon Edwards-Russell.

Crazy Horse

Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana); Container by Robert Wallace. Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia); Container by Rebecca Ayres.

Purple Cut-Leaf Maple (Acer palmatum var. dissectum atropurpureum); Container by Sara Rayner.

European Black Pine (Pinus nigra): Container by Sara Rayner.

Dwarf White Pine (Pinus strobus ‘Nana’); Container by Ron Lang.

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba); Container by Tom Dimig.

Graveyard Fields

Red Maple ( Acer rubrum); Japanese Hornbeam (Carpinus japonica); Dryland Blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum); Japanese Spirea (Spiraea japonica); Ceramic slab by Ron Lang.

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum); Container by Sara Rayner.

European Beech (Fagus sylvatica); Container by Richard Gallandi.

River of Dreams

Azalea (Rhododendron ‘Christmas Cheer'); Kingsville Boxwood (Buxus microphylla 'Compacta'); Hybrid Azalea (Rhododendron c.); Japanese container.

Sentinel

Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana); Container by Robert Wallace. Caramel alum root (Heurchera x ’caramel’); Container by Tom Dimig.

Heart Full of Hollow

Red Maple (Acer rubrum); Container by Ron Lang.

Heart Full of Hollow

Red Maple (Acer rubrum); Container by Ron Lang.

The Wounded Rider

Red Maple (Acer rubrum); Container by Charles Smith.

Singecat Chasm

Shimpaku Juniper (Juniperus chinensis var. shimpaku); Stone provided by John Geanangel.

Mt. Mitchell

White Spruce (Picea glauca 'Jean's Dilly'); Rukizon Azalea (Rhododendron 'Rukizon'); Coccineus Woody Thyme (Thymus praecox 'Coccineus'); Dwarf Yarrow (Achillea tomentosa 'King Edward’); Container by Sara Rayner.

American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana); Container by Robert Wallace.

Up On Slingshot Ridge

American Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana); Rhododendron 'Chinzan' (Chinzan Azalea); Bluets (Hedyotis michauxii); Stone provided by John Geanangel and Ken Duncan.