Sandhills Horticultural Gardens

Sandhills Horticultural Gardens is a 32-acre site with multiple distinct sections spread across the college campus. These include formally designed English-style gardens, trails through native wetland areas, and collections of specialized plants arranged throughout the grounds.

The Holly Garden started in 1978 and grew into the largest public holly collection on the East Coast. From this beginning, the site developed into the diverse garden sections that exist today.

The landscape gardening program trains students who actively maintain and expand the gardens as part of their hands-on education. Visitors can observe how this work shapes and sustains the different sections they walk through.

You can enter at 3395 Airport Road and explore from sunrise to sunset throughout the year. The Ball Garden Visitors Center offers a good starting point and operates during standard daytime hours.

The Desmond Native Wetland Trail features a boardwalk through native plants and functions as both a nature reserve and bird sanctuary. This section demonstrates how garden spaces can serve conservation purposes.

Location: North Carolina

GPS coordinates: 35.22350,-79.40480

Latest update: December 14, 2025 14:45