Cherokee Arboretum at Audubon Acres, Botanical garden in East Brainerd, Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Cherokee Arboretum at Audubon Acres is a woodland property featuring a network of walking trails that move through collections of native plants and forest sections. The grounds include both natural forest areas and more cultivated garden spaces with labeled plant groupings throughout.
The property gained official arboretum designation in 2003 and has been managed by the Chattanooga Audubon Society as a protected natural space since then. This organizational commitment has supported the long-term preservation and stewardship of the forest and plant collections.
Plant labels throughout the grounds display scientific names, common English terms, and traditional Cherokee Syllabary, honoring the indigenous heritage of the region. As you walk the trails, these trilingual markers become a quiet reminder of who lived here before.
The grounds offer a network of walking paths for exploring different plant sections, with trails that are well-marked and straightforward to follow. Plan to move slowly through the various forest areas and wear comfortable footwear suited to outdoor walking.
Educational displays throughout the space explain how Cherokee people traditionally used forest plants for food, medicine, and other purposes. These practical examples give visitors a window into how indigenous knowledge connected daily life with the surrounding natural world.
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