Azalea collection in bloom

Enjoy a lovely hike while seeing and smelling the beautiful blooms in the North Carolina Arboretum's National Native Azalea collection.

Located along Bent Creek in South Buncombe County, this natural woodland garden is home to nearly every native azalea species in the nation, along with many hybrids and cultivated selections. Currently in bloom are Florida azalea (Rhododendron austrinum), piedmont azalea (Rhododendron canescens), pinkshell azalea (Rhododendron vaseyi), pinxterbloom azalea (Rhododendron pericylmenoides), Oconee azalea (Rhododendron flammeum) and coastal azalea (Rhododendron atlanticum).

More species will pop out throughout May, so come out and see one of the Arboretum's most majestic spring gems.

The North Carolina Arboretum is located within the Bent Creek Experimental Forest just south of Asheville and adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 393.