DISCOVER

Visit the Botanical Gardens

The Highlands Botanical Garden and HBS grounds are open year-round, dawn to dusk, free of charge. Come enjoy the wildflowers along our woodland trails, lake, and creek, have a picnic lunch, take one of our tours or workshops, or consider volunteering. Please stay on trails, be respectful of the plants, and keep pets on leashes.

See more about our trails and get directions here:

Hours & Directions

Discover

Tours During the summer months, learn about the gardens with a themed tour led by our horticulturist.

Classes Explore our offerings for children, students, and adult learners. 

Collections Our Herbaria and Living Collections offer insight into the diversity of the Highlands region.

Home Gardening Looking to add native plants to your home landscape? Explore our growing database of plant lists for ideas to implement in your own landscape.

Native Plants

The Highlands Botanical Gardens works with the Land Stewards of the Highlands Plateau (the conservation arm of the Laurel Garden Club) on “native plant rescue missions” — relocating native plants ahead of development projects, with permission of land-owners.  Other conservation partners include the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust, Mainspring Conservation Trust, and Chattooga Gardens, Ltd.  HBS is also a founding partner of the Coalition for Non-native Invasive Plant Management (CNIPM), which offers two community-service educational programs for homeowners and landscape managers annually, focusing on best practices in management of invasive plants and the benefits of gardening and landscaping with native plants.  To get involved with our Native Plant Rescue or CNIPM initiatives, please email costa@email.wcu.edu