Welcome to

Juniper Level Botanic Garden ​

One of the largest and most diverse plant collections in the world.

Fall Open Garden and Nursery Days – September 13-15, 20-22.

Our mission

Collect, study, preserve, propagate and share plants for a better world

The mission of Juniper Level Botanic Garden is to promote botanical diversity by assembling the largest collection possible of growable, winter/summer hardy ornamental plants for our region and display them in an aesthetic, sustainably-maintained, healthy garden setting. This philosophy includes obtaining plants from all over the world with a strong emphasis on North American native plants, realizing that these are, as a group, no more or less adaptable than plants from foreign lands. Plants are obtained through plant exploration, plant breeding, as well as exchange and purchase from other botanic gardens and horticultural experts.

A special place​

Juniper Level Botanic Garden is an 10-acre educational, research, and display garden filled with more than 27,000 taxa of plants, including native perennials, exotic plants, rare delights, and an array of incredible and unusual specimen trees and shrubs you won’t see anywhere else in the world.

The garden was designed using the philosophy of “drifts of one” to house and showcase a diverse collection of ornamental plants in an aesthetic and relaxed setting. Juniper Level Botanic Garden has evolved into one of the largest ex-situ plant collections in the world. The garden is designed for year-round interest with peak season from late April through mid-October.

37

Years since established

27

Thousand different taxa

Our History​

JLBG was established in 1986 when Raleigh native Tony Avent and his wife Michelle purchased a 2.2 acre abandoned sandy loam tobacco field in the community of Juniper in Southern Wake County (central North Carolina). 

The garden name originated from “junipers” which used to grow along nearby Juniper Branch. These plants were Chamaecyparis thyoides. The southern term “Level” is used for the flat areas between creeks, hence the community name, Juniper Level.

Timeline

1986​

Breaking ground

Tony and Michelle purchase a home on 2.2 acres, garden construction begins on the Founders Garden. Plant Delights Nursery is established.

1996​

First expansion

The Avents purchase 5.25 acres of adjoining property. This new section becomes Michelle’s Garden.

2001

Second expansion

The Avents purchase another 11 acres of adjacent property for expanded production, research, plant trials, evaluations and woody plant collections.

2008

Third expansion

The Avents purchase 3.66 acres from the estate of the late Eddy Souto. Half of the property is devoted to field production, while the other half becomes the full sun Souto Garden.

2014

Yde Horse Farm purchase

Two acres of the property are dedicated to visitor accommodations, while the remaining four become Avents new home and Anita’s Garden. This brings the size of JLBG to 28 acres.

2017

Crevice garden construction

The 300 feet long habitat for ultra dryland, alkaline-loving plants, is made of nearly 200 tons of recycled concrete and takes 3 years to complete.

Open Garden and Nursery Days

We are open to the public four times a year, two weekends each season.

Open Garden and Nursery Days

We are open to the public four times a year, two weekends each.

Become a JLBG garden member

As a founding member you will be helping to support the much-needed increase in staffing and maintenance of the collection and garden as we work towards the public garden transition. You are also increasing our ability to reach and educate the growing numbers of visitors in our rapidly expanding community.

Individual

Great choice for a beginner gardener. Includes basic benefits to help you expand your knowledge.

$50

/ year

Family/Dual

Best value for a family (2 adults and children under age of 16) interested in gardening.

$75

/ year

Explorer

Expanded benefits for an intermediate gardener who is looking to deepen their knowledge.

$150

/ year

Sponsor

Top tier package for people who share our vision and want to ensure the future of JLBG.

$300

/ year

Educational resources​

Expand your gardening knowledge by reading our plant articles, watching gardening videos and signing up for classes and events.

The Latest from
The Blog

Our daily garden blog offers a peak into the array of exciting horticultural happenings at JLBG, that most folks aren’t around to see. Occasionally, we share some important news from the industry of even hop up on the soapbox when we feel the need warrants.

Eurya japonica 'Moutiers'

Eurya Eureka

You’d need to be a pretty serious plant nerd to grow members of the obscure evergreen genus, Eurya, in your garden. Of the 160 species in the genus, we’ve tried…

Read More
Winter landscape

See December

Here’s a view in the garden this week. One of our goals is to teach people how to have a garden that looks good all year, where the climate will…

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Bird's Nest Fungus

Holy Grails

Nature has so many cool things to observe, if we just take time to do so. On a recent trek through the nursery, I was taken by these photogenic chalices…

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Aspidistra sp. nov. gallowayii

Cast-ing a Wider Net

You would think with 220 new Aspidistra (cast iron plant) species discovered since 1980 that botanists would have found them all, but that seems to be far from the case….

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Keteleeria davidiana

Eat a Little Keteleeria

One of the late JC Raulston’s favorite conifers was Keteleeria davidiana. Although we certainly enjoy our garden specimen, it doesn’t have nearly the elegance of many of the firs or…

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Echinacea 'Tres Amigos'

Coneflower Matrix, Reloaded

Looking great in mid-November here is Echinacea ‘Tres Amigos’. For us, many of the hybrid coneflowers are repetitive flowering machines, if they are cut to ground after each flowering. And…

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