Welcome to

Juniper Level Botanic Garden ​

Home of Plant Delights Nursery and one of the largest and most diverse plant collections in the world.

Spring Open Garden and Nursery dates: May 2-4, 9-11 and 16-18.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Open Garden and Nursery Days

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

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Beautiful place to escape to. They have Open Nursery Garden Days for free visits. There’s a variety of plants/flowers and two waterfalls. It’s an artistic place to take pictures and enjoy Mothers Nature Beauty.
LANIE MAE​Gardener
We come every year in spring and sometimes again in fall. It is one of our top favorite gardens in the country. It has plants that no one else does.
DAVID and ROBERTA CHOPKO​Tri-State Hosta Society, Hosta and Fern collectors
I’ve been coming here since last year. I come every time it is open because it is seasonal, and it is good to see the different kinds of plants for each specific season. Right now, spring is quite in bloom, but I look forward to coming in summer because of the summer plants. It is extraordinary!
RAM KRISHNAN​Gardener
Beautifully kept and breathtaking plants! Everyone on staff was so kind and helpful throughout our visit. Came for the open garden weekend, but will be back (probably regularly) to grow my home collection of greenery as well!
ALEXIS​Local guide

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.

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Individual

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

$50

/ year
Select

Family/Dual

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

$75

/ year
Select

Explorer

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

$150

/ year
Select

Sponsor

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

$300

/ year
Select

Educational resources​

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

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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.

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Agave x protifolia 'Brontosaurus'

Agaves Gone Wild

3 Comments

We’re preparing for another crazy year of century plant breeding, with fourteen agaves in spike so far. After flowering 34 clones over the last two years, we expected less this…

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Ajuga 'Parrot Paradise'

Trumpeting Bugleweed

6 Comments

Early April is peak time at JLBG for Ajuga flowering, commonly known as bugleweed. We think these amazing new cultivars are a great solution to reducing the need for mulch…

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Carex fraseriana

Fraser’s Sedge

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Looking lovely in the garden this week is the amazing native (Pennsylvania south to Georgia) Fraser’s sedge, Carex fraseriana. This sedge is so odd, that it spent much of its…

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Ann Spiegel garden

Hanging with a Mass of Rockers

6 Comments

I’m just back from speaking to a couple of North American Rock Garden Society Chapters in Massachusetts, an area I hadn’t visited in over two decades. My journey began at…

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Dentaria 'Whitened Teeth'

Whitened Teeth and other Dental Work

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On a 2019 botanical expedition to Montgomery County, NC, our staff (Zac and Jeremy) discovered this never before documented natural hybrid between Dentaria dissecta (Cardamine dissecta) and Dentaria laciniata (Cardamine…

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Daphne cneorum 'Pygmaea'

How Low can you Grow?

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Flowering now is the amazing groundcover selection of the European daphne, Daphne cneorum ‘Pygmaea’. For years, we were told this wouldn’t grow in our climate, and if you treat them…

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