UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens

This college garden has a greenhouse, which is where the dedicated parking is. A small parking lot is designated mostly for people with handicap permits with a few spaces for visitors. Most of the people actually using this parking lot did not appear to fall into either category.The greenhouse is open during limited daytime hours, and across the street lie outdoor gardens. As with many such facilities, they appear to be constructed on uneven terrain that was not amenable to other uses, but they are quite impressive. Regional gardens and a mix of different materials for the path make for a dynamic experience. There is plenty to see, and while I suspect the greenhouse would add more value, the outdoor gardens were not a bad stop.

April 2024 Spring Break Kayla Beth Fields and I took Saige & Deacon to UNC Botanical Gardens to check out their Gardens and hiking trails. The greenhouses was closed due to meetings- events or I would have bought a new Cactus for my collection!!! This is entirely FREE to enjoy if you are in the area!!! There is free parking also. Located right on the campus off Mallard Creek Road. The kids enjoyed themselves! Saige read the signs for us about the plants, flowers and tree names while Deacon was the trail blazing leader of the group!! Kayla and I were just the pion followers...lol!!! There are a few picnic tables, a pond, a few bridges, a Japanese garden, a pagoda, a memorial rock garden....everything is so lovely!!!

Such a peaceful, vibrant place - and it's free to visit! We came on a Friday afternoon and were able to explore the greenhouse as well as the outdoor gardens. We luckily snagged one of the few free parking spaces right next to the greenhouse. Despite it being winter, there was still plenty blooming! We saw witch hazel, camellias, and more. I really enjoyed the different rooms of the greenhouse, including desert plants, orchids, and tropical plants, and learning more about them through the signage. I'm looking forward to returning throughout the year to see what else is in bloom. Tip: Follow them on Instagram for informative plant content, plant sale details, and a peek at what's in bloom!

Have you ever wondered if a Corpse Flower (aka Titan Arum) really does live up to its name?The UNCC campus has it's own botanical garden and they were one of the chosen few to receive a Sumatran Corpse Flower back in the 70s! Since then they have been cultivating and caring for these extremely rare flowers (less than 1000 are believed to remain in the wild!) and their even rarer blooms which smell like rotting flesh (and not like Teen Spirit )! I made two visits to experience the opening and the beginning of the full bloom this past wknd and it did NOT disappoint!The staff did a great job accommodating everyone, were super informative, and engaging!But, while Stinker Bell stole the spotlight this wknd, don't forget they also have other amazing sections in the greenhouse to view various types of flora & 10acres to explore across the street from the greenhouses with an Asian Garden and wooded glen!Definitely Charlotte's Secret Garden fit for a (stinky) Queen

Beautiful place to walk, read, rest, talk, or date day. Peaceful, expansive, colorful, and free.

Maybe because I came in the cold winter months that it could be why I was not impressed by this garden. Didn't seem to have a huge variety of horticulture. The structures were minimally impressive. The trails were some what confusing. No free parking. Not stroller friendly. Completely vacant. Just uninteresting overall.

Such an awesome place to experience nature, and for free.99! Definitely worth a trip and will go back again. I would allot about 2 hours to experience the gardens, and it's a nice place to take photos. Professional photographers have to register ahead of time, but if you and friends want to go casually, it's walk in!

I can't believe I've in Charlotte for as long as I have and this was my first time here. The gravel driveway was steep, so be careful. I have a less than perfect knee, and I took my time coming and going. I'm not sure if there's another entrance.The garden is bigger than expected with plenty of sitting areas to relax and take it all in. We spent about 45 minutes here, but we were hungry, so I'm sure you could make a couple hours out of this space. Everything was beautiful and intentional. I'll be back!

So much to see. We only spent a short time in the gardens so we definitely will be back to see the rest. Nice a shady for a hot day.

Went to visit on vacation to NC and looked forward to this garden. Did not disappoint. Really enjoyed