Destination: Raulston Arboretum
NC State University’s JC Raulston Arboretum is becoming a popular destination for plant experts: Over the next six months, it will host tours for three national and international plant groups.
First up is the Magnolia Society International in Raleigh this weekend (March 23-24). The event is expected to draw magnolia enthusiasts and scholars from nine countries. Among them will be Arboretum Director Mark Weathington, who is on the society’s board of directors, and two keynote speakers with ties to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Plant breeder Tom Ranney and National Arboretum Director and distinguished CALS alumnus Richard Olsen.
Noting that magnolias are among the most world’s most primitive and widespread flowering plants, Weathington says the arboretum has one of the nation’s most significant magnolia collections. It has 147 plants representing 117 different varieties. With a nationally certified magnolia collection, the arboretum is among 16 North American gardens that are part of the American Public Gardens Association’s Plant Collection Network.
The arboretum will also host tours during the American Conifer Society’s annual meeting in June and the Perennial Plant Association’s national symposium in August.
