The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) announced that Drake Fowler, executive director of The North Carolina Arboretum, has been elected to its 2026 Council of Fellows. 

ASLA Fellows are recognized for their exceptional contributions to the landscape architecture profession and society at large.

The North Carolina Arboretum invites everyone to join in the reawakening of a new season with Spring Into the Arb. Now in its second year, this series of plant shows and sales, science and nature activities and music and art is a wonderful way to reemerge and reconnect with nature. 

When Drake Fowler returned to the North Carolina Arboretum after Hurricane Helene, the extent of the damage broke his heart. 

“We lost 10,000 trees over 80 acres,” he said.

However, as the initial shock of grief subsided, Fowler, the arboretum’s executive director, considered how to find opportunity amid destruction.

Tickets are on sale now for Asheville’s Brightest Holiday Tradition: Winter Lights at The North Carolina Arboretum happening Nov. 15 through Jan. 4.

Visitors to this year’s Winter Lights will find a special treat as they encounter six of the whimsical troll sculptures from Thomas Dambo’s Trolls: A Field Study exploring the gardens. 

As the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene’s arrival in Western North Carolina approaches, two faculty members in Western Carolina University’s College of Business served as project managers for an in-depth study of storm damage to the North Carolina Arboretum in an effort to develop a plan for its recovery. 

This month, The North Carolina Arboretum and ecoEXPLORE celebrates 100,000 observations of wild plants and animals taken by North Carolina youth and submitted to iNaturalist. In celebration, the Arboretum is inviting everyone to pitch in on selecting the top 10 photos by voting in this poll. The deadline to participate is Sept. 1. 

The North Carolina Arboretum and Explore Asheville announced the arrival of “Trolls: A Field Study.” Visiting on their first North American excursion, these 12 interactive troll sculptures will explore the Arboretum, embarking on a curious journey to learn about humankind. 

The Asheville-Blue Ridge Rose Society will host its annual Rose Exhibition at The North Carolina Arboretum in the Education Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 24 and 25.

This two-day event showcases the diverse range of roses grown by Rose Society members and at local gardens. 

The George Masa Foundation announced that the winning photographs from the inaugural George Masa Foundation Youth Conservation Photography Prize are on display at The North Carolina Arboretum’s Baker Building through April 30. 

Visitors to The North Carolina Arboretum can witness some of the most surprising animal behavior in the new National Geographic exhibition, “The Greatest Wildlife Photographs.”