Madalyn Edwards curated this story from the Botanical Gardens archive collection from App State’s Special Collections Research Center. The archived collections are available to browse in person during the SCRC’s hours of operation.
The Daniel Boone Native Gardens, located in Daniel Boone Park, officially opened in 1963 and is home to over 200 plant species. Located on Horn in the West Drive, the three-acre botanical garden is open throughout the year.
A 1966 Raleigh News and Observer article in the collection detailed the opening of the gardens to the public and reported the gardens would serve as a laboratory for botanists, clubs, school and civic groups wishing to study plants native to North Carolina.
According to the newspaper clipping, the gardens featured a rustic arbor with a flagstone path, a grassy area lined with blueberry bushes, dogwood trees and 14 different varieties of azaleas. At the time of its opening, the gardens also featured a wishing well, bird baths and feeders.
A historic cabin, known as the Squire Boone Cabin, is located on the property and mimics the look of Daniel Boone’s cabin. The logs for the cabin were used from Jesse Boone’s cabin, Daniel Boone’s brother.
A 2013 Blowing Rocket article covers the 50 year celebration of the gardens, which was started by the Garden Club of North Carolina, along with other gardening organizations in North Carolina.
Native plants such as the pink Rosea Azalea, Carolina Rhododendron and the Catawba Rhododendron were planted in the gardens, according to a 1967 Winston-Salem Journal newspaper clipping, along with many types of flowering plants, from lilies to bleeding hearts to irises.
The article said the purpose of the gardens is to “assemble a collection of North Carolina native plant material in an informal landscaped design, for education on and preservation of native plants, now rapidly becoming extinct.”
A 1989 Watauga Democrat article is included in the library collection, featuring the plants found in the gardens as well as its design and the community built around it. It features an image of the large black heart cherry tree that was located in the center of the gardens.
A 2013 article in the Watauga Democrat detailed the motions presented before the Cultural Resources Advisory Board regarding Daniel Boone Park and improvements that needed to be made with the possibility of redeveloping the area, with the headline reading, “Future unclear: Cultural Resources Board supports redevelopment of Daniel Boone Park.”
Today, visitors can tour the gardens for a $5 donation from those ages 16 and up. Group tours are also available to be held in the gardens, as well as weddings and special events. Those wishing to book a special event are encouraged to contact Daniel Boone Native Gardens via email.
