Plant Collections
The Plants At Lockerly Arboretum
Lockerly Arboretum hosts a variety of stunning native and ornamental collections along several walking paths. Learn more below about our collections and where you can find them on the grounds at Lockerly.
Plant Collections
Ann King Native Plant Garden
Beside the Woods Museum lies the Ann King Native Plant Garden, displaying over 50 species of native shrubs and trees. This collection serves as an education opportunity to explore many key naturally occurring plants in our region, and may offer space for specimen conservation plants in the future.
Pinetum / Conifer Garden
Take a stroll downhill from Rose Hill to discover Lockerly’s very own Pinetum, one of only 19 certified Southeastern conifer reference gardens through the American Conifer Society. The Pinetum collection hosts a range of plants from the common Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) to ornamental conifers like the Coastal Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). This collection offers a year-round worldly display of color and diversity. Two of our Georgia State Champion Trees, Cedar Elms (Ulmus crassifolia), can also be found between the entrance to the Pinetum and the path to Rose Hill.
Tropical Greenhouse
Tropical regions cover just 10 percent of land mass on Earth, but contain over half of all plant and animal biodiversity. The tropical greenhouse at Lockerly represents this vital world region with an impressive display of orchids and tropical plants alike, including many fruit and spice plants. Our orchid collection, commissioned in 2017, includes over 60 orchids of over 50 varieties. Other tropical plants in this collection include citrus trees, pineapple plants, and stunning staghorn ferns. This collection is located just behind the Arboretum office and is wheelchair accessible.
Nature Trail
Lockerly’s scenic 1-mile Nature Trail begins with a Georgia State Champion Tree (Stewartia monadelpha) near the Arboretum office, weaves over a scenic creek, and ends at a gazebo near the pond. A walk along this path is immersive in native woodland diversity, including many native trees, Spring wildflowers, and azaleas. This trail also hosts a Legacy Azalea Garden donated by Ernest Koone in 2018.
Camellia Garden
Wander to the back of our property to find our Camellia collection atop the scenic hill that overlooks the pond on site. This collection contains over 80 Camellia bushes, each representing its own cultivar or species. An additional 40 Camellia varities can be found around the grounds, many of which reside behind Rose Hill. A majority of these large bushes were planted between 1988 and 1992, offering a towering display of color and texture in late Winter. Modern additions to this collection were added in early 2019. In 2017, this collection was listed as a member of the Georgia Camellia Trail.