After more than 100 years, the Coker Arboretum remains a picturesque piece of UNC-Chapel Hill history.

 Right at the corner of County Club Road and Raleigh Street lies Coker Arboretum. Many students and residents recognize the 200 foot-long arbor that serves as the perfect setting for a quiet walk or photo shoot.

History

The Coker Arboretum set roots at UNC-CH in 1903 when Dr. Williams Chambers Coker converted a five-acre pasture into an outdoor classroom for students. Coker served as the first professor of botany at UNC-CH.The arboretum started with native plants from North Carolina, but now hosts closely related plants from Eastern Asia as well.

The arboretum is now managed by the North Carolina Botanical Garden. The Garden's mission is "to inspire understanding, appreciation, and conservation of plants and to advance a sustainable relationship between people and nature."

Nature

 According to the North Carolina Botanical Garden, the black locust arbor that so many Chapel Hill residents know so well is covered in a variety of native vines including:

• American wisteria
• Fox grape
• Coral honeysuckle
• Carolina jessamine
• Pipevine
• Cross-vine

Information

The arboretum now offers wedding ceremonies to take place on the property. If interested, contact the Arboretum Curator for an application.

Coker Arboretum is open from dawn until dusk everyday. From March until November, there is a tour on the third Saturday of each month. The tour begins at 11 a.m. near the stone gathering circle near Cameron Avenue.