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Culberson Asiatic Arboretum

Named for Duke professor and former Duke Gardens director William Louis Culberson, the 18-acre arboretum represents the wealth of floral diversity in East Asia.

Exploring its trails, you will find garden favorites such as Japanese maples, irises, peonies, ginger lilies and cherries, as well as a host of less familiar but botanically interesting species. Enhancing the landscape are features typically associated with Asian gardens—stepping stone pathways, stone lanterns and water basins, large boulders and a variety of architecturally accurate gates and bridges. 

Enjoy these Asiatic Arboretum highlights, which are featured on the Gardens map below.

Japanese-style gatehouse flanked by yellow chrysanthemum flowers and red fall tree foliage

Arboretum Entrance Gate

Gardens Map A1

A close-up image of dark green moss on a tree branch also covered in lichen

Kremen Interpretative Moss Garden

Gardens Map A2

A Japanese garden with a teahouse and trees and a man in a kimono pouring water into a basin

Durham-Toyama Sister Cities Pavilion & Teahouse

Gardens Map A3. Learn More > 

A Japanese garden pavilion with a wooden wall and circular window with purple and green shrubs around it.

Garden for Peace

Gardens Map A4

A stone path lined with small bamboo arches curves through a moss garden.

Kathleen Smith Moss Garden

Gardens Map A5

An arched red bridge with a reflection in a large pond, with trees all around and a Japanese lantern sculpture to the left of the bridge.

Meyer Bridge

Gardens Map A6. Learn More >

A close-up image of pink peony flowers in full bloom

Peonies

Gardens Map A7

Pine Clouds in the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum

Pine Clouds Mountain Stream

Gardens Map A8.  Learn More >

Wooden gazebo on a hill with green trees and shrubs, boulders and pink flowers in the foreground.

Ruth Mary Meyer Japanese Garden

Gardens Map A9

A blue heron overlooks the pond at Duke Gardens with the red bridge in the background

Waterfowl Observation Area

Gardens Map A10

Zig-zag Bridge

Gardens Map A11

Duke Gardens map with the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum highlighted in green

Named for Duke professor and former Duke Gardens director William Louis Culberson, the 18-acre arboretum represents the wealth of floral diversity in East Asia.

Exploring its trails, you will find garden favorites such as Japanese maples, irises, peonies, ginger lilies and cherries, as well as a host of less familiar but botanically interesting species. Enhancing the landscape are features typically associated with Asian gardens—stepping stone pathways, stone lanterns and water basins, large boulders and a variety of architecturally accurate gates and bridges. 

Enjoy these Asiatic Arboretum highlights, which are featured on the Gardens map below.

Japanese-style gatehouse flanked by yellow chrysanthemum flowers and red fall tree foliage

Arboretum Entrance Gatehouse

Gardens Map A1

A close-up image of dark green moss on a tree branch also covered in lichen

Kremen Interpretative Moss Garden

Gardens Map A2

A Japanese garden with a teahouse and trees and a man in a kimono pouring water into a basin

Durham-Toyama Sister Cities Pavilion & Teahouse

Gardens Map A3. Learn More > 

A Japanese garden pavilion with a wooden wall and circular window with purple and green shrubs around it.

Garden for Peace

Gardens Map A4

A stone path lined with small bamboo arches curves through a moss garden.

Kathleen Smith Moss Garden

Gardens Map A5

An arched red bridge with a reflection in a large pond, with trees all around and a Japanese lantern sculpture to the left of the bridge.

Meyer Bridge

Gardens Map A6. Learn More >

A close-up image of pink peony flowers in full bloom

Peonies

Gardens Map A7

Pine Clouds in the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum

Pine Clouds Mountain Stream

Gardens Map A8.  Learn More >

Wooden gazebo on a hill with green trees and shrubs, boulders and pink flowers in the foreground.

Ruth Mary Meyer Japanese Garden

Gardens Map A9

A blue heron overlooks the pond at Duke Gardens with the red bridge in the background

Waterfowl Observation Area

Gardens Map A10

Zig-zag Bridge

Gardens Map A11

Duke Gardens map with the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum highlighted in green

Click map to enlarge

Traditional Japanese tea gatherings in the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum encourage visitors to appreciate life’s smallest moments of beauty. Watch UNC-TV’s “One Moment, One Meeting” to learn more.

Watch Now ›

Plant Highlights in the Asiatic Arboretum

 

Azure Bluets
Azure Bluets
Houstonia caerula
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Pink hydrangea flower clusters.
Bigleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea macrophylla
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Close-up of a blackberry lily flower with a soft focus background.
Blackberry Lily
Iris domestica (syn. Belamcanda chinesis)
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Brown's Trumpet Lily
Brown’s Trumpet Lily
Lilium brownii
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Leafy foliage of cast iron plant.
Cast Iron Plant
Aspidistra elatior
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Green China fir foliage with yellow pollen catkins at the tips.
China Fir
Cunninghamia lanceolata
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Bright yellow Chinese dogwood flowers on a bare branch.
Chinese Cornel Dogwood
Cornus officinalis
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Pink Chinese fringe flower in bloom.
Chinese Fringe Flower
Loropetalum chinense
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Close-up of a red peony flower with a soft-focus background of green trees.
Chinese Peony
Paeonia
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White peony flowers
Chinese Tree Peony
Paeonia
‘Dojean’
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Three large pink chrysanthemum flowers in front of a small pond and waterfall, with trees in the background.
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum
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Trunk of dawn redwood tree in a grassy lawn.
Dawn Redwood
Metasequioa glyptostroboides
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Daylily - Primal Scream
Daylily
Hemerocallis
‘Primal Scream’
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Close-up of delicate white and pink flowers, with twisting branches in a soft-focus background.
Dwarf Fuji Cherry
Prunus incisa
‘Kojo-no-mai’
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Open meadow full of epimedium in bloom
Epimedium
Epimedium
'Amber Queen'
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Close-up of pink Epimedium flowers
Fairy Wings
Epimedium sutchuenense
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Pink flowering plum blossoms with a soft focus background.
Flowering Plum
Prunus mume
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Yellow ginkgo foliage in a woodland setting.
Ginkgo
Ginkgo biloba
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Golden larch branches in autumn
Golden Larch
Pseudolarix amabilis
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Hosta Victory
Hosta
Hosta
'Victory'
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Pink Japanese anemone flower with a background in soft focus.
Japanese (Chinese) Anemone
Anemone hupehensis
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A Japanese black pine in a Japanese garden.
Japanese Black Pine
Pinus thunbergii
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Japanese Maple
Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum
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Japanese Maple (Moonrise)
Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum
'Moonrise'
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Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum
'Beni otake'
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Close-up of red and orange toned leaves of a Japanese maple tree.
Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum
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Rolled needles of Korean fir.
Korean Fir
Abies koreana
'Silberlocke'
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A close-up of a shrub with dark green shiny leaves and red berries.
Kurogane Holly
Ilex rotunda
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Heart-shaped foliage of leopard plants beside a flowing stream.
Leopard Plant
Farfugium japonicum
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Purple Loebner magnolia flower with a soft focus background.
Loebner Magnolia
Magnolia × loebneri
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Close-up o a trio of yellow flowers with green centers on a slim brown stem, with more flowers in soft-focus in the background.
Paperbush
Edgeworthia chrysantha
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Two images of pink banana flowers and fruit.
Pink Banana
Musa velutina
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Close-up of a red spider lily in bloom.
Red Spider Lily
Lycoris radiata
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Purple Tatarian aster flowers in bloom
Tatarian Aster
Aster tataricus
Jindai
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Close-up of a white tea camellia flower on a leafy branch
Tea camellia
Camellia sinensis
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White dogwood flowers with bright green leaves.
Weeping Kousa Dogwood
Cornus kousa
'Lustgarten'
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Close-up of pink weeping peach flowers.
Weeping Peach
Prunus persica
'Crimson Cascade'
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Close-up of delicate white flowers with pale yellow stamens and green leaves in the background.
White ginger lily
Hedychium coronarium
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Delicate yellow flowers on a slim branch with a soft-focus background.
Wilmott Winterhazel
Corlyopsis willmottiae
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Variegated winter daphne leaves and flowers.
Winter Daphne
Daphne odora
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Eight delicate yellow flowers on a pair of slim branches with a blue sky in the background.
Wintersweet
Chimonanthus praecox
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A yellow flower with delicate, stringy petals on a slim branch with a soft-focus brown background.
Witch-hazel
Hamamelis
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Questions about the Culberson Asiatic Arboretum?

Please contact us at gardens@duke.edu.