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The Coker Arboretum in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (not to be confused with Coker College) is one of the least impressive Metasequoia sites that I recorded in the Southeast. It is part of the North Carolina Botanical Garden, which is at U. N. C., Chapel Hill. The Coker Arboretum is part of the many gardens & natural areas incorporated into the Botanical Garden. The five acre Coker Arboretum is actually located in the middle of the busy UNC campus. It was established in 1903 as a living study area for the use of students and faculty. Dr. Coker, a Professor of Botany, loved East Asian species and added many throughout the 1920s into the 1940s, including the one Metasequoia here. The Coker Arboretum is located on the Eastern edge of the Southern mixed forest province. It is within Hardiness Zone 7, a temperate-tropical zone. Winds are light, precipitation is average, and the dominant soil order is Ultisols. |
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There is one Metasequoia at the Coker Arboretum, received from the Arnold Arboretum and planted in 1952. It has not grown well, reaching a very average size of 55 feet in height with a base 24 inches in diameter. It is interesting that it has not grown well because just a few miles away at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens of Duke University, there are a couple trees that have grown slightly better. None have grown as well as those in the Delaware Valley or even at the North Carolina Arboretum. North Carolina can clearly foster Metasequoia trees, and I have recorded them at three different sites. However, if you are in the region, I would recommend checking out the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. There is one specimen with a really dynamic flared base. Additionally, those at the North Carolina Arboretum are easily over 100 feet tall.Coker Arboretum of the University of North Carolina CB 3375, Totten Center Chapel Hill, NC 27599 |
Data courtesy Coker Arboretum
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