The Duke Gardens in Durham, North Carolina features two respectable Metasequoias, including one specimen with an exceptional buttressed base. Often called the "Crown Jewel of Duke University", the 55 acre Duke Gardens is on the University's West Campus, near the Duke University Medical Center. One of the renowned public gardens in the United States, established in the 1930s, the four major parts of the Sarah P. Duke Gardens are the Terraces, the Garden of Native Plants, the Asiatic Arboretum, and the Doris Duke Center.

The Duke Gardens is in a fairly temperate-tropical area, and is located in the Southern mixed forest. It is within Hardiness Zone 7, a slightly tropical zone. Winds are light, precipitation is average, and the dominant soil orders are Alfisols and Ultisols.



The Sarah P. Duke Gardens features two specimens, received from the Arnold Arboretum. The first was planted in 1949 and is currently 70 feet in height with a base diameter of 44 inches. This tree features one of the more spectacular bases I have seen and I have a picture of it courtesy the Duke Gardens which you see here. The other tree was planted in 1959, also from the Arnold Arboretum, and has also reached a height of 70 feet, but has a smaller base diameter of 18 inches.

This buttressed Metasequoia is an unusual and excellent specimen. If you are in the area make sure to check out the 120 foot tall Metasequoias at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, as well.

Sarah P. Duke Gardens of Duke University

426 Anderson Street

Durham, NC 27708

http://www.hr.duke.edu/dukegardens/index.html

Data courtesy the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. Photo courtesy Sarap P. Duke Gardens and Jason Holmes.

Back to the Garden Index