Mariana H. Qubein Botanical Gardens

High Point, North Carolina, United States

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Mariana H. Qubein Botanical Gardens at High Point University in North Carolina was founded in 2006 by Mariana Qubein, the university’s First Lady, who initiated the creation of a series of gardens across the campus to enhance its beauty and educational value.

It started with a rose garden in front of the Smith Library, where students helped label different rose varieties, and expanded over time to include 31 distinct gardens featuring about 3,700 different plants and more than 700 varieties of trees. The botanical gardens and arboretum showcase notable collections such as redbuds, dogwoods, flowering apricots, and magnolias, with special themed spaces like the Culinary Herb Garden and the Topiary Fusion Garden.

The gardens serve as a living classroom for students from various disciplines, offering opportunities for scientific study, artistic inspiration, and personal reflection. Recent expansions include the addition of a conservatory thanks to donor support and an evolving outdoor sculpture garden, making this an important cultural and ecological resource on campus that encourages engagement with nature and community wellness.