Collections
Plant
collections are the foundation of the JC Raulston Arboretum. Some of these collections
represent what we feel are the most comprehensive in the Southeast, the U.S.,
or even in the world. Others simply represent collections that are more substantial
than any others to be found in the southeastern U.S., or they represent a representative
assemblage of the best, new, or significant, members of the group. Our collection
contains over 6,000 different kinds of plants. Given our space limitations (eight
acres), we feel this is highly impressive.Given our space limitations, the following
list is particularly striking:
- Barberry Collection
- Boxwood Collection
- Conifer Collection
- Dwarf Loblolly Pines
- Herbaceous Perennials
- Holly Collection
- Japanese Maple Collection
- Magnolia Collection
- Nandina Collection
- Oak Collection
- Redbud Collection
- Screening Plants
- Styracaceae Collection
- Viburnum Collection
- Vines
The concept of a dynamic collection strikes at the core of the mission of the JC Raulston Arboretum. With an ever-burgeoning assortment of new plants being introduced into cultivation on the one hand, and with limited land resources on the other, maintenance of a static collection of mature plants at the JCRA would have exhausted all available space many years ago. Currently, our living collection numbers over 6,000 taxa, with total accessions comprising a somewhat larger number due to duplication of some plants.
Maintenance of a dynamic collection entails that certain plants reside at the JCRA only for a limited time period. In ascertaining which plants remain in a "permanent" capacity in the collection, several factors are considered (in order of priority):
- Rarity in cultivation.
- Ornamental value, either directly as an introduction to the nursery industry, or indirectly as a plant to be used in a plant breeding program.
- Special significance of our given plant - e.g., would an accession merit future cultivar status due to some enhanced desirable attribute?
- Status of the plant in our plant evaluation programs. If all of these factors conspire against the plant, then we are justified in removing it from our collections. On the other hand, our collections currently hold highly important germplasm for particular groups, and as such, these plants are likely to be preserved for an indefinite period of time.