Southeastern Plant Symposium and Rare Plant Auction

Hosted by the JC Raulston Arboretum and Juniper Level Botanic Garden

Thursday, June 12 and Friday, June 13, 2025

Schedule Presentations Speakers Registration Student Scholarships Hotel Sponsors Rare Plant Auction

The world of horticulture is always growing, with new plants, new techniques and new philosophies constantly reshaping the field. The 2025 Southeastern Plant Symposium is your exclusive opportunity to discover the latest plant innovations, meet industry leaders and deepen your knowledge of modern gardening practices. This two-day event is perfect for plant lovers, gardeners, horticulturists and anyone passionate about cultivating thriving landscapes.

Join us in Raleigh, North Carolina, or virtually via Zoom for an exciting exploration of the future of horticulture. Whether you’re looking to discover cutting-edge plants for your garden or stay ahead of the latest gardening trends, this symposium will cover everything from low-maintenance, high-impact performers to rare and unusual species. Presentations will cover a wide range of topics, from rethinking landscapes with beautiful, functional greenery to introducing native plants that support local ecosystems. You’ll gain valuable insights into the plants and techniques that are shaping the future of horticulture.

Network with nurserymen, garden designers and fellow plant enthusiasts as you explore groundbreaking horticultural techniques and gain fresh perspectives on the plant world. With expert-led sessions and thought-provoking presentations, you’ll leave the event inspired and equipped with the knowledge to transform your landscape.

Can’t make it to Raleigh? No problem! The 2025 Southeastern Plant Symposium will be live-streamed via Zoom, and recorded presentations will be available to all participants after the event. Don’t miss this chance to engage with the best and brightest in the plant world, no matter where you are!

Thursday, June 12

8:00 am

Registration

9:00 am

Welcome
Tony Avent, Juniper Level Botanic Garden and Plant Delights Nursery
Mark Weathington, JC Raulston Arboretum

9:15 am

Koen Camelbeke, Arboretum Wespelaar
"The Woody Plant Collections of Arboretum Wespelaar, Belgium"
Morning Keynote Supported by August A. De Hertogh Educational Endowment

10:15 am

Morning Break
Sponsored by North Creek Nurseries

10:45 am

Fred Weisensee and Michelle Loughran, Dancing Oaks Nursery and Gardens
"East Meets West: Finding Common Ground with Shrubs"

11:30 am

Lunch

1:00 pm

Ethan Kauffman, Stoneleigh: a natural garden
"Lessons From Stoneleigh: Reimagining Traditional Landscapes with Native Plants"

2:00 pm

Stretch Break

2:15 pm

Min Deng, Yunnan University
"Exploring the Rich Diversity and Conservation Challenges of Evergreen Oaks in China"

3:00 pm

Afternoon Break
Sponsored by Plant Development Services

3:30 pm

Kevin Parris, Spartanburg Community College
"Math, Magnolias, and Magic"

4:00 pm

Jim Putnam, HortTube
"Below the Radar - Underused Plants from our Travels"

4:30 pm

Adjourn

6:00 pm

Evening Dinner and Presentation (additional registration fee)

7:30 pm

Patrick Cullina, Patrick Cullina Design + Consulting
"Growing Impact - Designing Dynamic Landscapes"

8:30 pm

Adjourn

Friday, June 13

8:30 am

Registration

9:00 am

Welcome
Tony Avent, Juniper Level Botanic Garden and Plant Delights Nursery
Mark Weathington, JC Raulston Arboretum

9:15 am

Denny Werner, NC State University & JC Raulston Arboretum
"Creating Food for the Soul – 25 Years of Ornamental Plant Breeding"

10:00 am

Morning Break

10:30 am

Tim Boland, The Polly Hill Arboretum
"North American Native Stewartias – Exploration and Cultivation"

11:05 am

Brie Arthur, Brie Grows
"Growing Beyond 'Red, Pink, and White': Exploring lesser known species of Camellia"

11:45 am

Lunch
Sponsored by Proven Winners

1:15 pm

Jared Barnes, Stephen F. Austin State University
"The Science of Plant Survival Strategies"

2:00 pm

Kip McConnell, Plant Development Services, Inc.
"Regional Roots, National Reach: How Smart Branding Grows Stronger Gardens and Stronger Sales"

2:30 pm

Afternoon Break

3:00 pm

Auction closes

3:00 pm

Abby Meyer, Botanic Garden Consultant
"Stronger Together: How Metacollections Protect the Future of Trees"

3:35 pm

John Ruter, University of Georgia
"Evergreen Elegance and Blooming Beauty: Ornamental Breeding at UGA"

4:15 pm

Concluding remarks
Tony Avent, Juniper Level Botanic Garden and Plant Delights Nursery
Mark Weathington, JC Raulston Arboretum

4:30 pm

Adjourn
Auction checkout

Thursday Presentations

"The Woody Plant Collections of Arboretum Wespelaar, Belgium"

Koen Camelbeke, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Arboretum Wespelaar (Wespelaar, Belgium)

The Arboretum Wespelaar holds a specialized collection of trees and shrubs from around the world, hardy in Belgium. It welcomes any woody species; giants and prostrate dwarfs, common and rare, beautiful and less glorious, and especially all those that are threatened in the wild and can find a home in the temperate Belgian climate. Extra attention goes to plants of known wild origin. We focus on the genera Acer, Magnolia and Rhododendron and anything that colors attractively in autumn.

Dr. Koen Camelbeke is a Belgian botanist known for his contributions to horticulture and dendrology. He obtained a PhD from the University of Ghent studying neotropical sedges and worked at the University for 7 years.

Since 2002, he has been executive director of Arboretum Wespelaar and the new satellite Arboretum de Marche, which opened in 2023. Koen Camelbeke is an active member of the Magnolia Society International, the Belgian Dendrology Society, the International Maple Society, etc. He is Chairman of the expert committee of the Franklinia Foundation, an organization dedicated to the conservation of threatened tree species worldwide. He has also been involved in educational initiatives, sharing his expertise through lectures, publications, and international conferences.

His dedication to preserving plant diversity has made him a respected figure in the field of botany, dendrology, tree conservation and horticulture.

"East Meets West: Finding Common Ground with Shrubs"

Fred Weisensee and Michelle Loughran
Owner and Assistant Manager
Dancing Oaks Nursery and Gardens (Monmouth, OR)

Fred Weisensee and Leonard Foltz established Dancing Oaks Nursery and Gardens in 1995 on Fred’s family farm out of their combined passion for plants and creating gardens. The garden now spans 5 acres over what was once a bare canvas. Fred and his niece, Michelle Loughran will introduce the shrubs and small trees that are the cornerstones and unsung heroes of the garden beds as they create spaces and paths that guide you through.

Dancing Oaks Nursery and Gardens is a retail and mail-order nursery nestled in the foothills of the Pacific Northwest coast range. The Nursery grows unique trees, shrubs, and perennials from around the world, chosen for their distinct characteristics that make them worthy of cultivation and appreciation in Northwest gardens and beyond. They have a strong focus on testing plants collected on their travels (both international and domestic) for hardiness and drought tolerance.

In his spare time, Fred practices Outpatient Internal Medicine and mentors Internal Medicine students in the Art and Science of Medicine and a little horticulture. Michelle Loughran is their niece and has worked at Dancing Oaks for three years. She enjoys putting deer and drought-resistant plants to the test in her garden.

"Lessons From Stoneleigh: Reimagining Traditional Landscapes with Native Plants"

Ethan Kauffman
Director
Stoneleigh: a natural garden (Villanova, PA)

With a 150-year history as a private estate, Stoneleigh: a natural garden became one of the newest public gardens in the Philadelphia region in 2018. Informed by the growing understanding of the connectedness of all living things, a vision arose during the transition: to reimagine a historical landscape as an ecologically vibrant wonderland of native plants. Relying on both tried-and-true gardening techniques and intrepid experimentation, the emerging garden is an exuberant exploration of cultivating native plants in the modern landscape.

Ethan Kauffman is the first director of Stoneleigh: a natural garden, where he has led the transition from a private estate to a public garden over the last 8 years.

He developed his love of the natural world exploring the Susquehanna River hills in southeastern PA. He cultivated his horticultural perspective over two decades of gardening in the Deep South, including as director of Moore Farms Botanical Garden, where he also led the transition from a private pleasure garden to a public botanical garden. Drawing on influences from both regions, he enjoys creating a garden experience at Stoneleigh that inspires others to garden for beauty, biodiversity, and the health of our planet.

"Exploring the Rich Diversity and Conservation Challenges of Evergreen Oaks in China"

Min Deng, Ph.D.
Professor
Yunnan University (Kunming, China)

China is a key biodiversity hotspot for oaks. This presentation will explore the morphological diversity and distribution patterns of evergreen oaks in China, analyze the influence of geological and climatic factors since the Cenozoic era on the spatiotemporal diversification of Eurasian evergreen oak species, and discuss the challenges and future directions in oak biodiversity cataloging and conservation efforts in China.

Dr. Min Deng is a professor at Yunnan University, China (2020-present), specializing in plant systematics, taxonomy, biogeography, and conservation biology. She earned her Ph.D. from the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in 2007 and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Florida.

From 2011 to 2020, she led the Plant Systematics and Evolutionary Biology Group at the Shanghai Chenshan Plant Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Dr. Deng has authored numerous publications and made significant contributions to the taxonomy, anatomy, systematics, and conservation of East Asian Fagaceae. She is actively involved in academic committees, serving on the editorial boards of Plant Diversity and Phytotaxa, the Taxonomy Committee of the International Oak Society, and is a member of the Flora of the Pan-Himalaya editorial committee.

"Math, Magnolias, and Magic"

Kevin Parris, Ph.D.
Horticulture Instructor and Arboretum Director
Spartanburg Community College (Spartanburg, SC)

In this presentation Kevin will give an overview of Magnolia taxonomy and how those relationships between species play a role in both predictable (Math) and surprise (Magic) outcomes in breeding. In a fast paced journey around the Magnolia Triangle, Kevin will provide a glimpse into what these "new" magnolias look like and how they might fit into gardens.

Dr. Kevin Parris is an Instructor of Horticulture, and the Arboretum Director at Spartanburg Community College in Spartanburg, SC.

In 2008, as a non-traditional graduate student at Clemson University, Kevin jumped into breeding magnolias under the direction of Dr. Tom Ranney, NCSU, and later studied the morphological and genetic variation of new interspecific hybrids under the direction of Dr. Donglin Zhang, UGA.

Kevin serves on the board of the Magnolia Society International,  IPPS-Southern Region, and The Noble Tree Foundation. When he's not teaching or tinkering with magnolias, Kevin can usually be found on a pickleball court. 

"Below the Radar - Underused Plants from our Travels"

Jim Putnam
Horticultural Educator
HortTube (Raleigh, NC)

Traveling and Filming for my YouTube channel has opened my eyes to a world of underused and underutilized plants. We will explore these plants through our travels, friends, plant nerds, and our biases. Also, adding from my experience in the nursery business why many of these plants may never be available to the mass market.

Jim Putnam is host of HortTube, a YouTube gardening channel dedicated to demystifying gardening for the Do-It-Yourselfer. He was the previous owner of Earthworks Nursery, Landscaping, and Garden Center. He has over 4 decades of experience in various roles in the horticulture industry including landscape design and installation, plant propagation, nursery production, and garden center management

Thursday Evening Dinner Presentation
(additional registration fee required)

"Growing Impact - Designing Dynamic Landscapes"

Patrick Cullina
Owner
Patrick Cullina Design + Consulting (New York, NY)

Botanic gardens, arboreta and nurseries can play a critical role - separately and in concert - in the design and establishment of diverse, dynamic and transformative landscapes. Lessons learned from the field's cutting edge innovators can help you develop innovative, beautiful gardens that positively impact your community through the integration of plants and management strategies whether you tend NYC's High Line or a quarter-acre suburban lot.

Patrick Cullina is an award-winning horticulturist, landscape designer, lecturer, and planning consultant with thirty years of experience in the landscape and green infrastructure fields. He has served as V. P. of Horticulture & Operations for the High Line in NYC, as Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s V.P. of Horticulture, Operations & Science Research, and as Associate Director of the Rutgers University Gardens in affiliation with the school’s department of landscape architecture.

His current practice focuses on the creation, establishment, and maintenance of dynamic, transformative landscapes through the innovative integration of plants and management strategies, often in collaboration with leading landscape architects and architects

Friday Presentations

"Creating Food for the Soul – 25 Years of Ornamental Plant Breeding"

Denny Werner, Ph.D.
Professor and Director Emeritus
NC State University & JC Raulston Arboretum (Raleigh, NC)

Dennis will briefly discuss his past accomplishments in peach, Buddleja, and Cercis breeding. He will then highlight his current efforts in Cercis and Liquidambar breeding, discussing upcoming cultivar releases, and future goals in the program. He will also briefly review the interesting genetics of some major traits in Cercis.

Dr. Denny Werner was raised in York county, Pennsylvania. He was hired as an Assistant Professor of Horticultural Science at NC State University in 1979 with research responsibilities in peach breeding. In the late 1990’s his research efforts shifted to ornamental plant breeding, focusing on Cercis, Buddleja, and Liquidambar.

He is now an Emeritus Professor of Horticultural Science, still continuing his efforts in Liquidambar breeding. His redbud breeding efforts continue via his private entity, Swift Creek Genetics, LLC. Dennis has released 14 Cercis cultivars. His work in Buddleja focused on sterility and compact growth habit. Dennis is an avid gardener. His home landscape includes a diverse collection of herbaceous perennials, woody shrubs, and trees. Dennis has been married to Georgina Werner for 51 years.

"North American Native Stewartias – Exploration and Cultivation"

Tim Boland
Executive Director
The Polly Hill Arboretum (West Tisbury, MA)

Join Tim Boland, the Executive Director of Polly Hill Arboretum, as he shares his passion and experiences in collecting the Mountain Camellia (Stewartia ovata) and the Silky Camellia (Stewartia malacodendron) over the past twenty years. The Polly Hill Arboretum co-holds the Plant Collection Network (PCN) for Stewartia along with the Arnold Arboretum. Committed to cultivating plants from seed, the Polly Hill Arboretum has focused on these species due to their ornamental appeal and the conservation challenges they face in parts of their native ranges.

Tim Boland has been the Executive Director of the Polly Hill Arboretum (PHA), located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in West Tisbury, Massachusetts, USA, since 2004. He held the position of Curator at PHA starting in 2002. From 1998 to 2002, he was the Curator of Horticulture at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois.

Tim has an undergraduate degree in horticulture and a master’s degree in botany, plant ecology, and systematics from Michigan State University. His graduate research focused on cataloging the oak flora of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Currently, he is involved in several plant conservation projects aimed at preserving threatened tree species in North America and Asia, with a particular emphasis on oaks and Stewartia. He has expertise in propagating rare North American trees and shrubs and has participated in eight expeditions to map and collect the two species of native North American Stewartia. Tim currently serves as the International Cultivar Registration Authority (ICRA) for the genus Stewartia.

"Growing Beyond 'Red, Pink, and White': Exploring lesser known species of Camellia"

Brie Arthur
Author and Horticulturist
Brie Grows (Fuquay-Varina, NC)

The stars of the winter garden, camellias have much more diversity to offer than most realize. Camellia enthusiast and local horticulturist Brie Arthur will delve into the history, cultivation, and ecological significance of these versatile plants, which are highly valued in ornamental horticulture and tea production. The program covers the unique characteristics and care requirements of different Camellia species, including Camellia japonica, Camellia sasanqua, and lesser-known varieties. Brie will also emphasize the importance of selecting the right species for specific climates and soils, ensuring long-term success. By understanding the genetic diversity and adaptability of camellias, participants will gain insights into sustainable gardening practices that can enhance the beauty and resilience of their landscapes.

Brie Arthur is a nationally recognized horticulturist, author, and speaker, celebrated for her innovative approach to suburban gardening.

With a passion for promoting sustainable practices, Brie has made significant contributions to the fields of horticulture and agriculture, particularly through her advocacy of foodscaping—a concept that integrates edible plants into traditional ornamental landscapes.

Based in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, she has worked extensively to educate the public on the benefits of organic gardening, soil health, and biodiversity. As a former propagator and grower at Camellia Forest Nursery, Brie has special affection for the genus Camellia and the many lesser known species that are deserving of more attention by gardeners and industry growers.

"The Science of Plant Survival Strategies"

Jared Barnes, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Horticulture
Stephen F. Austin State University (Nacogdoches, TX)

In this enthusiastic presentation, Dr. Jared will share with you a new lens for thinking about plants for your garden. We’ll dive into Grime’s triangle, a simple yet powerful framework for categorizing plant survival strategies, and how to use it to make smarter plant choices. We’ll also cover how plants respond to stress and disturbance and how we can use both to our advantage. You’ll leave with practical strategies for increasing plant diversity, how to use woodies and herbaceous plants together, how to design more resilient plantings, and more.

Dr. Jared Barnes started gardening when he was five years old, and since then he has enthusiastically pursued how to best cultivate plants and cultivate minds. He currently fulfills those passions as an award-winning associate professor of horticulture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX where he stewards the Plantery, SFASU’s student botanic garden.

He writes a weekly newsletter titled plant•ed that was featured in the NY Times, hosts The Plantastic Podcast, and gardens with his wife Karen and daughter Magnolia at their smallholding Ephemera Farm.

"Regional Roots, National Reach: How Smart Branding Grows Stronger Gardens and Stronger Sales"

Kip McConnell
Director
Plant Development Services, Inc.

Discover how Plant Development Services uses the regional nature of plants combined with powerful brands to connect with consumers. This session explores how targeted marketing and branding strategies and the best regional plant offerings -- identified by focused research and development -- empower consumers for success and drive profitability for growers.

Kip McConnell is business development director for Plant Development Services, Inc., the company responsible for Encore® Azalea, Southern Living® Plant Collection, and the Sunset® Plant Collection, Butterfly Candy® and the new Better Boxwood®. Plant Development Services works closely with the nation’s top growers and breeders to bring plants to market that offer real improvements to solve landscape challenges.

Since graduating from Auburn University's Ornamental Horticulture program in 1984, Kip McConnell has built a career in the horticulture industry, gathering experience in a range of areas including new plant development, botanical garden management, retail merchandising, landscape design and installation, and nursery supply sales.

"Stronger Together: How Metacollections Protect the Future of Trees"

Abby Meyer
Botanic Garden Consultant
(Los Angeles, CA)

Collaboration has long been viewed as a key ingredient for plant conservation success, and allows the scaling needed to keep pace with the current and future rates of biodiversity loss. This is especially true for long-lived exceptional tree species that cannot be seed banked. Metacollections, networks of multiple living collections managed in coordination, offer useful models and tools for conserving genetic diversity across a species' range, and share responsibility and risk among multiple sites.

Abby Meyer works with public gardens of all kinds to engage in plant conservation. Abby created the term 'metacollection' to highlight the value of plant collections working together for broader conservation impacts. She recently worked for over 15 years with Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) to facilitate data sharing among gardens, and track and facilitate conservation progress.

Abby received a Bachelor's of Science degree in Horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and completed a Master's degree in the Longwood Graduate Program at the University of Delaware. She also served as a Putnam Research Fellow at The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University where she developed new approaches for assessing the conservation value of living plant collections.

"Evergreen Elegance and Blooming Beauty: Ornamental Breeding at UGA"

John Ruter, Ph.D.
Armitage Endowed Professor of Horticulture and Director of Trial Gardens
University of Georgia (Athens, GA)

Dr. Ruter will discuss his breeding programs at the University of Georgia – everything from Abutilon to Zelkova! For many years, Dr. Ruter evaluated ornamental plants for adaptability to the blazing sands of South Georgia. However, over the past 15 years, his focus has switched to creating new plants with improved environmental tolerances and novel traits. Learn about his latest camellias, conifers, hollies, hibiscus, and more.

Dr. John M. Ruter is the Allan M. Armitage Endowed Professor of Horticulture at the University of Georgia and Director of the Trial Garden at UGA. His research emphasizes breeding ornamental cultivars and developing Camellia oleifera as a U.S. oilseed crop, with over 50 licensed cultivars and numerous plant patents.

A prolific author with over 500 publications and four books, Dr. Ruter has received accolades from organizations such as the American Conifer Society and the Southern Nursery Association. He is a Fellow of the International Plant Propagators’ Society and the American Society for Horticultural Science, which also honored him with their Outstanding Graduate Educator Award. In 2021, he was named UGA’s Inventor of the Year.

Brie Arthur

Author and Horticulturist, Brie Grows

Jared Barnes, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Horticulture at Stephen F. Austin State University

Tim Boland

Executive Director, The Polly Hill Arboretum

Koen Camelbeke, Ph.D.

Executive Director, Arboretum Wespelaar

Patrick Cullina

Owner, Patrick Cullina Design + Consulting

Min Deng, Ph.D.

Professor, Yunnan University

Ethan Kauffman

Director, Stoneleigh: a natural garden

Kip McConnell

Director, Plant Development Services, Inc.

Abby Meyer

Botanic Garden Consultant

John Ruter, Ph.D.

Armitage Endowed Professor of Horticulture and Director of Trial Gardens at UGA

Kevin Parris, Ph.D.

Horticulture Instructor and Arboretum Director, Spartanburg Community College

Jim Putnam

Horticultural Educator, HortTube

Fred Weisensee and Michelle Loughran

Owner and Assistant Manager, Dancing Oaks Nursery and Gardens

Denny Werner, Ph.D.

Professor and Director Emeritus, NC State University & JC Raulston Arboretum

Registration fees for in-person, on-site attendance include Thursday and Friday presentations, networking breaks, lunch on Thursday and Friday, and access to presentation recordings post symposium. Online registration includes a live stream of Thursday’s and Friday’s presentations and access to recordings post symposium.

The Thursday evening dinner presentation is optional and requires an additional registration fee. To attend, select the dinner and presentation option during registration. Additional guests can be added for Thursday’s dinner presentation during registration.

Registration Costs

In-Person Attendance

• Early Registration (ends Sunday, May 11, 2025): $250.00.
• Regular Registration (Monday, May 12 through Sunday, June 8, 2025): $300.00.
• Late Registration (Monday, June 9 through Wednesday, June 11, 2025): $350.00.

• Optional Thursday Evening Dinner & Presentation: $100.00.

Online Attendance

• Symposium Registration: $200.00.

Registration for In-Person Attendance Registration for Online Attendance

Cancellations and Refunds

Cancellations must be requested before May 29, 2025. Refund requests received before May 29, 2025, will be processed minus a 15% cancellation fee. After May 29, 2025, there will be no refunds for cancellations, no-shows or unused registrations or dinner registrations.

Thanks to the generosity of Ball Horticultural Inc., the JC Raulston Arboretum and Juniper Level Botanic Garden are pleased to offer 10 student scholarships to this year's Southeastern Plant Symposium.

Applicants must be actively working towards a degree (associate's, bachelor's or graduate level) or have graduated with a degree in 2025. Scholarships cover the full registration for the symposium including Thursday's dinner presentation and one night accommodations in the conference hotel (if coming from out of town). The application deadline is May 16, 2025.

The scholarship deadline has passed and scholarship recipients have been notified.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the annual Southeastern Plant Symposium hosted by the JC Raulston Arboretum and Juniper Level Botanic Garden. Interested or have questions? Contact Amy Beitzel at amy_beitzel@ncsu.edu or 919-515-1680.

Events like this innovative symposium are only possible through the support of our fellow horticulturists. We hope that you will consider sponsoring the symposium so that we can continue sharing the endlessly exciting discoveries in the world of plants. Proceeds support the mission of the JC Raulston Arboretum and the Juniper Level Botanic Garden Endowment.

Our thanks to these sponsors who provide their generous support to the Southeastern Plant Symposium.

Keynote Speaker Sponsors

Break Sponsor

Student Scholarship Sponsor

Friday Lunch Sponsor

The host hotel for the Southeastern Plant Symposium is the Hilton Raleigh North Hills, located at 3415 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, NC 27609.

All presentations on Thursday and Friday will take place at the hotel as well as the Thursday evening dinner and presentation.

Hotel Reservations

Book Your RoomTo make your reservation, please visit Hilton Raleigh North Hills Hotel's website. When making a reservation using the link above, our group name is already applied.

Attendees can also book their reservation by calling 1-800-HILTONS to reach a reservations agent. When calling to book a reservation, it is extremely important to reference the Group Code "25SEPS" and specify the dates to ensure the reservation is at the group rate.

Please note that our group rate expires on Monday, May 19, 2025.

NC Landscape Contractors' Licensing Board

The North Carolina Landscape Contractors' Licensing Board (NCLCLB) has approved this symposium to provide continuing education for landscape contracting under N.C.G.S. 89D.

Both in-person and online attendees are eligible for 5 total landscape credit hours. Online participants will be required to attend the live presentations to receive credit. No credit will be given for watching recordings after the event.

North Carolina Board of Landscape Architects

The North Carolina Board of Landscape Architects (NCBOLA) has approved this symposium for 10 continuing education hours.

The accompanying Rare Plant Auction has already reached legend status in the industry, and this Rare Plant Auction is going to be our biggest and best auction to date. When the auction goes live on June 10, we'll have over a hundred plants ready for bidding. Plants will be added as we get them, including the days of the Southeastern Plant Symposium itself, so make plans to check the auction listings each day. Because when cool plant people get together, they share cool plants!

The Rare Plant Auction opens at noon on Tuesday, June 10 and will close at 3:00 pm on Friday, June 13.

Auction proceeds benefit the JC Raulston Arboretum and the Tony & Anita Avent Juniper Level Botanic Garden Endowment. Funds supporting the JC Raulston Arboretum are managed by the North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit, Tax ID 56-6049304.

Questions

Contact the JCRA Education Team at jcraprograms@ncsu.edu for more information about registration, presentations and other symposium information.