Friends of the Arboretum Lecture

"Trees & Truffles - There's More Under That Tree than Soil"
Brian Upchurch, President of Carolina Truffiéres, LLC

• Thursday, February 13, 2025 – 6:30 pm–8:00 pm

Truffles are a delicacy, a high-class luxury whose rarity only adds to the air of mystery that surrounds them. Historically, these enigmatic fungi were only found in the wild with the assistance of trained hogs and dogs to sniff them out, but this of course takes time, money, and a fair amount of luck. Cultivating truffles is a relatively new endeavor that takes much of this uncertainty and makes for a fascinating blend of horticulture, agronomy, mycology, cute dogs, and considerable patience.

Join us for this Friends of the Arboretum lecture with Brian Upchurch of Carolina Truffiéres, LLC where we will delve into the mystery and challenges of cultivating truffles. We will start the evening with a captivating presentation exploring the many truffle species from Europe and North America and their unique relationship with host trees, and we will conclude with a truffle tasting and an opportunity to spend some quality social time with you, our dearest Friends.

We’ll record the lecture to share with our members, but we obviously can’t capture the experience of tasting fresh truffles with film alone. Don’t miss this chance to join us in person for a lovely evening of truffles and trees!

About Brian Upchurch

Brian Upchurch is the President of Carolina Truffiéres, LLC which was created in 2016 with his son, Davis and wife, Linda. They are currently growing six species of truffles and maintain an experimental orchard to evaluate alternative host tree species, pruning, and orchard management strategies. Brian has served two terms as President of the North American Truffle Growers Association and is a regular speaker at industry conferences and events. He previously owned and operated a wholesale nursery for 25 years specializing in rare and unusual plants prior to starting Carolina Truffiéres, LLC.

Cost

Free for JCRA Members and their guests.

Registration

Advance registration is required since space is limited. Register through our online registration form.

Cancellation

If your plans change and you're not able to attend, please email jcraprograms@ncsu.edu as soon as you know so that we can make your spot available for another member to attend.

Location

Ruby C. McSwain Education Center, JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Directions

Need directions? Click here.

Parking

Free parking is available at the JC Raulston Arboretum and along Beryl Road.

Questions

Contact the JCRA Education Team at jcraprograms@ncsu.edu for more information about this program.