Chapel Hill Retreat Center

Chapel Hill Retreat CenterChapel Hill Retreat CenterChapel Hill Retreat Center

Chapel Hill Retreat Center

Chapel Hill Retreat CenterChapel Hill Retreat CenterChapel Hill Retreat Center
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    • About the Principles
    • Permaculture
    • Therapeutic Horticulture
    • Shinrin-yoku
  • Programs
    • About the Programs
    • Self-Guided Retreats
    • Facilitated Retreats
    • Speeches and Workshops
  • People
  • Place
    • About the Place
    • About the Place 2
    • Plant Tour
    • Plant List
    • Bird List
    • Rock List
    • Recommended Readings
    • Recommended Resources
  • More
    • Home
    • Purpose
    • Principles
      • About the Principles
      • Permaculture
      • Therapeutic Horticulture
      • Shinrin-yoku
    • Programs
      • About the Programs
      • Self-Guided Retreats
      • Facilitated Retreats
      • Speeches and Workshops
    • People
    • Place
      • About the Place
      • About the Place 2
      • Plant Tour
      • Plant List
      • Bird List
      • Rock List
      • Recommended Readings
      • Recommended Resources
  • Home
  • Purpose
  • Principles
    • About the Principles
    • Permaculture
    • Therapeutic Horticulture
    • Shinrin-yoku
  • Programs
    • About the Programs
    • Self-Guided Retreats
    • Facilitated Retreats
    • Speeches and Workshops
  • People
  • Place
    • About the Place
    • About the Place 2
    • Plant Tour
    • Plant List
    • Bird List
    • Rock List
    • Recommended Readings
    • Recommended Resources

Plant List

Plants in the Woodland Forest

This four-acre property is ideal for those who wish to learn more about shade-tolerant, deer-resistant plants and woodland forest garden design. This natural, low(er) maintenance, and environmentally-friendly landscape creates a retreat-like atmosphere and is a compelling alternative to a lawn (turf grass). Guests will see many native and some non-native plants, including: 


Canopy Layer

Tulip poplar, White oak, Black oak, Southern red oak, Northern red oak, Red maple, Sweet Gum, Beech, Hickory, Loblolly pine, Shortleaf pine


Sub-canopy Layer (Understory)

Dogwood, Redbud, Black gum, Red cedar, Sourwood, Persimmon, Slippery elm, Sassafras, American Holly, Southern magnolia, Witch hazel, Black walnut saplings, Buckeye 


Shrub Layer

Leucothoe, Hearts-a-burstin, native blueberry, Downy Arrowwood, Flame azalea, Virginia sweetspire, Daphne, Nandina, Mahonia, Rhododendron, Yew, Illicium, Sweetshrub, Forsythia


Herbaceous Layer

Christmas fern, Lady fern, Mayapple, Rattlesnake fern, Deer grass, Pussytoes, Solomon’s plume, Wild ginger, Lion’s foot, Striped wintergreen, Lyreleaf sage, Violet, Daisy fleabane, Pokeweed, Obedient plant, Virginia snakeroot, White wood aster, Firepink, Eastern red columbine, native woodland Iris, Spiderwort, River oats, native sedges, Green and gold, Ebony spleenwort 


Groundcover Layer 

Woods left in natural state with leaves and other decaying organic matter, moss-covered areas, and blooming ground covers including Hellebores, Pachysandra, and Myrtle


Root and Vine Layers

Virginia creeper, Greenbrier, Muscadine grape


Plants in the Food Forest

While still young (established in 2022), this 1,800 square foot, seven-layer food forest is complete with fruit- and nut-bearing trees and plants, and is already producing fresh food. The food forest features an outer and inner path for foraging and peaceful, Garden of Eden-inspired meditation walks. Guests will see many medicinal and edible plants that are able to thrive due in large part to the deer fence, including:


Canopy Layer

Red Oak, White Oak


Sub-canopy Layer (Understory)

Apple, Chickasaw Plum, Pawpaw, Persimmon, Serviceberry, Mulberry


Shrub Layer

Raspberry, Blueberry, Blackberry, Bush Cherry, Hazelnut, Elderberry


Herbaceous Layer

Ostrich Fern, Sorrel, Egyptian Walking Onion, Comfrey, Asparagus 


Groundcover Layer

Strawberry, Wintergreen


Root Layer

Jerusalem Artichoke, King Stropharia (wine cap) Mushrooms


Vine Layer (Climbers)

Muscadine Grape

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them."

Henri Matisse 


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