Wing Haven Gardens and Bird Sanctuary facts for kids

Wing Haven is a special place in Charlotte, North Carolina. It's like a peaceful green island right in the middle of the city! Wing Haven has three amazing public gardens where you can relax, learn, and explore nature.

First, there's the Wing Haven Garden & Bird Sanctuary. It's full of beautiful Southern plants and is a safe home for many birds and other wildlife. Then, you can visit the Elizabeth Lawrence House & Garden. This was once the home and "living laboratory" of a famous garden writer. Finally, the new SEED Wildlife & Children’s Gardens offer fun, hands-on ways to learn about nature and see local animals.

These gardens welcome everyone to discover and learn. Wing Haven also hosts over 40 programs and special events every year. It is run by the Wing Haven Foundation, a non-profit group in Charlotte.

Discover Wing Haven's History

Wing Haven Garden & Bird Sanctuary started in 1927. It was created by Elizabeth and Edwin Clarkson. In 1971, they gave their garden and house to the Wing Haven Foundation. The Clarksons continued to live there until 1988.

Their original garden, called the Clarkson Garden, is very special. It is the only garden and bird sanctuary in the Charlotte area listed as a local historic landmark. It's also certified as a Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. Plus, it's known as an eBird hotspot by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. Over 150 different types of birds have been seen here! Elizabeth Clarkson even helped start the local Audubon Society.

The Elizabeth Lawrence Garden

In 2008, Wing Haven bought the Elizabeth Lawrence House & Garden. This garden is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's also one of only 15 "Preservation Partner Gardens" of the Garden Conservancy. This means it's a very important historical garden.

Elizabeth Lawrence was a famous writer and plant expert. This house and garden were her home from 1949 to 1984. It is now the only place left that shows her long and important work with plants and writing.

The SEED Wildlife Garden

In 2018, Wing Haven added the Student Environmental Education and Discovery (SEED) Wildlife Garden. This garden was designed to continue the vision of the original creators. It gives visitors another place to learn and enjoy nature.

The SEED Garden focuses on birds, as they show if an ecosystem is healthy. It has many native plants and animals, especially small creatures that kids love to watch. The Children’s Garden at Wing Haven also has raised garden beds for growing plants. There are also permanent edible plants like fruit bushes and trees.

Explore the Gardens' Layout

The Wing Haven Garden & Bird Sanctuary has a unique design. Its main path looks like a Cross of Lorraine. This means it has a long path crossed by two shorter paths. The house is located between these shorter paths.

The garden features many beautiful things. You'll find several pools and fountains. It's also filled with a wide variety of native and ornamental trees, shrubs, and flowers. The garden even has an old English sundial from 1705! You can also see many terra cotta pieces and plaques. One plaque has a poem by a Japanese reformer named Toyohiko Kagawa. There are also statues, including one of Saint Fiacre, who is known as the patron saint of gardeners.

Amazing Trees at Wing Haven

Wing Haven is home to several "champion trees." These are the largest or most impressive trees of their kind.

In 2013, Wing Haven's huge Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) became a "Treasure Tree." It is 67 inches wide, 130 feet tall, and its branches spread 50 feet wide! This award was given by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.

The Elizabeth Lawrence Garden has a Japanese Stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia). This tree is one of the original "Treasure Trees" and is the biggest Japanese stewartia recorded in Mecklenburg County. In 2000, Wing Haven Garden & Bird Sanctuary's Pin Chastetree (Vitex agnus-castus) was thought to be the largest of its kind in the United States. However, a bigger one was found in Texas in 2009.

Visiting Wing Haven

Wing Haven offers memberships that give you free entry to the gardens. If you are not a member, you will need to pay a small fee to get in. The gardens are open from Wednesday through Saturday, all year long.