Rebuilding Carolina Native Nursery After Hurricane Helene: Feature In Landscape Architecture Magazine
Nestled in the heart of Burnsville, North Carolina, Carolina Native Nursery has long been a vital source for high-quality native plants. However, when Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina, it left a path of destruction that devastated the nursery industry, including us here at Carolina Native Nursery, we lost 90% of our inventory. Our owner Bill Jones estimates losses of $2 million, including thousands of perennials, grasses, ferns, and regional azaleas, a specialty of the nursery. Now, as the dust settles five months later we face the monumental task of rebuilding.
The Impact of Hurricane Helene
The damage inflicted by Hurricane Helene was unprecedented. With 10 to 17 inches of rainfall, the storm triggered nearly 2,000 landslides across the region, wiping out crops, infrastructure, and even entire acres of land. Carolina Native Nursery was not spared—Jones and his wife, Jill, discovered the creek near their property had rerouted, sweeping away tens of thousands of plants.
“It’ll take me three years to get back to that,” Jones remarked, reflecting on the loss of 100,000 azalea starts, 50,000 one-gallon container plants, and 25,000 three-gallon plants. For a nursery that carefully grows shrubs from seed, these losses represent years of cultivation.
A Community Comes Together
Despite the devastation, Carolina Native Nursery has found hope in the strength of its community. Volunteers arrived to help salvage what remained, and a GoFundMe campaign raised more than $100,000 to support recovery efforts. Jones’ determination, coupled with the generosity of customers and fellow growers, is helping to lay the foundation for the nursery’s rebirth.
Support from the broader horticultural community has been a silver lining in this crisis. Other nurseries, landscapers, and plant enthusiasts have stepped up to assist, whether through donations, temporary sales efforts, or providing resources for irrigation and cleanup.
The Road to Recovery
The path forward will not be easy, but Carolina Native Nursery is committed to restoring its operations. While it may take years to fully rebuild, the nursery remains dedicated to its mission of providing high-quality native plants to the region. Jones has already begun the painstaking work of replanting and reestablishing lost inventory, ensuring that the nursery continues to serve as a key resource for sustainable landscaping in the Southeast.
Hurricane Helene underscored the vulnerabilities of growers in western North Carolina, where high-value nursery stock, Christmas tree farms, and greenhouse operations form the backbone of the industry. But it also highlighted the resilience of this tight-knit community, where growers, customers, and plant lovers alike are coming together to rebuild, replant, and renew.
As Carolina Native Nursery takes its next steps, Jones remains hopeful. “We’ve lost a lot, but we’re not giving up. We’ll keep growing, and we’ll come back stronger.”
For those looking to support the nursery, purchasing plants, making donations, or simply spreading the word can make a significant impact. With time, patience, and the unwavering support of the community, Carolina Native Nursery will bloom again.
