Highlands Is One of the Wettest, Most Biodiverse Spots in the East. A New Workshop Wants You to Know What's Growing There.

Photo by Audri Van Gores (@audrivangores) on Unsplash

By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  May 24, 2026

Highlands gets more rain than almost anywhere else in the eastern United States. More than 80 inches a year falls on that plateau, feeding the bogs, seeps, and wet meadows that make this corner of Macon County one of the most botanically rich places in the Appalachians. A new workshop hosted by the Highlands Chamber is offering people a chance to actually learn what is growing out there, and why it matters that it keeps growing.

The event focuses on wetland plant identification and conservation, skills that are useful for anyone who spends time outdoors in this region or manages land here.

Highlands has been a destination for botanists for well over a century. The Highlands Biological Station has operated continuously since 1927, making it one of the oldest field research stations in the country. Scientists have come from across the world to study the plateau's unusual plant communities, including species that exist in only a handful of locations anywhere on Earth. Most visitors who come for the restaurants and the shops have no idea that the bogs just outside of town hold plants that are genuinely rare on a global scale.

That rarity is exactly why conservation skills matter. Wetland plants in WNC are not like the tough, generalist species that show up in disturbed roadsides. They are often highly specific about water table depth, soil chemistry, and light. Drain a low spot for a driveway, let an invasive take hold, and the community can collapse. The people who live here and work this land are the ones best positioned to notice when something is off, and that starts with knowing what you are looking at.

The workshop is also timely in a broader sense. Western North Carolina is still working through what Helene revealed about the relationship between land and water. Wetlands do real work during heavy rain events. They slow water down, filter runoff, and recharge groundwater that feeds the streams and wells that communities depend on. Intact wetland systems are not passive scenery. They are functioning infrastructure, and the Highlands Plateau, with its unusually high rainfall and complex topography, has some of the most important wetland buffers in the region.

For anyone who has noticed the carnivorous plants tucked into the wet meadows near town, the pitcher plants and sundews that look like they belong in a greenhouse but grow wild here at elevation, this workshop is a chance to understand the full community those species are part of. Identifying plants in the field is a skill you build by doing it. Knowing the names is the first step toward understanding what conditions they need and what threatens them.

The Highlands Chamber has long supported events that connect residents and visitors to what makes this place worth living in and worth protecting. A wetland plant workshop may not draw the same crowd as a fall festival, but the people who show up tend to carry what they learn for a long time. There is a version of stewardship that starts with a walk through a wet meadow on a morning when the fog is still sitting low on the plateau, and someone who knows what they are looking at pointing to something you have walked past a hundred times.

If you have ever wanted to understand what you are seeing when you walk through a boggy stretch near Highlands, this is a practical place to start.

If you are thinking about what a home in Western NC might look like, Jon is happy to talk through what is available in Macon County and the surrounding area.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Highlands, NC considered a botanical hotspot?

Highlands sits at roughly 4,100 feet elevation on the Highlands Plateau and receives over 80 inches of rainfall annually, making it one of the wettest locations east of the Mississippi River. That combination of elevation, moisture, and temperate climate supports an extraordinary concentration of plant species, including dozens of rare and endemic varieties. The Highlands Biological Station, founded in 1927, has been studying this biodiversity for nearly a century and remains one of the leading field research institutions in the Appalachians. The plateau's bogs, seeps, and wet meadows are particularly dense with unusual plant communities.

What kinds of wetland plants are found in Western North Carolina?

Western North Carolina's wetlands support a wide range of plant communities depending on elevation and hydrology. Common species include swamp rose, buttonbush, Virginia willow, and various sedges and rushes. At higher elevations, you find bog plants like sundews, pitcher plants, and sphagnum moss in rare mountain bogs. Streamside areas support cardinal flower, Joe-Pye weed, and lizard's tail. Many of these species are highly sensitive to soil disturbance, water table changes, or invasive competition, which is why identification skills matter for anyone doing land stewardship or restoration work in the region.

How do wetlands affect water quality and flooding in WNC mountain communities?

Wetlands act as natural filters and sponges. They slow stormwater, trap sediment and nutrients before they reach streams and rivers, and recharge groundwater supplies. In WNC, where heavy rainfall events and steep terrain can cause rapid runoff, healthy wetland systems provide meaningful flood mitigation for downstream communities. Areas that have lost their wetland cover through development or drainage tend to see faster, higher floodwater peaks. For communities still rebuilding after significant storm events, the role of intact wetland buffers is not abstract: it directly affects how water moves through the landscape during the next heavy rain.

Where can I learn more about plant identification and conservation programs in WNC?

The Highlands Biological Station runs public programs and educational events through its affiliation with Western Carolina University. The Highlands Chamber of Commerce also coordinates conservation-adjacent events like this wetland plant workshop. The North Carolina Native Plant Society has an active Western NC chapter that organizes field trips and plant identification walks throughout the region. For those interested in formal training, WCU offers courses in environmental science and ecology. The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, based in Asheville, is a leading land trust that protects wetlands and natural areas throughout the region and occasionally offers volunteer stewardship events.