Augusta National’s Trees and Flowers: Mimic The Masters Landscape

Did you know that Augusta National was built on the grounds of a former nursery? Known as Fruitland Nursery, it operated from 1857 to 1910. Perhaps that’s why the famed course seems like a sporting venue with arboretum tendencies, especially during The Masters. The gorgeous trees and flowers there are famous worldwide. In fact, every hole on the course is named after flora found on the course. Lucky for us at Harbor Club, we’re located in the same plant zone as Augusta National (8a), so it’s easy to mimic the colorful landscape.

For planting ideas, here’s a list of each of the holes and a description of each of their namesakes. 

Hole 1 – Tea Olive

Also known as sweet osmanthus, sweet olive, and fragrant olive, it is a species native to Asia. They grow as dense, evergreen shrubs or small trees, and their leaves resemble holly leaves. This plant is well known for its tiny white flowers with a fantastic, unforgettable fragrance. You’ll find tea olives at hole 1 on the right of the fairway and at the rear of the green.

Hole 2 – Pink Dogwood

The pink dogwood tree is a medium-sized ornamental notable for its multitude of pretty pastel flowers. The flowers make their showing in early spring for about two to four weeks. Later those flowers turn to red berries. You’ll find pink dogwoods at hole 2 on both sides of the fairway. 

Hole 3 – Flowering Peach

This one is no surprise considering Georgia is known as the Peach State. This ornamental tree’s pink blooms, with clusters of single or double flowering peach petals, are sights to see from March to early April. Note that this tree is known more for its ornamental characteristics and not the quality of its fruit. You’ll find flowering peach trees on the right side of the fairway.

Hole 4 – Flowering Crabapple

One of the most prized small ornamental trees is the flowering crabapple. They are best known for their showy pink flowers that bloom from late March into early April. Many offer colorful fruit in the fall. You’ll find flowering crabapple trees on the right side of hole 4 leading up to the green. 

Hole 5 – Magnolia

A quintessentially Southern tree, magnolias are a deciduous evergreen prized for its large, highly-fragrant, tulip- or star-shaped flowers. You’ll find magnolias throughout Augusta National. In fact, the entrance to Augusta National is known as Magnolia Lane, and it’s lined with 122 majestic magnolia trees, 61 on each side. 

Hole 6 – Juniper

Also known as red cedar, juniper is an evergreen coniferous ornamental with aromatic cones and foliage. They are members of the cypress family. You’ll find junipers at hole 6 around the tee and around the right side of the green.

Hole 7 – Pampas

Pampas grass is an attractive ornamental flowering grass that sends up its plume-like flowers in August. This reed-like grass is very easy to grow here, as it loves hot summers and mild winters. Mature plants can reach 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide.

Hole 8 – Yellow Jasmine

Yellow Jasmine is an evergreen vine with yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom from February through late April. It’s a fast-growing plant and highly aromatic. It’s easy to spot throughout the South, covering fences and trees in open woodlands. Yellow jasmine also works well as a ground cover as long as it’s cut back annually.

Hole 9 – Carolina Cherry

The Carolina Cherry tree is an extremely drought tolerant full sun tree easily grown as a stand-alone shade tree or hedge to block unwanted views. It’s an evergreen that produces small creamy white flowers in two-inch clusters from February to April. Its leaves have a maraschino cherry fragrance when crushed. You’ll find Carolina cherry trees at hole 9 on the right side of the fairway.

Hole 10 – Camellia

Camellias are beautiful evergreen shrubs highly prized for their gorgeous flowers. They bloom prolifically for weeks from fall into spring. Camellias come in many varieties and colors, and several have multi-colored blooms. The most common colors are pink, red, or white. The japonica and sasanqua species are the famous ones found at hole 10. You’ll see them at the rear of the green and to the left of the fairway.

Hole 11 – White Dogwood

The white dogwood tree is a popular one in the South. The white “bracts” or blooms make a showing from April through May. It offers glossy green leaves in the summer, bright red berries in the fall, and showy bark in the winter, making it lovely to look at all year round. 

Hole 12 – Golden Bell

More commonly known as Forsythia, this is a fast-growing shrub that yields tons of prolific yellow flowers in March and early April. It’s an easy plant to grow and is nearly maintenance-free. You’ll find golden bell at hole 12 behind the green.

Hole 13 – Azalea

With over 30 varieties present, azaleas are the most noted flowering plant at Augusta National. Part of the rhododendron family, it’s a deciduous shrub with tons of brightly colored, sometimes fragrant blooms that last several weeks in spring. It’s shade tolerant and prefers living near or under trees. From tee to green, you’ll find hole 13 flanked on its south side by as many as 1,600 flowering azalea bushes. They are everywhere at Augusta National. 

Hole 14 – Chinese Fir

Chinese Fir is a coniferous evergreen tree from the cypress family. It has fragrant, gray, or reddish-brown bark that sheds in long strips. This tree grows up to 160 feet, with a circumference of about 18 feet. The spreading branches droop at the ends and have flat lance-shaped leaves and rounded cones.

Hole 15 – Firethorn

Belonging to the rose family, this is an evergreen shrub that’s easy to grow. Firethorn provides lots of seasonal interest. It keeps its shiny leaves year-round and offers small creamy-white flowers that appear in April. The flowers later develop into prolific orange-red berries that remain from fall through winter. 

Hole 16 – Redbud

Redbud is a small deciduous tree that also grows as a shrub. It’s well-known for its bright pink flowers that blossom from the trunk, branches, and twigs from March into April. It has heart-shaped leaves that emerge a reddish-purple color, turning dark green as summer approaches and turning yellow in the fall. Redbuds are often planted in landscapes but also grow naturally in woodlands. 

Hole 17 – Nandina

Nandina is a flowering evergreen shrub. It is also called “Heavenly Bamboo.” While it’s not from the bamboo family, its leaves resemble it. Nandina offers white blooms in May and spectacular red berries from fall into winter. In spring, the young leaves are bright pink, which later turn fiery red, and then ultimately green.

Hole 18 – Holly

Considering both an evergreen and an ornamental, holly trees are well-known for their tiny white flowers, bright red berries, and glossy, prickly-edged leaves. Hollies keep their foliage year-round, but only the female trees produce berries. Boughs of holly are often used as decor around Christmastime. 

To learn more about some of these plants, take a look at our write-up on the Southern Living Plant Collection. Also, feel free to reach out to our garden club members for tips and advice. You’ll likely spot them tending to our Victory Garden located at The Grove. 

As a Southern Living Inspired Community, many of our residents have already successfully replicated the stunning landscapes of Augusta National in their own yards. Why not come see for yourself? Make plans to stop by Harbor Club, and you’ll see the beauty that abounds throughout our highly-acclaimed golf and lake community. Let’s start planning your visit today.