FAQ

Often we get questions from NCNPS members and friends. We thought it would be a good idea to keep a running list of these frequently asked questions, so we can all learn something new.

Q July 1, 2017:What kind of bushes would be a good choice for a hedge? It’s a small area and I’d prefer something that doesn’t get higher than 5′ and that stays green year round that doesn’t need a ton of trimming and that grows quickly. Not asking much 😬

A: Lisa suggests…Dwarf Yaupon Holly but they get pretty wide. Inkberry Holly but they’re pretty slow. She doesn’t say whether it’s sun or shade. Leucothoe, if shade. Viburnum obovatum is a possibility but a bit hard to find. That”s a tricky one.

Beth would add….perhaps Illicium parviflorum or I. floridanum…I use both of these in shade border situations where I need an evergreen privacy screen. They may not qualify as a “hedge” but they certainly provide 12 month screening and interesting flowers.

Or you could consider a vertical screen with support of some type and use Coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens.

Q: I am a stormwater engineer working on erosion and soil stabilization issues.  Could you please recommend a few types of grasses or shrubs that could thrive in the Charlotte area.  The soils on the site include Cecil sandy clay loam and Bethlehem gravelly sandy clay loam.  I believe the soils are pretty well drained on most of the site. We would like to have hearty plants with significant root structures that like to be mowed hard every 6 months or annually.    Does anything come to mind?

A: Larry suggests…Andropogon virginicus or Andropogon glomeratus can take wet or dry. These are clump-forming. Also try this link for HARP–Habitat Assessment and Restoration Professionals.

A: Lisa suggests…I was going to recommend contacting Hoffman Nursery, an NC grower that’s been at it for a long time, or using some of their excellent resources. Particularly ‘green infrastructure’. If you want only native grasses and the like, you’ll need to select for that. They also have an excellent newsletter.

Also, Mecklenburg County will provide information and review. I had to fish around a bit but located plant lists here. Charlotte is in zone 7B-8.

Do you have questions about native plants….leave a note in the comment section or visit our Facebook page. There is an active an ongoing plant question discussion on the Southern Piedmont Chapter page or the NC Native Plant Society state page too.

Wildflower Greenway

We should  extend a thank you to the Mecklenburg County Parks and Rec Department in conjunction with Charlotte Water Department for the sorta secret wildflower greenway walk adjacent to McAlpine Creek Park. From what I understand, when Charlotte Water was installing a relief sewer line along the creek,  a seed mix was planted in this recently disturbed area to hold the soil.

Catherine Luckenbaugh, currently Currator of the Mecklenburg County Herbarium located at Reedy Creek Nature Preserve shared this:

“I spent several years of my career in private industry working out the right species mix and percent composition to achieve a native mix that would provide the nearly instantaneous erosion control properties that Charlotte Water needs…sounded easy when I started the project, but it did take some monitoring and trial and error to get what they needed. I’m just glad they’re still using it.”

This wildflower creekbank/greenway is also an example of plant communities, as discussed by Lisa Tompkins at the recent NCNPS Annual Picnic at Hagenstone Park. Drawing from the ideas in the recent book by Claudia West and Thomas Ranier, Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes, Lisa described the various layers found in  plant communities, from green “mulch” to medium and tall wildflowers and grasses.

Do you ever find yourself wondering about some lovely wildflower you happened on in a Mecklenburg County park? Try this link to MeckFlora, a new and growing online tool for plant identification. It is organized by park, by flower color and plant type.

Our family has made it a point to wander this portion of the McAlpine Creek Greenway on a regular basis to see what is in bloom. These photos are from the greenway in mid June 2017, and the Rudbeckia display appears  to be at peak performance.

Park at the Sardis Road parking lot (110 Old Bell Road Charlotte, NC 28270) and turn left from the parking lot access trial instead of right toward McAlpine Park. This unpaved, dirt trail wanders adjacent to McAlpine Creek toward Providence Road. Because of the recent sewer work, it remains sunny and open. And one note….please take home only photos….and leave the wildflowers in the park for others to enjoy.

Searching for Bigleaf Magnolia blossoms at Redlair

NCNPS members were very lucky to be able to visit Redlair Farm and Forest by the invitation of Catawba Lands Conservancy last week. You may think the Bigleaf Magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla) flower in the above photo looks a little dark…that’s because Haywood Rankin, steward of the Redlair preserve  cleverly toured our small group up hill and down, along the banks of the East Fork of the Catawba River before finally revealing our first Bigleaf Magnolia blooms at eye level, right before our evening hike ended. Even in the fading twilight, those white blossoms with a touch of purple on each petal were impressive.

Haywood Rankin

Nearly 740 acres in Gastonia known as the The Redlair Plant Conservation Preserve was added to NC’s Plant Conservation Program in 2014. This land was formerly a portion of Catawba Lands Conservancy as far back as 1995, because the Rankin family wished to preserve the land and its natural resources. The preserve contains state threatened Bigleaf Magnolia plants and the federally protected Schweinitzi’s Sunflower.  This exemplary property is a NC Natural Heritage site and only open with express permission from the Plant Conservation Program.

Our hike included views of the swollen and muddy South Fork Catawba River, and several delightful streams with small cascading waterfalls. The trails included  beautiful hardwood forest, beneath giant patches of the Bigleaf Magnolia in addition to winding Mountain Laurel thickets.

New Jersey Tea Ceanothus americana

As we walked the many trails that Haywood has created on this property we encountered New Jersey Tea, Pipsissewa, Black Cohosh and young stalks of Schweinitzi’s Sunflower (Helianthus schweinitzii). We hope to arrange a return visit in September to visit these endangered sunflowers in bloom.

To learn more about the history and ecology of Redlair Farm and Forest click here. We were joined on this hike by Lesley Starke, Plant Ecologist, NC Plant Conservation Program. Many thanks to Mary Ann Harrison and Catawba Lands Conservancy for including NCNPS members in this outing. It was a wonderful treat.

Black Cohosh Actaea racemosa

 

Moss Therapy

When I’m having a bad day, one of the ways that I’ve found to take my mind off of my troubles is my moss garden. It’s nothing special, just a shady low area near the creek that could never grow grass due to lack of sun. But all I have to do is spend 30 minutes to an hour pulling tiny weed seedlings out of the moss and my troubles just don’t seem so important. And if it’s a really bad day, you get to toss several 100 Hickory nuts.

Note the log barrier, which doesn’t seem to keep the deer out, as you can see by their tracks in the soft soil. But it does seem to keep most of the leaves behind a log wall.

After hearing Mossin’ Annie speak at the UNCC Native Plant Certificate joint program with NCNPS-SP Chapter last March, I realized this was a perfect area to start a moss garden. Her formula is simple:

• Mark off an area to designate as the moss garden. A place where moss is already growing is a good place to start.
• Keep leaves, sticks and trash off by sweeping or blowing
• Water daily to get the naturally occurring moss to spread (if you want super fast results Annie says water 3x/day, but I say start your project in January or February and hope for a normal NC wet spring. (Lazy garden rule #1…hope it rains tomorrow)
• Pull out competing weeds…the thicker the moss spreads, the less you have to do this, but it’s an ongoing chore…and good therapy
• It doesn’t hurt to walk on your moss, and I think it really helps it adhere to the soil layer underneath. As I learned from Annie, moss does not grow with roots.
• Repair animal damage by just replacing torn patches and walking on them…easy! And I find this is the one area in my garden that I don’t mind animal visitors since the squirrel holes and dear tracks are pretty easy to stomp back into place.Water and Walk…that’s what Annie says. It’s very zen….that’s what I say!