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North Carolina has some truly fantastic native plants and there are great reasons to use these native plants in our landscaping. Native plants are part of our national heritage. Many serve as host plants and/or food sources for beneficial insects and wildlife, while many are simply attractive plants that are not often used in modern landscapes. Plants that are native to the United States, or North Carolina in particular, are naturally well adapted to our local conditions and tend to do well in our landscapes provided they are grown in conditions that mirror where they are found in nature. If incorporating natives into your landscape, use them wisely and with a proper amount of consideration. Remember that the conditions in our landscapes are often quite different than those a native plant might grow in naturally. For example, you’ll often find dogwoods growing naturally on the edges of forests, where they receive a good deal of shade, yet many people plant them in full sun in their front yard. Many other native plants grow naturally in wet, swampy areas but when used in the landscape, are planted in dry, sandy soil. Native plants, like any other, are subject to the 'right plant for the right place' rule, meaning that you should pick a plant that will thrive in the conditions you can provide for it. Any plant, whether native or non-native, that is growing in a less than ideal location is going to struggle. Simply knowing that a plant is native to North Carolina doesn’t tell us enough about that plant to make an informed decision on how to use it in the landscape. 
Above left: Close-up of flower, photo by Jim Robbins. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Above right: The flower, photo by Marcia Boyle CC BY 4.0 One underappreciated native tree that I particularly like is the Carolina silverbell, Halesia tetraptera. This is a medium-sized, multi-trunked deciduous tree that grows up to 30 to 40 feet tall, with a slender upright growth habit. Its greatest ornamental trait is its powerful spring bloom, with white, bell-shaped flowers that hang from the branches for a few weeks in April. Flowers emerge just before the leaves, which allows its bloom to have great impact. Silverbell attracts hummingbirds, bees, and a number of different butterfly species. It has dark green leaves that fade to yellow in autumn and drop early, revealing a small brown fruit that has some unique ornamental appeal. Carolina silverbell likes moist, slightly acidic, organic soils and grows well in mostly sun or light shade environments. Carolina silverbell is in the Styracaceae family, related to Styrax americanus and Styrax japonicus, the American and Japanese snowbells. Each of these is more commonly used in modern landscapes, and the American snowbell is, of course, a native as well. While the snowbells are small trees, 10-25 feet tall, and thus easier to fit in most landscapes, the ornamental features are quite similar to the Carolina silverbell. If you’ve got room in the landscape and the right soil and light conditions, Carolina silverbell would be an interesting plant to add. You probably won’t see at any other house on the block. Matthew Stevens is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pitt County Center. If you have questions about this article or gardening in general, please contact the Pitt County Extension Master Gardeners at [email protected] or 252-902-1705.
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Since we’re now in September, it's time to start thinking about pumpkins. My wife recently had me bringing fall decorations out of the attic, so pumpkins are fresh on my mind. You can probably find the pumpkin of your dreams at a local farm, but perhaps next year you’ll want to grow your own. If so, here are some things to consider. Both pumpkins and gourds are members of the cucurbit vegetable family. This means they are relatives of squash, cucumber, watermelon, zucchini, and cantaloupe. As such, they share many of the same pests, and many of the same soil and growing conditions. However, while most of the other cucurbits are used as food, pumpkins and gourds are primarily (but not solely) grown for their ornamental value.  Above: At a hefty 1,097 pounds, this pumpkin grown in Nash County won the 2023 NC State Fair’s contest for largest pumpkin grown by a NC resident.
If growing either pumpkins or gourds, be prepared to provide a good deal of space, as both are vining crops that will run 4-8 feet or more in each direction. Don’t overcrowd the plants. Avoid using sprinklers or other watering methods that wet the leaves, as foliar diseases will occur when leaf moisture is high and air circulation between plants is poor. Pumpkins and gourds will use a lot of nutrients during the growing season, so test your soil prior to growing, and follow recommendations. Fertilizing with too much nitrogen is a common mistake that will result in lush vine growth with few fruit. Harvesting pumpkins and gourds can be a bit tricky for beginners. For gourds, look for a change in the sheen of the skin. When mature, it will go from shiny to somewhat dull. You also want the outer skin to be hard and not easily scratched with your thumbnail. Pumpkins will also develop a more robust outer shell when mature and will be a deep orange color (for most varieties, anyway). Perhaps the most important thing to remember when harvesting your pumpkins and gourds is to cut through the stem with a knife rather than trying to twist or tear it from the vine. If the stem is damaged during harvest (or after), it will lead to a rapid decline in the post-harvest life of the fruit. Gourds and pumpkins with long intact stems are easier to handle and last much longer. Now, for the fun part: What varieties can you grow? There is a tremendous amount of variation in the color, shape, and size of pumpkins and gourds, much too many to list, but that diversity lends itself to their decorative uses. If you’re picking a pumpkin to turn into a Jack-o-Lantern, you will likely want one that is large, orange, and relatively smooth. If you’re using pumpkins or gourds for other decorative purposes, however, a good rule of thumb seems to be that the uglier and more unusual they are, the better they work as decorations. Many varieties are odd shaped, have weird growths on them, or come in random combinations of colors that look like an artist has splattered paint on the flesh of the fruit.
Some of the most interesting ones I’ve come across are ‘Red Warty Thing,’ a large pumpkin that looks exactly like the name, and ‘Porcelain Doll,’ a creamy-pink, flat pumpkin that is wider than it is tall. Comb through your favorite seed catalogs and find the ones that appeal to you. Grow a few favorites for next year!
Matthew Stevens is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pitt County Center. If you have questions about this article or gardening in general, please contact the Pitt County Extension Master Gardeners at [email protected] or 252-902-1705. It seems like every year, in late summer or fall, after a wet period, the same thing happens: Mushrooms start to pop up in lawns and gardens. Without fail, the phone calls start, with caller after caller wondering why the mushrooms have shown up and what can be done about them. The simple answers to those questions are that the mushrooms appear because it’s wet and there’s nothing that you can really do about it, but there’s, of course, a little more to it than just that. Mushrooms usually arise in the lawn or garden when there is a type of fungus present in the soil and moisture conditions are high. Even though we don’t see it, there are always things happening inside the soil, and one of those things is decomposing of plant tissue, whether it be roots, stems, or fallen leaves that have incorporated into the soil surface. As this plant tissue breaks down, it becomes a food source on which mushrooms can grow and thrive. They are particularly prone to develop in areas where trees have been cut down, as the rotting roots underground contribute to mushroom growth. This can happen even several years after a tree has been removed.
Although there are many different types of mushrooms that show up in lawns, there are a few that are particularly distinctive. One is the stinkhorn, a foul smelling orange-mushroom. It is often long and slender and may have a dark tip. As with most mushrooms, much of its body is underground, so just removing the part that’s visible above ground won’t accomplish much. The mushrooms that result from fairy rings, a specific fungus that causes mushrooms to appear in circular patterns, are also distinctive. This disease is often particularly worrisome to those who have it, because of the unique pattern; however, it’s really no different than what I’ve already described. Decaying material in the soil feeds the mushrooms and they grow when there is a lot of moisture present. The growth just happens to be in a recognizable shape rather than random or scattered throughout the lawn.  Above: A fairy ring, the name given to mushrooms growing in a circle in grass.
Though not a mushroom, slime molds are fungi that also grow on decaying organic material under wet conditions. These often show up in flower beds where hardwood mulch is used. Slime molds can be quite unpleasant to look at. One slime mold is called dog vomit fungus, because that is exactly what it looks like. Although unsightly, this fungus won’t harm plants and can be eliminated by removing the mulch it grows on. Many mushrooms are nothing more than a nuisance in the lawn and garden. They can be mowed or picked, but will return as long as conditions stay wet. You may notice them in low-lying areas or others in poorly drained spots where extra water seems to collect. Improving the drainage or diverting water away from these locations might help with long-term mushroom control. Digging them out and replacing the soil in areas of heavy infestation is also an option, but probably one that would only be practical in very small areas. Herbicides such as roundup are not effective on mushrooms. Matthew Stevens is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pitt County Center. If you have questions about this article or gardening in general, please contact the Pitt County Extension Master Gardeners at [email protected] or 252-902-1705. |
Matt Stevens
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