Bliss

Defeat and rejection are some of the challenges of life to overcome. Only when we have experienced some of these disappointments then and only then can we truly appreciate when we succeed or our goal has been achieved or the lost love we have secretly kept hidden in our heart returns. People want that feeling in there lives but only certain moments in life usually do they get to experience that feeling. Drugs, illegal and legal, have been searched out through time to give us that feeling that we wish for so much when we cannot find that feeling through experiences or feelings on our own.

I have recently been moving my nursery to a new location and while overlooking the property we were out walking to see if we could discover any unusual plant features in the property. What we found were an unusual amount of Sassafras trees on the old fence line. Sassafras albidum is one of the oldest species of trees in the world according to the fossil record and is native to the eastern United States. It is unusual for other reasons as well. A single tree can have three distinct types of leaves on it. The tree is usually small but they tend to live for a very long, long, time. They have excellent fall color and can be anything from yellow to bright scarlet red. I have even saw two trees side by side with different color extremes on them. Native Americans and early settlers used the bark of the roots of the Sassafras to make a tonic. This tonic which gave root beer its claim to fame was rumored to be a cure all to what ails the body for that feeling of euphoria if you will, to lift the spirits. It was deemed as a stimulant for tired and weary souls as well as an herb to fight off any other illness. There is an old story that near the coast of the new world with Columbus's crew near mutiny the odor of Sassafras permeated the air and quietened down the crew and land was shortly sited. The national champion tree of the United States is in Owensboro, Kentucky and was saved from a road crew by a lady with a shotgun. The governor pardoned the tree and her. Besides used as a tonic or stimulant the ground and dried leaves of the Sassafras tree is the File in File Gumbo, used in it as seasoning and as a thickener.

While the Sassafras tree does not contain the fountain of youth or the key to happiness the tonic of will never replace the feeling of mutual love, the long awaited kiss, victory or achievement it is a beautiful and very interesting tree and has been on this earth a long, long, time.

Elders Among Us

It has been a while since I last posted. Times are challenging, going through a divorce makes you question many things in life. Through my 46 years growing up and living the nursery industry I have been through many phases and many changes in this business. The nursery industry originally started as a fruit and vegetable plant industry in its early days. In those days most people did not have disposable income to spend just on plant beauty as they were concerned more with just living and trying to survive. As our society prospered after World War 2 and our parents and grand parents struggled to make a better society and a better world they became more concerned during the baby boom of dressing up their landscape with beautiful flowers and green hedges, and less about what kind of food they would try to grow themselves, after all the had the money to just go down to the new chain grocery store to pick up whatever they needed, because it was there and could be bought cheaper than they could grow it.

Today times are changing again with the collapse of our financial system and many American companies failing, with high unemployment and the uncertainty of our future has many thinking about growing more of what they need to eat themselves. A return to the land and of sustainable living is found almost everywhere these days. Not only in topics on the internet through articles and blogs but with crowds and conversations at the local Farmers Market and even the local convenience store and local gas station.

One plant that has come up in many articles and conversations that seems to fit suistainable living to the highest point is our native American Elderberry(Sambuscus Canadensis). Native to the lower eastern half of the United States it has been overlooked as a landscape plant and somewhat forgotten as a fruit crop at least for family and individual use. I am no Elderberry expert but I am learning also. With one purchase of Elderberry jelly from one of my neighbor vendors at my local farmers market I was hooked. Herbalist friends on Twitter and Facebook taught the herbal, nutritional and health uses of the Elders fruit. It has many benefits and have even more nutritional value than blueberries. It is a great looking plant as well. Perhaps when we face hard times perhaps we should go back and listen to those who have lived through hard times and listen to them instead of thinking we know better, and yes as corny as it sounds respect our Elders. In the photo is my friend 90 year old Mrs Billie Daniels of Harmony North Carolina and her native Elderberry on her property.

Magnolia and Hydrangea Update

I finally got a chance today to visit the Cucumber magnolias again. I was tipped off by my cousin Jonathon Campbell that they were in bloom. We have had much recent rain and that clearly has taken its toll on the blooms. I am still waiting for how successful we were on the tissue culture propagation. time will tell. The handful of younger trees I was able to move from the site are doing wonderful and they say hello.

My little Oak Leaf hydrangeas are all sprouting. they are so tiny and handling of those little seed is a problem. Sowing amounts of the seed properly, not getting too many close together is a problem. I will try to get a picture later .

Cucumber Tree Magnolia

Magnolia macrophylla known by the common names of Bigleaf Magnolia and cucumber tree was first shown to me at an early age by my father while we were near a creek one summers day. My father wanted me to know something was indeed special about the tree, however it was several years later that I realized what he was talking about.

The Bigleaf Magnolia was discovered in the wild in what is now Gaston county here in North Carolina by French naturalist and plant explorer Andre Michaux in 1789. It is listed now present in 13 states by the USDA and only found in 5 counties in North Carolina. It is found as an understory tree although it can reach heights up to 50 feet tall mostly near water sources such as creeks and streams. It is listed as imperiled in North Carolina and is listed as endangered in the wild in a few of the states it is known to be present.

The Bigleaf Magnolias title is no small matter. It carries the largest simple leaf and the largest bloom of any tree on the North American continent(did everyone get that). The leaves are between 18 and 36 inches long and generally between 9 to 12 inches wide. The flowers are 6 to 14 inches across. It is becoming rare to see them and that is one reason I had forgotten about them for a while. This past summer while nature walking my brother and I along with a friend noticed about 3 specimens larger than 30 feet tall as well as about a dozen smaller trees of assorted sizes in a very isolated area of Northern Iredell County. We found out later that the future of these trees may be in danger because of a land settlement between two family members. I carefully scoped out possible seed pods on the trees to collect seeds when ripe but when the time came the seed just did not make at all in a very productive seed year for almost everything else. After panicking that the lineage of these trees would be lost I contacted Donna Riddle a horticulture instructor at nearby Wilkes Community College. Wilkes Community College has been able through a grant to put in a plant tissue culture lab. Basically without getting too technical they take dormant leaf buds and with a solution of hormones and growth regulators you can produce new plants. This propagation technique has been invaluable for nurseries to get new plant varieties on the market quickly without using up too much plant material in the process. This of course can also be used to keep endangered or rare plant species going. Just this morning Donna came down to meet us and collected the material she needed to see if this propagation type will work on these trees. We will update this story later when Donna notifies me of her progress and success. One other reason that I wanted to preserve the lineage of these Magnolias is that the land on which they reside was part of an original land grant in the late 1770s to one of our families ancestors. So today and if Donna reads this I am happy that we are trying, trying to save not only a part of my families heritage but our nations as well. The picture is of one of the trees in which material for tissue culture propagation was collected. The trees also have very interesting bark as well. We will update this and share pictures of the leaves and blooms this summer.

Oak-Leaf Hydrangea seed collecting

I thought I would follow my last post with another about this wonderful plant. I have never collected seed for this plant before this year. After reading what I could on the internet from native plant sources and Michael Dirr I proceeded with a plan. The picture is of a dried Oakleaf Hydrangea bloom head and the specks are the seed. I have been catching them in paper bags as the capsules on the bloom head releases them. I will keep you informed to their progress when I sow them. Everyone pray for no wind on that day OK! They are not to be covered when sown just watered in. Hopefully a couple of weeks later they will emerge.

Anytime

The Oakleaf Hydrangea(Hydrangea Quercifolia) is truly a plant for all seasons. Native to portions of the southeastern United States it gets it's common name from the almost red oak like leaves that grace its branches.. It is a beautiful shrub at anytime of the year. I first noticed the Oakleaf Hydrangea growing up on my families nursery. I have always had a fondness for plants that shine in the fall and winter, and we need more of that to get us through some of those drab days. With the best burgundy fall color of arguably any shrub on its distinctive leaves it gives a boldness that lasts long into winter. Another winter interest of the plant which is special to me is the peeling bark of older plants that is reminds one of of River Birch. Not a slack for blooms either they are a glorious white and on some plants and cultivars nearly a foot long. And, for those who love to dry flowers this is one of the best. It is an easy plant to grow although in most locations it needs some shade especially in the south. It is cultivated well north of its native range these days and is a great ambassador of southern hospitality. While I love its fall and winter appeal the picture is of a specimen I planted this past year while in bloom. One interesting herbal curiosity of the plant is that it along with some of its cousins is that its roots contain compounds that help treat kidney stones!This I have not tried but must remember the next time I am rolling on the ground in agony from one of those things. It seems this part of North Carolina is famous for the pain and torture kidney stones can inflict. But whatever time of year the Oakleaf Hydrangea will grace your landscape with class and interest.

Purple Pizazz The American Beautyberry

Up until a couple years ago I completely neglected the American Beautyberry. I am an avid wildlife conservationist especially for our Bobwhite Quail. When thinking of native plants with berries my attention has always been turned to Hollies. But when you look at the perfect shrub for attracting birds of all kinds that is also beautiful and very hardy(winter hardy to at least zone 7 maybe farther north), very dought tolerant once established you should look no farther than Callicarpa Americana. It is a native deciduous shrub which has tiny lavender blooms in the summer with usual loads of pinkish-lavender-purple berries in autumn that last for beauty and food for wildlife through mid winter. It can reach heights of 8to 10 feet but generally in our area 6to 7 seems to be tops behaving much like forsythia but on a slightly smaller scale. Other imortant attributes of this plant are that researchers at the University of Mississippi have proven the old wives tales that chemicals in the beautyberries leaves when crushed and rubbed on the skin work as a mosquito repellent. The berries can also be used to make a tasty jam. I can think of no other native shrub to the south that has so much to offer, good fall leaf and berry color, beneficial to wildlife and man alike. To those who don't like purple there is a white berried form. Plant them in early spring so they will get a good foot hold and put on a show this fall.