Ever since hearing the hit song, Signs, in 1970, I’ve been fascinated with collecting images of signs around the world, as a reflection of the public conscience. Signs show the entire range human consciousness, from edgy satire to a lack of educational basics. This week, when picking up a new pair of eyeglasses, I was […]
Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign Read More »
In Greek mythology, chimeras are imaginary creatures, often formed by combining parts of several other creatures together into one. Classic examples are centaurs and mermaids. In plants, there are three types of foliage chimeras, sectoral, mericlinal, and periclinal. Sectorial is represented by plants like Philodendron ‘Thai Constellation, which has randomly flecked leaves. Periclinal chimeras are
The Mystery of Chimeras Read More »
Years ago, I had the privilege of serving on the NC Rare Plant Scientific Committee for eight years with Dr. Alan Weakley, and I can truely say, each encounter was an incredible learning experience. It’s not often you get to work closely with a true genius in your field. For those who don’t know Alan,
The Strength of Weakley Read More »
Our entomologist, Bill Reynolds just alerted us to a Eastern Black Swallowtail that had just emerged from its chrysalis. The wings emerge folded and damp, needing to be hung out to dry before attempting flight. Bill placed it on a nearby dwarf crape myrtle, while we all gathered to watch the wings dry. These fascinating
The Swallowtail tale’ Read More »
North Carolina’s official state butterfly, the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly has been photographed nectaring non-native plants (otherwise known as exotic-plants). It’s not clear if there will be an uprising to renege its status as NC’s state butterfly, replacing it with another species of butterfly which only visits native plants. Gardeners on the other hand can
NC’s State Butterfly Nectaring Exotic Plants; Photos Show! Read More »
We all flock to the Internet to find information about plants, but not all information sources are created equal. Without question, the finest source of information about woody plants for researchers and plant geeks is Trees and Shrubs Online. What started as an effort to digitize one of the worlds best woody plant books, W.J.
Trees and Shrubs On-Line Read More »
An outstanding BLE (Broadleaf Evergreen) at JLBG this month is the amazing Prunus laurocerasus ‘Batumi Rubies’. This full-size form of the more commonly sold dwarf selections makes an amazing specimen. The fruit of this Black Sea native is typically black, but plantsman Todd Lasseigne made this amazing red-fruited collection in 2001, in the country of
New century plant hybrids don’t usually just happen. Yes, a bee can occasionally transfer pollen, resulting in a new hybrid, but as a rule, new hybrids require an incredible amount of work, spearheaded here by our volunteer, Vince Schneider. Vince coordinates pollen collection, storage, as well as the pollination process. While we love agaves with
Sky Painting with Pollen Read More »
When Bill and his crew were planting trillium seedlings in our outdoor production beds last week, they spotted what first appeared to be a large stump that mysteriously showed up in the middle of one of the beds. Further examination revealed it to be our native common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina), who had chosen one
Snap, Wiggle, and Plop Read More »
We’re just over a week away from the amazing Southeastern Plant Symposium. If you aren’t signed up yet, we hope you’ll still join us for the 6th annual version of this amazing gardening event. So, who should attend? Anyone who has a true passion for both plants and in depth knowledge about them. Our symposium,
Southeastern Plant Symposium – Last Call Read More »
