The Rusted Garden 2014 Tomato Profiles: The 'Aussie', 'Brandysweet Plum', 'Black Cherry', 'Indigo Apple' and the 'Red Grape'

The Rusted Garden 2014 Tomato Profiles (So Far...)

I planted somewhere between 30 and 40 varieties of tomatoes this year. Too many... yes but enjoyable. One of my goals was to narrow them down to plants that do well in my gardening zone, which is Maryland Zone 7.  My other goal was to do a video series called Tomato Profiles. Here are some of the videos I completed so far. You can get a quick visual and basic information from them to help you decide if you want to give them a try in your vegetable garden. I will be selling seeds to most of these varieties come August.


The 'Aussie" is an heirloom tomato from Australia. It it s big producer of 1 and 2 pound tomatoes. Great flavor, good production and it is decent in the heat. I have been growing this plant for many years and it is my prime keeper tomato for large red beefsteaks.

The 'Brandysweet Plum' is also an heirloom from a cross in 1915. It tastes like a big beefsteak tomato in a cherry size. I think the flavor is close to 'Brandywines'. It isn't overly prolific for a cherry so I would plant two. It also stays about 6 feet tall. For the flavor alone it is a new keeper in my garden.

The 'Black Cherry' is a keeper that I have grown for years. Huge growth to 8 or 9 feet tall. It will keep growing until cold weather or disease gets it. It does very well in my area. It produces in high heat. It has good disease resistance. The flavor is solid and the color is outstanding. As I said, a keeper in my garden.

The 'Indigo Apple' is new to my garden and a keeper for the shear brilliance of the color. It looks painted. The flavor was better than I expected as for the 'Indigo' tomatoes can be tart. The trick is to let them almost... almost over ripen. They get a lot less tart and a bit sweeter. It is not full of sweetness but has a good tomato flavor finish. The inside is red, the colors are in the skin only.

The 'Grape' or ' Red Grape' tomato is, believe it or not, new to my garden. It does well in the heat in that it doesn't yellow out and it produces new fruit. Very good disease resistance and it is a prolific grower and producer. You will get massive grape shaped clusters of red tomatoes. They are sweet and I swear, I can taste and grape flavor. Might just be psychological though...

More to come!


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Another Unexpected Discovery - Out of the Ashes

Michaux's Sumac (Rhus michauxii); Durham County (2014)

A series of unexpected and seemingly unrelated events (including encouragement from great volunteers, a last minute field trip venue change, perfect burn weather one fine spring day, a drenching downpour & flooded creek one late spring day, a new fire management partnership, etc...) conspired to produce spectacular results. 

In mid-May we held a field trip for members of the Friends of Plant Conservation (http://www.ncplantfriends.org). Guests and leaders alike were impressed with the results of a spring-time prescribed burn. Photo opportunities abounded (see image, left). There is nothing like seeing freshly sprouting plants invigorated after a burn!

While most people were snapping photos, some on their hands & knees, Lesley Starke called me over. She pointed to the small, hairy shrub (pictured above) and said, "is that what I think it is?"  But she already knew; we both instantly knew!  It's not every day one finds a new population of an endangered species, especially one of the rarest shrubs around.

Lesley Starke admiring her unexpected find

MICHAUX'S SUMAC IN DURHAM!!

What made this such an unexpected surprise? No previous survey work had associated Michaux's Sumac with these particular soils, and we did not believe the species native to the county.  Sure, there was a planted population elsewhere in the county but what did that mean? We had been frankly fixated on the other rare species present, namely Smooth Coneflower (Echinacea laevigata). Finally, the area had been literally "out of site and out of mind". Other than a single prescribed fire we conducted years ago, this area had received no management attention. The last time we burned nearby,  the area was avoided and had been languishing ever since. Fortuitously, early in the year I made a brief visit to the area with Herb & Pat Amyx.  We observed excellent restoration potential evidenced by numerous rosettes of Parthenium, and Helianthus atrorubens; we speculated on what might appear with appropriate restoration. Game on......and the hard work began.

We got an answer to our earlier speculation this May when over 40 stems of Michaux's Sumac were found!

Sumac Site shortly after prescribed fire & clearing

An abandoned railroad track runs through the middle of the site. In preparation for a controlled burn woody vegetation was cleared around the RR line (which also served as the fire line). The dense, dark woods toward the back right remained uncleared but were included in the initial fire; this tree density was typical across the entire length of the tract. 

Same view as above (approx.) several weeks later;
note flowering Sumac in foreground

Fire scars are evident on boles of shortleaf pines from the prescribed burn & orange-brown vegetation (back left) was top-killed by a more recent prescribed burn. The brush pile is one of many created from hand clearing.

During the prescribed fire, dense piles of pine needles and other leaves burned deeply exposing the RR ties underneath (we had stationed a pump unit there to wet the ties before they could ignite). All we really hoped for was flowering of the common species to benefit pollinators.

Michaux's Sumac (Rhus michauxii) flowering stem (foreground) with fire (background)

Michaux's Sumac (Rhus michauxii) was listed as federally endangered in 1989.  Although also endangered in North Carolina, the species is doing reasonably well in the sandhills region, where protected land and prescribed burning are relatively common. Populations in North Carolina's Piedmont have been all but wiped out. Loss of habitat to development and fire suppression are among the main culprits.

NOTE: Herb Amyx produced an excellent article on the Sumac which can be viewed here: (http://bwwellsassociation.wordpress.com/)

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Restoring the Larkspur Savanna

Tall Larkspur (Delphinium exaltatum) approaches its southern range limit in North Carolina. Only a handful of sites have been documented and the species is considered endangered.  Of the 2 documented records in the Piedmont region, one is now extirpated (by the creation of a water line), and the second persists in a narrow slice of habitat between a paved road and a frequently disturbed water line.

Several years ago with the financial support of the NC Natural Heritage Trust Fund (now defunct), we were able to purchase a wooded tract adjoining the lone remaining Piedmont population.  The plan was to restore the densely forested tract hoping the Larkspur could re-occupy more natural habitat away from the constant threats associated with living on the roadside.

Dense patch of Eastern Red Cedar killed by
prescribed fire under large shortleaf pine

Since then, we have conducted 3 or 4 prescribed burns across the tract, combatted invasive species, and cleared some of the dense tree growth present.

The forest has scattered remnant trees with growth forms indicative of savanna growth. However, these were shrouded in dense growth of young Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) and little light reached the forest floor. Prescribed fires and selective tree removal have begun to produce desired results.

After several years, the upland edge of the site has begun to appear much more open.  In the following images a shortleaf pine and dogwood can be seen before and after preliminary restoration; more shortleaf pines become apparent deeper in the woods on the latter image.

   

Maintaining and expanding the developing "Larkspur Savanna" continues to demand resources. 

Restoration in progress at Larkspur Savanna, 2014 (above)
w/small pile of Eastern Red Cedar logs & brush piles
browned ground was dense Japanese Stilt Grass (Microstegium vimineum) 

Aerial views show the expanding opening.

Site in 2010, before hand-clearing

Site in 2013, after hand-clearing

Over the last several years we have been lucky to have several dedicated individuals carry the load of our restoration efforts at this site.

Earlier this year, Thomas Blaine has taken on thinning and brush-cutting to expand potential habitat. He shocked me, and perhaps himself, with discovery of the first Tall Larkspur plants outside of the original patch!

Not to be outdone, our local Preserve Stewards, Herb & Pat Amyx discovered a few more plants upslope of Thomas' just days later.  Taken together, these finds have expanded the extent of the Piedmont's lone Tall Larkspur population by more than 100 meters.

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8 Ounces of 100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil for Sale by The Rusted Garden

ITEM TWO:

100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil with Azadirachtin

2 - Four Ounce Bottles Package (Total 8 Ounces)

Click the  PHOTOGRAPH to go to the purchasing page

Purchase 2-4 Ounce Bottles of 100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil

2 - Four Ounce Bottles (About 8 Ounces) of Neem Oil is $14.75 

You can save a lot of money from buying products and making your own recipes.

Most 24 ounces bottles of store bought spray cost $8-$12. If you read the ingredients the very often only contain 1% Neem Oil. You don't need a lot when you make a spray.

8 ounces of Neem Oil makes up to 16 gallons of spray.

16 gallons of spray is about 64 bottles of 32 ounce spray.

I am only shipping in United States right now. 

You can purchase my 2 -  4 Ounce Bottle Package through Paypal.

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Prairie Flora in North Carolina: Buffalo Clover

I don't get phone calls about Buffalo Clover (Trifolium reflexum) very often, but when I do I take them seriously! 

Threatened in North Carolina, barely half of the historically reported locations are believed to still be extant. Like many other species associated with open, historically fire maintained habitats, the populations have dwindled or disappeared along with the habitat.

Nearly all North Carolina sites have been documented in the Piedmont, so hearing of a potential site in the North Carolina mountains (Madison County, north of Asheville), was a bit unexpected. In fact, this would be the western-most population in the state. I traveled out to take a look.

Patti Waltz discoverer of the Buffalo Clover in Madison County.

My first surprise was the steepness. The site climbs approximately 300' in elevation (topping out around 1960') in less than 400 linear feet (that's an 80% slope)!

The site is densely bouldery with numerous ledges and crevices. Widely scattered prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa) made resting on these problematic. Other open sun-exposed rocks have large clumps of species associated with high pH rocks; such as Limestone Goldenrod (Solidago sphacelata) and Shale-barren Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium). Spreading Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus) was apparent in places, while moister, shadier areas had dense patches of River Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium).

Patch of River Oats under Black Walnut above outcrop

Eastern red-cedar, black walnut, Biltmore Ash (Fraxinus biltmoreana), Georgia hackberry (Celtis tenuifolia), and Red bud are common trees along with patches of aromatic sumac (Rhus aromatica), coralberry (Symphyocarpus orbiculatus), and an occasional fringe-tree (Chionanthus virginicus). Where Patti Waltz removed invasive plants, especially Japanese honeysuckle, the rich, black soil is often exposed. In such pockets, the Buffalo Clover has emerged.

There are a few "protected" sites where Buffalo Clover occurs in the Piedmont, but none are found in such unusual ecological settings.  This is one of the reasons our goal is to protect multiple examples of each species across their natural range in North Carolina. 

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Purple Loosestrife

I spotted a small patch of Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) recently along Interstate 40 in Forsyth County, North Carolina.

Although I have heard rumours that beekeepers have spread Loosestrife in some areas, I saw no European honeybees on these plants. However, several species of apparently native bees were swarming over the plants.


Purple Loosestrife is a well known invasive of many northern states and a host of these have passed regulations restricting imports.  It remains poorly established in North Carolina, where it is listed as a "Class B Noxious Weed" (along with any other Lythrum spp. not native to the state).  Class B status is defined as, "Any noxious weed that is not native to the state, is present in fewer than 20 counties statewide, and poses a threat to the state" (Section .1700, 02 NCAC 48A.1701). One impact of this regulatory listing status is that sale or distribution of Purple Loosestrife is prohibited in North Carolina.

It turns out the small population noted above is scheduled for control action by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, and will hopefully be eradicated before it sets seed.  Please report any other populations found in NC. 

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Tips on Growing Two Pound Tomatoes: A Basic Overview

Tips on Growing Two Pound Tomatoes: A Basic Overview

If you like growing large beefsteak tomatoes then you have probably reached or flirted with growing a two pound tomato. It is not as hard as one might think. There are some things to keep in mind when you want to break through the two pound wall and even more so when you want to break through the three pound wall. I have come close to three pounds but it really requires removing a lot of upper fruit which I don't really like to do.

Last Year's 2 Pounder the 'Aussie' Chunked Up

Grow Tomatoes That Produce Big Tomatoes

The first tip, seriously, is to start with a variety that will get to two pounds. They are probably known as beefsteaks in seed catalogs. You can find free seed catalogs down the right corner of my blog. I get catalogs every December and choose a few good high pounder beefsteaks. Not all varieties will do well in your area, so try a few and keep what does best. At this point, the 'Aussie' is my favorite as is the  'Brandywine Yellow'. They both have produced a two pound tomato.


Use Transplants and Don't Plant Them Early

Start with a transplant. Pick one that is strong, green and stocky. A 'leggy' or spindly tomato plant will struggle to get going. You can start your own and pick the tomato that looks the strongest. Don't put them in the ground too early. A tomato loves heat. A tomato sitting in the cold will sit there and do nothing. Cold and frost is bad. There is nothing wrong with waiting three weeks past your frost date. The goal is not early tomato but two pound tomatoes. Let the transplant get to 10-12 inches tall, before putting it in the ground. This will require moving it from the seed starting cell when it is about 4 inches to a large cup or small pot.

Loose Soil, Compost (If You Have It) and Fertilizer

Start your transplant tomato off with really loose garden soil and try and dig down two feet. Loosen up a three foot wide hole/circle. You want the roots to establish and easily move through the soil. This also allows water to seep down deeply too.  If you have compost, of course, use a lot of it. You also want to add in a well balanced fertilizer. Something with the numbers close to 10-10-10 works quite well. If you are going to fertilize just the immediate planting hole (the hole you dig to actually plant the tomato in the ground) then 1 or 2 tablespoons is recommended. If you want to fertilize the whole three foot wide and two foot deep planting area you dug... then 5 or 6 tablespoons is recommended. Just make sure you mix in the fertilizer well across the entire planting area and don't leave concentrated patches.


Planting the Tomato

I plant 1/3 to 1/2 of the tomato into the ground. A tomato is a vine and it will root from the stem. I just dig the hole deep enough to drop in about 1/2 of the tomato. I remove any leaves that will be buried and fill in the hole. There is no need to plant the tomato shallow. Water it in nicely once planted.

Ongoing Feeding of Fertilizer and Epsom Salt or Magnesium Sulfate

You can pick the liquid fertilizer you want.  When the plant gets to about two feet tall start the feedings. Every 10-14 days, it should get a gallon of liquid fertilizer poured on it's leaves and around the base. Continue this through the summer until you are done wanting the plant to produce. One time each month, give it 1 tablespoon of  Epsom Salt in 1 gallon of water. You can just pour it around the base. Some people say to stop the feedings at some point to reduce leaf growth or change fertilizer to less nitrogen and more phosphorus. It probably has truth to it but it is just too much extra work for me. Maybe if I go after the three pounder one day, I will follow that suggestion.


Side Dressing Fertilizing

I side dress my tomatoes about 2-3 times over the summer. That means putting some slow release granular fertilizer on the topsoil about 6 inches from the base of the tomato.  Don't get to close or you will burn the plant. Scatter it evenly around the plants base. I use 1 or 2 tablespoons. Don't pile it, make sure you scatter it. I do this once, when the first green tomato is seen. And one more time in the beginning of July. I am in Maryland Zone 7. If things are going well (disease hasn't killed them) I might do it again around August first. The slow release side dressing will let the rain and waterings wash fertilizer into the soil for the plant.


My Side Dressing Video:

Garden Lime for Blossom End Rot Prevention

As a precaution I mix in a handful of garden lime into the planting hole. Any kind is fine. Most lime is made up of varying types of calcium. You only need like 2% of what you are using to be in a form for the plant to use. When I side dress my plants, I scatter a handful of lime around the plant.


Watering: Less When Little and More When Bigger

You have to keep the soil moist at all times. When the plant gets to three feet tall and the heat of your summer comes that probably means watering it every other day. The key to watering is to have a routine. I will leave this up to you in your design. Regular watering is the best way to go. Each of our areas varies so I can't give you an exact routine.


My Pruning Video:

Pruning Leave and Tomatoes for Growth and Disease Management

Here is what I do and it is open to variation. I prune the bottom leaves off slowly over time to create a splash barrier so soil born diseases can't splash on the leaves. I also thin my plants and remove suckers. You get to decide how much to thin and how many suckers you remove. There are so many methods. Some say keep a single stem. I don't. Some say remove tomatoes above the second flower cluster. I don't. Some say remove all but 1 or 2 tomatoes from the first flower cluster. I don't. This is where I say I prefer just getting more 1 pound tomatoes and 1 or 2 two pound tomatoes. If I was going for record sizes or the three pound tomato, I would prune more suckers and remove more tomatoes. Maybe next year.

Removing tomatoes is tricky. Each variety varies, for instance, the Brandywines often don't produce a lot of tomatoes and therefore the tomatoes on the vine get quite large. How many to remove is the question and that is up to you. After the tomatoes are forming on the first two flower clusters, the tomatoes after that will take size away. You can experiment with removing the smaller upper tomatoes and learn how they affect overal size of the lower tomatoes for that variety. Each variety of tomato plant is different.

You will notice the largest tomatoes tend to be the first ones to form on the first and second flower clusters. That makes sense. Removing upper tomatoes will allow more resources to go to the lower tomatoes.


This video shows you what my general technique got this year. And yes I got a 2 pounder!

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Some of My Tips for Growing Cucumber Plants

Some of My Tips for Growing Cucumber Plants

Cucumber plants are loved by many gardeners. They are a great compliment to tomatoes when making fresh garden salads. Cucumbers aren't necessarily hard to grow but they can take a lot of care around watering, feeding, combating pests and diseases.

The best way to keep healthy cucumber plants is a well established planting base with compost and fertilizer. This will get the plants off to a great start. They have huge appetites for nutrients and really need scheduled feedings through the summer. They love water and need water almost every other day at peak size and high temperatures.

Insects damage  and disease is best handled by preventative spraying before any signs of pests or disease appear. The bottom line for cucumbers is to have a pretty strict care schedule. Here are some of my general tips on cucumber care.

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Paper published on coastal woody plant and vine associations

Spencer Bissett’s research is focused on the role of vines in shaping communities in coastal ecosystems, specifically large-scale successional effects.  In his recently-published paper, "Linking habitat with associations of woody vegetation and vines on two mid-Atlantic barrier islands" describes our findings comparing woody and vine plant communities at two sites.  Working at Hog Island, off the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and the Duck Field Research Facility in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Spencer measured environmental variables including soil acidity, soil salinity, elevation, and distance from shoreline at multiple plots, and related these variables to the presence of plants across the sites to test whether these variables affected distributions of woody vegetation or vine species.  Vine presence was positively affected by woody plant presence, which in turn was most strongly influenced by elevation.  In some places, vines were so thick Spencer could walk over the shrubs.  Future research will focus on species-specific relationships, in a continuing effort to better understand the influences contributing to vine presence and success in these fragile, dynamic, and highly environmentally-responsive coastal habitats.  The article can be found at: http://www.jcronline.org/doi/abs/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-13-00177.1 or by emailing bissetsn@vcu.edu.

Image: Smilax sp. covering Morella cerifera thicket. Photo credit: Spencer Bissett

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For Sale: 100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil with Azadiracthin

100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil with Azadiracthin 

Neem Oil and 360 Degrees Nozzle Sprayer - TRG 2014

I am selling 100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil with Azadiracthin
and all its natural pressed components.

The 100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil I am selling 

was imported from India and is manufactured by Parker Neem Oil of India.

Neem Oil has been used in India for centuries and it has many uses
including uses in the garden.

Azadirachtin, a component in Neem Oil, can inhibit feeding
 and other systems of over 200 insects.

You can find out all kinds of information on the internet. Here are some popular links.

Parker Neem Oil  Description

National Pesticides Information Sheet on Neem Oil

Extension Toxicity Network on Azadirachtin

Discover Neem: How Neem Oil Works on Insects

I decided to sell 100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil with Azadiracthin because it is pure with no components added or removed by the manufacturer. Many products you buy in stores have had the Azadiracthin removed. This is commonly called clarified hydrophobic extract of neem seed oil. It will be listed as the main ingredient. I wanted to offer the cold pressed product with all its components.

My Garden Package is $20.75 and it Includes:

3 Four Ounce Bottles of 100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil with Azadiracthin (about 12 total ounces)

1 Sprayer Nozzle that can rotate 360 degrees to easily spray the undersides of plant leaves. It can be used on most standard spray bottles or recycled household spray bottles

3 Packages of Tomato Seeds 

There are many recipes for Neem Oil home sprays. I recommend you look a few up on the internet.

In general, they range from: 

1-1 1/2 teaspoon of Neem Oil per 32 ounces of water

or 1 tablespoon of Neem Oil per 1 gallon of water

(mild soap is needed to disperse the oil)

One Neem Oil Home Spray Recipe

Another Neem Oil Spray Recipe

Soap is also added to allow the Neem Oil to mix thoroughly in the water. 

There are differences between hand soap and detergent dish soap.

You can save a lot of money from buying products and making your own recipes.

Most 24 ounces bottles of store bought spray cost $8-$12. If you read the ingredients the very often only contain 1% Neem Oil. You don't need a lot when you make a spray.

12 ounces of Neem Oil makes up to 24 gallons of spray.

24 gallons of spray is about 96 bottles of 32 ounce spray.

Let's say 12 ounces of Neem Oil makes just 80 - 32 ounce bottles of home recipe spray.

80 bottles x $9.00 (Price for store bought Neem Oil spray product) = $720

You can really save a lot of money by making your own home recipe sprays. I also recommend you always test spray some leaves of each plant when you use new sprays. Soak the top and underside of some leaves and wait 48 hours for signs of damage.

I am only shipping in United States right now. 

You can purchase  my Garden Package through Paypal.

COMING SOON... FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

as the arrive I will answer them.

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The Evil Disappears along with Canada Barberry?

Berberis canadensis showing the bristly leaf margins

Canada Barberry (Berberis canadensis) and the non-native Common Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) are very similar in appearance. According to Weakley's flora the most obvious difference between the two is the number of bristles on the leaf margins (the image on the right shows the relatively sparser bristles on B. canadensis).

Distinguishing these two may be especially relevant given that Common Barberry was apparently heavily naturalized in the eastern US by the early 1900's. In a 1920 survey, over 1,600,000 "escaped bushes" were found in the north-central states (1). The status of B. vulgaris in NC is unclear although it has been documented here (8)

Although Common Barberry was introduced for various beneficial uses, it had also long been considered a potential threat to agriculture for well over a century; "One extraordinary fact is that the barberry bush will produce smut, or something very similar to it, in all corn growing within a considerable distance of it.....as soon as the barberry has been thoroughly extirpated, the evil disappears" (2)

https://www.apsnet.org/publications/apsnetfeatures/Pages/Barberry.aspxonline  

This "extraordinary fact" ended up contributing to what has been considered the largest and most intensive non-native plant control effort in US history (3).  By 1918, USDA and numerous states were implementing broad reaching programs to eradicate Barberry in an attempt to protect wheat and other cereal crops from infestation by black wheat rust, the spores of which were determined to be spread especially by Common Barberry (Berberis vulgaris). At least one botanist posed objections to the wholesale slaughter of the Common Barberry, but never mentioned the potential loss of, or confusion with, Canada Barberry (4) .


Perhaps, this lack of concern was initially based on statements by USDA that native barberries...."seem to be of very little or no importance in spreading rust" (5). However, by 1921, it had been determined that "only one species of native barberry (Berberis canadensis) rusts abundantly enough to be dangerous" (1).  It is unclear how aggressively, if at all, Canada Barberry was pursued for eradication, but given the similarity of appearance to Common Barberry and the wide range of citizens involved in control programs, it is likely that Canada Barberry would have been destroyed if encountered.

Control efforts focused on the north-central states (1) and continued through at least 1981 although it was believed that 98% of the infected areas had been eradicated nearly a decade prior to that (6). It has been estimated that over 500 million Berberis were removed by cooperative eradication programs (3).

The current rarity of Berberis canadensis in the northern parts of the known natural range (PA, VA, IN, IL, MO) could well have been facilitated by Wheat Rust-associated eradication programs. However, such programs apparently did not extend south of Virginia (6); wheat rust spores in the south (Missouri and Kentucky southward) lose viability (1) and therefore, eradication programs were less needed. Although at least one southern state (7) still lists eradication programs as a threat, I have found no reliable evidence for barberry eradication in NC or southward, and am not convinced it was a significant factor in creating rarity in NC, SC, GA or other southern states.

 

Berberis canadensis with dangling inflorescences

Trifurcate thorns are typical of B. canadensis
(but also B. vulgaris)

It is unclear why Canada Barberry is so uncommon in NC and places southward. Possible explanations are its tendency to associate with higher pH soils (rare in and of themselves) and relatively open sites (also rare and becoming rare).  A couple of years ago I found a large population (which Harry LeGrand later estimated to be NC's largest) in the Uwharrie region of NC, along an open roadside with a host of prairie associates; the site has since been destroyed by road construction. I know of one apparently thriving and protected population which is the source of the images here. More commonly, Japanese Barberry can be found naturalizing in NC.  

Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii);
this specimen apparently planted at the Linville Falls trailhead

Today, in North Carolina's "natural areas" we may need to reconsider the message on the sign below.

https://www.apsnet.org/publications/apsnetfeatures/Article%20Images/barberry11b.jpg

References:

(1) Annual Reports of the Department of Agriculture , 1920

(2) The Principles of Agriculture, Thaer 1844, 2 volumes, London

(3) https://www.apsnet.org/publications/apsnetfeatures/Pages/Barberry.aspx

(4) American Botanist, 1918 (William Clute essay)

(5) http://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/IND43843138/PDF

(6) http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=10755

(7)http://www.georgiawildlife.com/sites/default/files/uploads/wildlife/nongame/pdf/accounts/plants/berberis_canadensis.pdf

(8) http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/seflora/firstviewer.htm

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Parrot Pitchers

Considered by at least one author, "the most bizarre member of it genus" (Cheek 2008), the Parrot Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia psittacina) has always been one of my favorites. On a recent return to north Florida I relished the opportunity to see these special carnivores once again.


The plants shown here were found in a beautiful wet pine savanna not far from Tallahassee.

 

Sarracenia psittacina                  

range map                  Source: http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/sarracenia-psittacina 

The embedded map suggests, this pitcher plant is largely a Gulf Coast endemic ranging from the Florida parishes of Louisiana eastward through the outer coastal plain of Georgia (although some sources include western Louisiana, it is my understanding this species does not naturally occur there).  These little guys are easy to overlook and just so darn cute I thought I'd just post a few images of them! 

There is no doubt, Pitcher plants are best appreciated in their natural habitats

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Prairie Flora in North Carolina: The Partheniums

Dense Quinine patch in Durham County;
plants in the foreground are P. auriculatum, taller
stems in background are P. integrifolium

Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) and Glade Wild Quinine (Parthenium auriculatum) are frequent and sometimes common members of North Carolina Piedmont diabase woodlands. For unknown reasons, they may co-occur (as in the image to the left) or be found singly at a given site.

Both flower profusely in open, prairie-like sites, especially after burning although individuals may persist vegetatively for long periods under somewhat shaded conditions.

Wild Quinine is the wider ranging of the two, being found nearly throughout the eastern US (where often associated with high quality, prairie or savanna-like habitats). Glade Wild Quinine is the southern cousin ranging roughly from West Virginia to Alabama. The former may be found nearly across NC, while the latter is restricted to a handful of Piedmont counties.


     

Typical P. auriculatum
basal leaf

Typical P. integrifolium
basal leaf

              

                 

Both species have similar appearance with large, coarse, basal leaves.












P. integrifolium is much less hairy, often has a dark reddish mid-vein apparent on the larger, mostly basal leaves. It also tends to be a taller and larger plant when flowering (up to 3' or so).  P. auriculatum has a more petite, compact form, and longer blooming period. The toothier leaf margins help distinguish Glade Wild Quinine, and many plants show a sheen of white pubescence even from a distance while the hairs on Wild Quinine are much less developed and obvious.



The upper image (right) is Parthenum auriculatum, the lower is P. integrifolium; both in full flower (an insect has chewed into one on the lower plant.





           

Wild Quinine patch flowering after late spring
prescribed fire in Durham County
on exposed diabase outcrop

Large expanse of Parthenium integrifolium on a clayey, upland flat with deeper soils derived from diabase.
Site burned early Spring

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