Well-Earned Moniker: Cast Iron Plant

Cast Iron plant (Aspidistra elatior, pronounced ass-pih-DIS-trah eh-LAY-tee-or) is adored by flower arrangers and those with a self-professed black thumb. These stalwart plants have vertical leaves to 24” or so. Planted directly in the ground, they tolerate heavy shade, dry soil and neglect, although they look best with a little added moisture in dry periods. Flower arrangers love them because the leaves stay firm for a lengthy period after being cut, and will even survive for a time without being in a vase of water. Leaves can be pleated, rolled, or folded for special arrangement effects, or even used to line the inside of a clear container that features blooming stems.

Cast Iron plant will survive outdoors in zones 7 and 8. In colder zones, it makes a great houseplant due to its low light requirement. Its persistence in the face of neglect won it common names like Bar-room Plant or Parlor Palm. Outdoors, it prefers shade or partial shade, and will not tolerate direct sun. Protect from strong winds to avoid tattered leaves. 

Dr. Lew Feldman, the Garden Director at University of California’s Botanical Gardens at Berkley, wrote a fascinating history of how the plant earned its name. To summarize, Cast Iron plant became popular as a houseplant in the late 19th century when gas lighting introduced ethylene into home interiors. (Ethylene is used now used as a growth-restricting hormone by professional growers.) The Cast Iron plant has a biochemistry that caused it to ignore the large amount of ethylene indoors, making it one of the few plants that would survive. Find his entire article here.  

Cast Iron plant, an asparagus relative, spreads by rhizomes. It is evergreen where winter temperatures remain above 20 degrees, making it a good alternative for hosta and a good companion to ferns. Deer don’t browse it

The coarse texture of Aspidistra contrasts well with fern fronds. This beautiful planting is in No Man’s Land, the area next to an exterior wall where little rain falls.

Red and Green Groundcovers

Mother Nature is celebrating the holiday season by decorating with red and green. On a walk through the woods , you might spot Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens) or American Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). Both these groundcovers have deep green leaves, white blooms in late spring/early summer, and red berries in fall/winter.

American Wintergreen, also known as Boxberry, Checkerberry or Eastern Teaberry, is a woody, evergreen, mat-like groundcover. It has tiny white flowers that are shaped like smooth urns. In fall and winter, bright red berries, about the same size as a single Nandina berry, contrast attractively with the deep green foliage. Wintergreen is a member of the Ericaceous family It prefers poor, acidic soils and the company of hardwood trees. The white or pale pink blooms are shaped like upright cups. Flowers are mildly fragrant, but one almost needs to be on hands and knees to catch the scent.

Partridgeberry is commonly called Twinflower because its blooms are held in pairs. Partridgeberry has two distinctly different types of blooms. One has a long pistil and four short stamens. The other is exactly the opposite: one short pistil and four long stamens. A very close look (think magnifying glass or at least a good pair of reading glasses) at the Partridgeberry bloom reveals its fuzzy appearance. It produces a beautiful red berry similar to Wintergreen. When squeezed, the Partridgeberry fruit will separate into two parts; the Winterberry remains solid.

Both Wintergreen and Partridgeberry are found across most of the eastern United States. They thrive in shady woodlands. The easiest way to distinguish the two is to crush a leaf or sample taste a berry. Wintergreen has the distinctive scent and taste of, well, wintergreen. Partridgeberry leaves have no scent and the fruit is tasteless. Another distinguishing characteristic is that the Partridgeberry leaf has a lighter vein running the from stem to tip. Wintergreen does not have this noticeable feature.

Both these plants grow only a few inches tall, but spread indefinitely to form a  gorgeous carpet for the forest floor. They are frequently found growing shoulder to shoulder in zones 3 through 7. Partridgeberry tolerates more heat; its growth area extends to zone 8. Birds and other wildlife eat the berries.

Red berries rest atop the dark green leaves of Mitchella repans like Nature’s Christmas ornaments

The twosome flowers of Mitchella repans illustrates one of its common names, Twinflower. A persistent berry from last year is visible in the 12 o’clock position.

Super Salvia for Autumn

I’ve never met a Salvia I didn’t like. Salvia leucantha, Mexican Salvia, is a star of the autumn garden. This herbaceous perennial grows in zones 7b to 10a. In the cooler zones, top growth is killed to the ground in freezing weather. It will remain evergreen or semi-evergreen in warmer zones. Either plant it in spring to ensure that it has a well-established root system before cold weather arrives or consider it an annual.

Mexican Salvia can each a height of three feet or more, making it perfect for the back of the flower border. ‘Santa Barbara’ is a dwarf form. Flowers occur at the stop of stems, so plants are best situated where shorter plants conceal their lower half. Their lanky structure means that plants may open up in the middle, and may even break in strong winds or thunderstorms. The best way to combat this problem is to prune plants back by half in late May. Onset of flowering may be delayed by a few days, but plants will be shorter and bushier. Don’t prune after mid-July or you risk removing flower buds.

Bloom spikes are either bicolor purple and white or solid purple. The first blooms of the bicolor varieties are sometimes solid purple, with the white appearing in later blooms. The narrow grayish, felted leaves give a hint that it is both heat and drought tolerant. These Salvias prefer a well-drained, neutral to moderately alkaline soil. All varieties attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Deer and rabbits rarely nibble them.

Salvias have square stems, which is a signal to gardeners that they are easily propagated from cuttings. Plant in swaths for an impressive fall display, especially when paired with yellow or orange flowers.

Feed Your Pollinators

If your landscape plans for next year include a pollinator garden, consider including Buddleia, known as Butterfly Bush. Some gardeners shy away from using this heat- and drought-tolerant plant because older cultivars may grow to be huge and can reseed to the point of nuisance. In some states they are considered invasive. Newer introductions, namely the Lo and Behold™ series and the Pugster™ series (both trademarked) are small in stature and well-behaved.

Buddleias bloom on new growth, so should be pruned in late winter  or very early spring (before new growth emerges) to increase the number of blooms and to retain their rounded form. The blooms produce copious nectar. In addition to butterflies, many other pollinators flock to the clusters of sweet-smelling bloom panicles that are shaped almost like ice cream cones. In my zone 7b garden, Buddleias start blooming in June and continue until a hard freeze occurs. Pruning away the dead flowers will make future blooms more plentiful.

Buddleias need full sun and well drained soil. They prefer a soil with pH of 6.0 to 7.0, so throw an extra handful of lime their way if your soil test indicates an acidic soil. These tough shrubs are cold hardy in zone 5 to 9, although they may be winter-killed to the ground in the colder zones. Their growth rate is so fast, this hardly matters.

Most Buddleia blooms are shades of purple or lavender, but are also available in shades of white, blue, pink and yellow.

Buddelias are typically trouble-free, but on occasion may be stricken with spider mites, mildew, or nematodes. Resist the urge to use insecticides for these problems, since those would have a negative impact on visiting pollinators. Try to counter any issues by insuring adequate moisture during droughts and siting plants in locations with good air circulation.

If your space allows for a large specimen, ‘Black Knight’ is widely available; its blooms are a rich purple. It may reach six feet or more in a single season. ‘Nanho Blue’ is smaller, reaching four or five feet. For smaller yards and smaller gardens, the Pugsters and Lo and Beholds make wonderful anchors for beds but can also stand alone. Lo and Behold is a small shrub with small flower clusters; Pugster is even smaller but has full-sized blooms. A well-grown Pugster is a thing of beauty.

A white Buddleia pairs with yellow Coreopsis and rosy Joe Pye Weed in the pollinator bed of Lake Lure Flowering Bridge in Lake Lure, NC

A young planting of Buddleia Pugster Amethyst with yellow Coreopsis

Katsura Smells of Caramel?

Katsura leaves resemble Redbud, to which it is not related.

In addition to the Hickories, Maples, Sourwoods and Tupelos that are lighting up my woods right now, a weeping Katsura or Cercidiphyllum (ser-sid-ih-FIL-um), greets fall with butter-yellow, heart-shaped leaves. Despite the similarity in Latin names and leaf shape, they are not related to Cercis (Redbud tree). A quick examination reveals identity. Cercis leaves are held in an alternate arrangement on stems while Katsura are mostly in an opposite arrangement. Decaying Katsura leaves are reputed to have the smell of burnt sugar or caramel. Much to the consternation of my dogs and cats, I have sniffed the ground around mine several times but have been unable to detect any such scent. Spring leaves are bronze or burgundy and mature to a blue-green that is very attractive, especially when paired with contrasting foliages such as deep green holly or yellow ‘Gold Mop’ cypress.

Katsuras are not giant trees, maturing at a modest 50 feet or less. My mature specimen, a weeper that I assume to be the cultivar ‘Pendula,’ is 25 feet tall, with an equal spread. The tips of its branches brush the ground. Katsura wood is firm, so its branches do not ripple in the breeze like a weeping willow. An imaginative child (okay, an adult, too) could turn this upside-down-umbrella shape into a nature fort or hiding spot.

Katsuras will grow in either acidic clay or sand soils as long as there is plenty of organic matter, so allow fallen leaves to remain in place. It prefers a moist environment, so plan on supplemental irrigation during long dry periods. An alkaline soil results in a loss of the beautiful fall leaf color. Trees can be either male or female (dioecious). Spring flowers appear before leaves, are insignificant and have no smell. Male flowers are red; female flowers are green and produce tiny bean-like seed pods. Flowers last only one week. Mature trees have shaggy bark. They are shallow rooted, and may have roots above soil level, so plan surroundings carefully. Site them out of a windy area, if possible.

Cercidipyllum trees are unlikely to appear at big box stores and small garden centers. I worked in a plant nursery several years where a lone weeping Katsura was for sale. I coveted the plant, although it carried a price tag that put it beyond my modest plant-purchasing budget. I don’t know if it was the price tag or customers’ unfamiliarity that kept it hostage on the sales floor. It remained available for years after I moved on to other projects. Since then I have learned that Katsuras resent disturbance and are best moved when small.

Katsuras are Asian natives that grow in zone 4 to 8, full sun, moist but well-drained soil. They are rarely browsed by deer and have no significant insect or disease issues.

The graceful form of a weeping Katsura tree.

Golden Ginkgo

Across the southeast, the golden autumn leaves of Ginkgo biloba glow in the sun like sunshine in solid form. Ginkgo, commonly known as Maidenhair Tree, may reach heights up to seventy feet, with a spread of forty feet or less. Several dwarf cultivars are available. In the Mary Snoddy garden, a 15-year-old ‘Spring Grove’ is less than six feet tall. ‘Mariken’ is even shorter, maturing at a shrub-size three feet. A variegated form is also available. Ginkgo leaves have an unusual fan shape. A recent introduction, ‘Saratoga,’ has deeply-notched drooping leaves that give it a unique appearance.

Ginkgo is a popular street tree because of its attractive pyramid shape with nicely spaced limbs. In spring and summer, the leaves are an unremarkable green before cooler temperatures and shorter days cause the onset of its golden autumn hue. Ginkgo is tolerant of all soils except bogs. Forklore says that in fall a Ginkgo will shed all its golden leaves within 24 hours. While that is not quite accurate, they do lose all their leaves in a short period, usually a week or less. This obliging habit makes them favorites for those of us who hate raking, raking and raking.

The one characteristic that is not charming is the scent of mature Ginkgo fruit, which causes people in the vicinity to check the bottom of their shoes. These plum-sized stink bombs have large seeds which, once cleaned of pulp and roasted, are considered edible delicacies in some cultures. Fortunately, only female trees bear the odoriferous fruits. Nurseries normally sell only male trees. Purchase with caution if the tag says “seedling.” You have a 50-50 chance of taking home a future stinker.

Ginkgoes are easily transplanted. They grow slowly for the first year or two but then have a growth spurt. They tolerate heat, humidity, and pollution. Grow them in full sun, zones 6-9. They are deer resistant and not troubled by diseases or insects. Site your Giinkgo near an evergreen to enjoy the maximum leaf color contrast.

Fossils prove that Ginkgoes are prehistoric plants that once shared Earth with dinosaurs. They are akin to ancient ferns and are the only surviving member of their genetic group. Herbalists use ginkgo extract to treat memory loss or erectile dysfunction. Don’t try dosing yourself at home, however, as consuming large quantities of the leaves can be toxic.

The beautiful golden yellow of Ginkgo in autumn.

Fan shaped Ginkgo leaves

Limb structure of a juvenile tree

Ginkgo leaf starting to show fall color

Lavender Scent for Stress Relief

Politics and pandemics. Hurricanes, wildfires and home schooling. Many of us are feeling stressed. In times of increased tensions, it is tempting to turn to food or drugs to regain our equilibrium (read: to avoid lashing out at the ones we love). The scent of lavender is a natural time-tested anxiety reliever.

Folk medicine has long proclaimed lavender as an effective stress reducer. (Fans of the Downton Abbey series may remember Anna stuffing a sleep-inducing pillow with dried lavender blooms, circa 1920s.) Now the scientific community agrees. A study released in 2018 indicates that linalool, the magic substance in lavender, must be inhaled rather than injected directly into the bloodstream to be effective. In this instance, the marketing world has a head start. There are laundry detergents, candles, deodorants, lotions, air fresheners and even a pillow spray containing this calming aroma. The good news is that home gardeners can grow their own.

Lavender is a member of the mint family. The most common types are English lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) and Spanish or French lavender (Lavendula stoechas or Lavendula dentata). English lavender is the hardiest type, being cold hardy into Zone 5. ‘Hidcote,’ ‘Superblue,’ and ‘Munstead’ fall into the English family while ‘Bandera’ and ‘Primavera’ are Spanish rebloomers. Modern crosses between the two types produce heavy blooming, cold hardy types like ‘Torch,’ ‘Provence’ and ‘Edelweiss.’ All these have flowers in the blue to violet range, but pink and white cultivars are available.

Lavenders are challenging to raise from seed, with low germination rates and slow growth. Start with a purchased plant and propagate from cuttings or layering. Growing Lavenders in clay soil and high humidity of the southeast can be challenging. Like other plants with felted gray leaves, they are heat tolerant but prone to rot if the leaves stay damp. They must be sited in full sun. Water only until plants are established; avoid wetting foliage. They are quite drought tolerant thereafter. Because plants need good drainage and good air circulation, they are ideally suited to rock gardens or container culture. Bagged potting soils labeled for cactus work well. Plants prefer a lean, alkaline soil, so do not add fertilizer but do add lime to keep a pH of 6.4 to 8.2.

Plants may eventually reach heights of 4 feet or more. Tall plants tend to flop open in the middle. This can be prevented by selecting dwarf cultivars or pruning (remove up to 1/3 of the foliage) immediately after they bloom – a perfect opportunity to harvest the flowers for potpourri or even food use. I enjoyed a delicious lavender shortbread cookie several years ago at a gardening event. Lavenders bloom on new growth, so pruning keeps them compact and increases the number of flowers. If pruning is neglected, plants will eventually develop leafless woody stems at lower levels. Once this occurs, replace the plant with a new one. Plants rarely throw new growth when pruned down to this woody section.

Lavenders are evergreen to semi-evergreen. Both flowers and foliage are fragrant. They are not browsed by deer, are not aggressive and are not invasive. Blooms are long-lasting. Bees and butterflies love them.

Lavender is the National Garden Bureau’s Perennial of the Year for 2020. They have kindly provided the accompanying photographs.

Anouk Bandera Purple

Big Time Blue

Hidcote Blue

Munstead

Primavera

Portion

This Broom Is Not For Witches

I profess an above average plant knowledge, so I was a bit embarrassed recently when a visitor to the Mary Snoddy grounds (she is a fantastic gardener) corrected my mis-identification of Butcher’s Broom as Poet’s Laurel. She was right!

Butcher’s Broom (Ruscus aculeatus) is in the same genetic family (Asparagaceae) as Poet’s Laurel (Danae racemosa), along with Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra), Asparagus Fern, and Sacred Lily (Rohdea – a fabulous plant to be featured in a future blog). Broom and Laurel share unusual characteristics. What appears to be leaves are actually modified stems, known by botanists as cladophylls. Both have foliage that lasts a long time when cut, making them favorites among the flower arranging community, and both have beautiful orange-red fruits in fall. Butcher’s Broom, however, has thorns hidden along the stems that will snag an unsuspecting gardener. Poet’s Laurel does not have these prickles. Both the Broom and the Laurel enjoy dry shade to part shade, zones 7 to 9. They tolerate a wide range of soils and are drought tolerant once established. The Laurel has a weeping habit while the Broom is more upright. Butcher’s Broom may eventually reach three feet in height with a bit wider spread. Poet’s Laurel will mature at four feet in height. Any branches that die should be cut off at ground level.

Butcher’s Broom and Poet’s Laurel are difficult to propagate and slow-growing so when available in plant nurseries, they are likely to carry a healthy price-tag. Brooms normally need both female and male plants nearby in order to produce those marble-size fruits, but ‘Wheeler’s Variety’ will self-pollinate. Brooms spread (gradually) from a creeping rhizome. If you are patient, you can also push the seeds into soil but expect to wait three years or more before you see leaves.

Neither plant is bothered by diseases or browsed by deer. One easy way to remember the plants’ identities is to recall that Poet’s Laurel was once used to form crowns for victorious athletes (hence the phrase, “resting on one’s laurels”). With its needle-like thorns, Butcher’s Broom would make an uncomfortable tiara.

The rich green foliage looks fabulous when paired with variegated plants or lighter green foliage. In a new bed, I have planted it with an under-dressing of ‘Black Scallop’ Ajuga (purple) and chartreuse “Jewels of Opar” (Talinum paniculatum). Even without the orange-red berries of a mature Butcher’s Broom, this color combination pleases me and I think it will only get better with age, though I may need to provide supplemental water for the Ajuga.

"File:Butcher's Broom (Ruscus aculeatus) (15720512577).jpg" by Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Cardinal Flower, beautiful red Lobelia

A patch of Lobelia cardinalis growing in a sunny bog.

Cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis (pronounced low-BEE-lee-ah kar-dih-NAL-iss), is a perfect choice for damp-to-wet soil, in full or partial sun. Spikes of bright red, tubular flowers burst into bloom in late summer and fall, delighting both the gardener and hummingbirds. Flower spikes open first at the bottom and work their way to the top over several weeks.

With fertile soil and plentiful water, plants may reach as much as four feet tall.  Pinch out the growing tips early in the year to make plants shorter and bushier. These natives are perennial in zones 3 to 9, and appreciate a light winter mulch. They tend to be short-lived, lasting two or three years in the Mary Snoddy garden. I have had limited success in attempting to start them from seed. My preferred method is to plant a few purchased plants and allow them to self-sow, which they do freely. I placed three plants at the edge of our pond, did not prune or deadhead, and in a couple of years they had spread around the sunny perimeter to form an impressive display. They can also be propagated by stem cuttings or root cuttings, or by separating and replanting any “pups” that may form at the plants’ base. If you want yours to self-seed, allow the plants to scatter their seeds before removing spent bloom stalks.

There are two theories on how the Cardinal flower got its common name. One is that the plant was named for the scarlet feathers of the Cardinal bird. The other is that the flower color is the same red as robes worn by Cardinals in the Catholic Church. One cultivar, ‘Queen Victoria,’ has bronze foliage that provides an unusual contrast to the clear red blooms. I understand that cultivars with white or rose-pink flowers exist, but I have not found them in local nurseries.

Plants are moderately resistant to damage by deer. The one thing they will not tolerate is dry soil. This makes them ideal candidates for pond-side or bog plantings. Plants are toxic to humans and pets.

Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) is similar in appearance and culture, but instead has beautiful blue blooms. Blue Cardinal flower, or Great Blue Lobelia, is damaged by deer more often than its red cousin.

These Cardinal flowers are self-sown from three mother plants sited next to the Mary Snoddy pond.

Nerine, an Autumn Alternative

If you are looking for fall flowers that are not chrysanthemums or pansies, look no further than Nerine, an autumn beauty. Clusters of tubular blooms top long, sturdy stems. Strap-like foliage resembles its cousins, Amaryllis and Crinum. Like those two, Nerine are not bothered by voles, deer, or rabbits. Nerine flowers usually have a little bit of ruffle along the petal edges. The flowers are fragrant.

Nerine bulbs (common name “Guernsey Lily” or “Autumn Amaryllis”) are native to South Africa and are marketed as cold hardy in zones 8-10, but have survived under a pine needle mulch in my zone 7b garden for a decade. Flowers are available in pink, white, and rose. They make a long-lasting cut flower.  They will grow in full sun or partial shade. Nerine make excellent container plants as well. They bloom best when slightly root-bound, so don’t be in a hurry to move them to a larger container or to divide those grown directly in the ground until they become congested and stop flowering freely.

Bulbs are planted in spring, when dormant. Nerine are different from many other bulbs in that they want the topmost portion of the bulb to be above ground. This is called “planting to the shoulders.” If planted too deep, you will have nice foliage but few blooms. I am especially fond of any bulb that does NOT need me to dig a hole halfway to the core of the earth. Some bulbs insist on deep planting. This is a challenge if your garden consists of rocks and red clay.

Nerine plants like heat, and don’t emerge until night temperatures have warmed. They do not like to be moved; newly planted bulbs may sulk for a season. It is worth the wait. They are drought tolerant, but will bloom much better if given some additional water whenever leaves are visible. Do not water while they are dormant (winter to early spring).

I find that the bold foliage of Nerine, Crinum and Amaryllis poses a challenge in beds. These do not seem to pair well with other bulbs or perennials. One option is to give them each their own section of the garden. I have taken a different tactic this year, and combined all three in a single planting. The foliage is so similar that I cannot tell which is which. If all goes according to plan, the Amaryllis will put on a spring show, Crinum will take its place in summer, and Nerine will finish out the year.

Not subscribed to Gardening Hints for the Southeast yet?
Click below on Subscribe via email. Once a week delivery. No solicitations. No kidding.

Boneset? I'd Prefer a Cast, Please!

On a walk in the woods this weekend, I stumbled across a large patch of Eupatorium perfoliatum in full bloom. The common name for this beautiful native is Boneset. Early Americans thought that a tea made from its roots/leaves would speed the healing of broken bones. It was also used in folk medicine for the treatment of colds and fevers. Its clusters of white blooms closely resemble the blue flowers of invasive Conoclinum coelestinum (formerly included in the Eupatorium genus, common name Blue Mist Flower or Perennial Ageratum).

Like Blue Mist Flower, Boneset spreads through airborne seeds and underground rhizomes to form large communities. It reseeds plentifully in Zones 4 through 9 and will grow in clay or sand. In moist soil and partial shade, plants can reach from four to six feet tall. Leaf edges are attractively toothed. Individual leaves have prominent veins and may reach eight inches long. The blooms attract bees and butterflies. Grow in zones 3a to 8a.

Don’t be tempted to try any of those folk remedies. Boneset can be potentially toxic. The US National Library of Medicine describes it as an “unapproved homeopathic medicine" and it is included in the Poisonous Plants Database of the Food and Drug Administration. Just enjoy it as I did, as a frothy white surprise in damp woodlands.

A close look at the clustered flowers of Boneset, with a visiting Atteva aurea (moth).

Boneset has spread into shady woodlands, making a show.

Coffee: My Favorite Bean

Yesterday was National Coffee Day. I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did, sitting on my deck, sipping from a mug as I watched drops of rain sparkle like diamonds on leaves that are quickly taking on the shades of autumn. One of my sourwood trees (Oxydendrum arboreum) is slightly confused. A few out-of-season blooms dot the tree which is showing the brilliant red color for which it is known. It is one of the earliest trees to color up in fall.

The aroma of brewing coffee and sizzling bacon will get me out of bed quicker than any alarm clock. Sadly, I grew up in a family where “coffee” meant a spoonful of instant crystals stirred into a cup of boiling water. I did not experience the deliciousness of a fresh-brewed cup of joe until after college, when I started sharing a morning cup with my coworkers. In the world of cubicles and deadlines, I learned why one of my friends referred to it as Liquid Energy. It was the beginning of a lifetime love affair. I have, at times, imbibed too much – shaking hands, pounding heart, stained teeth – until I learned to enjoy coffee in moderation. My cardiologist once suggested that I eliminate all caffeine from my diet. “The world would not be a safe place,” I whispered. [I find that people take you seriously when you whisper.]

Coffee is grown in more than 80 countries, in tropical and subtropical climates. Only in zones 10a and warmer is it grown out of doors. A full-size plant can reach up to 20 feet but in commercial cultivation they are pruned to force more blooms, so a typical plant is about 6 feet tall. Grown indoors, plants are much smaller. As a houseplant, coffee needs bright indirect light (no sun), moist but well-drained soil, and high humidity. It is a pretty plant, with glossy leaves. It takes three to five years before a houseplant will bloom, and then it barely produces enough “beans” to brew a pot. The small, white blooms are wonderfully fragrant but only last a couple of days. The ripe berries are pulpy, like grapes. The pulp is removed and the seeds are dried before they are roasted to become what we know as coffee beans. The next time you are tempted to grouse about the price of coffee beans, think about the fact that each berry was harvested by hand.

According to the University of Florida, coffee was first discovered and used by the Arabs, then distributed to the Middle East, Java, Amsterdam, the Caribbean, Central and South America. It became the patriotic drink of choice in North America after the Boston Tea Party (1773).

Various health studies have touted the benefits of consumption (reduced chance of diabetes, Parkinson’s Disease, and several types of cancer) while others warn of negative side effects (high blood pressure, increased cholesterol, reduced absorption of Vitamin D and calcium). Oregon State University published a report from the Linus Pauling (he was a Nobel Prize winner scientist and the Vitamin C guru, remember) Institute, that conceded “there is little evidence of health risks and some evidence of health benefits for adults consuming moderate amounts of filtered coffee.” For the full article, click here.

I’m an old-school coffee drinker, still grinding my beans and using a drip-type coffee maker. I ventured into the French Press method for a while but I kept getting a mouthful of grounds near the bottom of my cup. I also have a K-cup maker, but I read a sobering report by a non-profit group in Berkeley, California which said there are enough discarded K-cups in US landfills to reach around the planet ten times or more. I immediately bought a molded container and paper filters to make my own K-cups without disposable plastic, but found it time consuming and a bit fussy for people with ten thumbs, like me. No one would question that tons of plastic going into landfills is bad for our environment, but others voice concerns about how brewed coffee uses more electricity and often results in wasted water as the unused excess is discarded. I’ll be interested to see what the next year brings (a compostable cup, I’m guessing) and in the meantime, I will remedy the concern about wasted water and energy by drinking every bit that I brew. To the last drop.

What Ate My Plant - Deer or Rabbit?

Why are deer such jerks? Last week, I planted 74 new hydrangeas. That is 74 baby plants that I took as cuttings at exactly the right ripeness, dusted with growth hormone, and inserted into the perfect growing medium. I nurtured them tenderly through the rooting stage, keeping them moist (but not wet) and warm (but not hot). When they struck roots, I moved them lovingly to larger pots and encouraged them with liquid fertilizer until they were big enough to transplant outdoors. My vision was to create a hydrangea forest on one side of the driveway. Two days after I planted them in the soil, I drove by and interrupted a deer feast. One deer stopped directly in front of my car, a tender plant still dangling from her lips like a cigarette, and gave me the stink-eye, as if to say, “Hey, we’re eating here. Go away.”

I had the advantage of witnessing my destroyers, but how does a gardener know what is eating their precious plants if the perpetrator is not caught in the act?  If the damage is above three feet from soil level, it is likely deer-induced. Rabbits nibble at lower levels and are more likely to gnaw bark. Favorite trees include oaks, sugar maples and ironwood. They destroy beans and other vegetables but tend to leave corn, squash and pepper plants alone. Deer can damage tree bark when they rub the velvet off their antlers, but the damage is higher than a rabbit’s and may even show the rub pattern. Rabbits favor new, tender growth while deer are less discriminating and will rip a sample bite from anything in their travel path. It’s like Saturday at the Costco sample kiosks during our pre-COVID days.

The most tell-tale indicator is the edge of the nibbled leaves. If the leaf or stem is severed in a clean edge, your destroyer is of the rabbit ilk. Think of Bugs Bunny* and his nice set of sharp choppers. If the leaves are torn and ragged, it is a deer. Deer do not have upper front teeth so they rip off leaves with their lips, leaving a ragged edge.

Deer scat and rabbit scat are both round pellets, but deer leave theirs in piles (especially when they encounter an electric fence) while rabbits scatter theirs around a bit. The size of the deposit can provide a diagnostic.

There are other culprits. If stems are severed at ground level, suspect cutworms, especially early in the growing season. If leaves show a perfect semi-circular missing section but no other damage, it could be a leaf-cutter bee. Groundhogs (woodchucks) trample the plants on which they feed. Squirrels and chipmunks prefer sweet treats, fruits like strawberries or tomatoes.

If you need positive identification, set up a wildlife camera. A cheaper alternative is to sprinkle powdered limestone on the ground around the plants where damage is occurring. You can usually see animal footprints in the powder the following morning.

So, how do you deter these eating monsters? Theories and products abound. I have tried many of them, with limited success. My best solution to date is a big, honking ugly electric fence that is ten feet tall with a tight woven mesh added along the bottom section. My least successful treatment was hanging bars of Irish Spring soap in my orchard trees. Deer nibbled on the bars of soap before they moved onto my apples. Also, the motion-activated garden sprinkler seemed to attract more deer than it deterred. “Hey everybody, there’s a water party in the Snoddy’s orchard, starting at nightfall. See you there!” It was frustrating to the point of transforming me into Elmer Fudd.*

If you choose to consult Google for a deterrent, please add the following term after your search words:  site:.edu (The word site, following by colon, no space, dot, edu). This phrase will restrict your responses to fact-based information provided by university research and filter out the advertisements and colloquial advice.

*Note: My apologies for the references to Warner Brothers cartoon characters. With our current social distancing, I am watching more television. The Cartoon Network is more soothing than the news channels. If you Gen-Z folks don’t recognize the references, go ask your parents. Or grandparents.

This photo shows a deer’s skull and jawbone. The absence of lower front teeth produces the tell-tale identifier of torn leaves. (I did not shoot this deer. But I didn’t weep over his demise, either.)

This stub is all that remains of what was a healthy foot-tall plant two days earlier.

A common characteristic of deer damage is an uprooted plant, especially if the plant is found to be unpalatable.

Two Shrubs with Great Fall Color

Fall is my favorite season – colorful leaves, cooler temperatures, tasty apples, and football (in a normal year, that is).  If your desire for autumn color goes beyond the potted Chrysanthemums for sale in every garden center and grocery store, consider these two deciduous shrubs: Callicarpa and Fothergilla.

Beautyberry (Callicarpa) has tiny white or pink blooms in late spring, and so-so foliage. It is a forgetable plant until September, when clusters of purple berries adorn its branches. The berries hold fast to the stems, even after the yellow leaves shed. There are cultivars with white, pink or lilac berries, but why select one of those when you can have grape jam, Barney-like, intense purple? Berry set is heaviest when several plants are grown together.  Callicarpa prefers full sun and well-drained soil. It won’t tolerate constantly wet feet. Beautyberry has arching stems, similar to Forsythia. Callicarpa americana is a big shrub, reaching 5 to 6 feet, while its cousin Callicarpa dichotoma is more compact, reaching 2 to 4 feet. The smaller stature plants are easier to incorporate into the home garden. ‘Issai’ is a compact cultivar known for heavy fruiting at an early age.

Beautyberry produces blooms and berries on new growth, so do not hesitate to prune hard during dormancy. These easily-grown shrubs will tolerate severe cut backs, even to a few inches above soil level. A bonus feature is that the leaves contain a compound that repels mosquitos, ticks, and biting flies.

Fothergilla is another easily-grown shrub, a native member of the witch hazel family, with multi-season beauty. In spring, it has white bottle-brush blooms that appear on bare stems. Summer leaves have blue undertones. These shrubs have outstanding fall color, showing yellow, orange, red and burgundy shades all at the same time. If you are considering Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus), please reconsider and choose Fothergilla instead. Burning Bush has red fall color, but it is invasive and should not be planted. (Visit http://invasive.org for more info.)

Fothergilla likes full sun and moist soil. There is a size to fit your need. ‘Mount Airy’ is widely available. It reaches 5 to 6 feet, with similar spread. ‘Suzanne’ reaches to 2 ½ feet with a width to 3 feet. Diminutive ‘Harold Epstein’ reaches only 12 inches in height, with a spread to 18 inches. Bonus feature: This shrub is not normally browsed by deer.

The bright purple berries of Callicarpa show how it earned the common name, Beautyberry.

Even though it has only been in the ground for one year, this ‘Mount Airy‘ Fothergilla shows fantastic fall color.

This is the same shrub shown in the fall color photo. The white bottle brush flowers decorate the early spring garden.

Fun with Fungi

There is a silly joke that goes, “No matter how big and tough you are, when a 3-year old hands you their toy telephone, you pretend to answer it.” It is this childlike spirit within that makes it impossible to leave a puffball mushroom alone.

Puffballs (Pisolithus arhizus - no idea how to pronounce it) initially appear as innocent little round white orbs, smaller than a golf ball. If removed from the soil, they will have a thick base with yellowish mycelial threads. If you crack one open at this stage, the inside is dark brown and moist, like chocolate cake. Left alone in the ground for a few days, it enlarges, darkens slightly, and flattens. In a few more days, it turns black and evil looking. It is at this stage that they are so tempting. One simply must step on it to generate puffs of black “smoke,” hence the name “puffball.” Other common names are Dog Turd Fungi, Dead Man’s Foot, and Dyemaker’s Puffballs. The last is because the immature fungi can be used to dye wool a dark brown, if you are ever tempted to take up your own cloth color customization.

Young Puffball

Ripe Puffball

Whee! Smoke!

Puffballs are common around conifers or oaks, in areas with poor soil. The “smoke” is actually airborne spores. While Americans consider them unsightly and a nuisance, gardeners and foresters in Great Britain welcome them. Puffballs form mycorrhizas with almost any kind of root. Mycorrhiza promotes plant growth, especially in poor soils. You can order bags of mycorrhiza for incorporation into planting holes, but unless the fungi have been handled carefully (kept cool and damp, not riding around in a delivery van for several days) they are likely to arrive dead. This is not something you can detect visually.

Puffballs are NOT edible and may even be toxic. I have found several interesting varieties of mushrooms growing in surrounding woodlands over the past two weeks.  I have included photos of a few so that you can enjoy their earthy beauty with me. Until I can identify with certainty which ones are edible and which ones are not, I will not incorporate them into my recipes. In fact, my husband was extremely dubious over home-cooked dinners for a week or so after he saw that I had purchased a mushroom identification book. We will enjoy them visually – for now.

Butterfly or Moth? How to tell the difference.

Butterflies seem particularly abundant this year. The two most common butterflies in South Carolina are the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and the Spicebush Swallowtail. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is dressed in yellow with a black petticoat and accents of blue and red.  The Spicebush Swallowtail is mostly black with white and light blue markings. The undersides of its wings have orange-red and blue dots. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is the official state butterfly of North Carolina and Georgia.

How can you tell the difference between butterflies and moths? The antennae of butterflies are skinny stems with a bulb on the end, like elongated mariachis. Moths’ antennae look like feathers. Generally, you are more likely to see butterflies in the daytime and moths at night, but artificial light can disturb normal travel times. Moths have duller colors than their butterfly cousins.

Butterflies rest with their wings erect over their backs, while moths rest with their wings open flat. If you’ve ever seen a pale green Luna moth resting flat against a tree, this is an easy trait to remember. Finally, butterflies have thin bodies while moths are stockier.

Like other insects, butterflies have three body parts and six legs. Their “mouth” (proboscis) is almost like a flexible drinking straw that curls up when not in use. We think of butterflies as going to flowers to sip nectar, but some visit rotting fruit or even rotting animal flesh or other animal fluids.  They have a complete metamorphosis, going from egg to caterpillar (larva) to chrysalis (pupa) to adult. The average adult life span is two to four weeks, but certain large butterflies, like the regal orange and black Monarch, may live up to nine months.

Favorite plants for butterflies: Asclepia (butterfly weed), Buddleia (butterfly bush), Verbena, Lantana, Echinacea (coneflower), Eupatorium (Joe Pye weed), Tithonia (Mexican sunflower) and Zinnia.

Butterflies and moths are fascinating. To learn more, consult one of my two favorite books on the subject:
Butterflies of North America, by Jeffrey Glassberg, or Butterflies of the Carolinas – A field guide by Janet Daniels. 

Trivia #1: I encounter a common question about the identity of a moth that observers think is a form of hummingbird. Sphinx moths are quite large (wingspan up to five inches) and visit flowers around dusk. The fat hornworm that munches holes in your tomato plant and fruit is a variety of Sphinx moth. In the movie Silence of The Lambs (1991), starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins as a terrifying Hannibal Lecter, a sphinx moth pupa leads to detection of the bad guy. Eww.

Trivia #2: I had to consult a garden guide to learn what a “spicebush” looked like. It is a largish shrub that grows in woodlands, in partial shade, and has oval red fruits that resemble holly berries with long stems.

This Spicebush Swallowtail visited my work boot to gather moisture or salt. You can see the topside wing colors of black and blue as well as the underside, with orange-red dots. His wings are a bit tattered, a sign that his life is nearing an end.

This photo shows the underside of an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly, enjoying a drink from a Cosmos bloom.

Why is My Soil Orange?

“Why is the soil here so orange and sticky?” This is a common question from people who moved from other parts of the country to the Carolinas. I admit, writing about soil is not nearly as much fun as writing about plants, but soil is, after all, a key component to gardening success. Bear with me while I share the basics.

Soil particles are either sand, silt or clay. If you’ve ever been to the beach, you know that sand particles are large enough to see without magnification. Sand allows water to flow through very easily and does not retain nutrients. Silt soils have a powdery feel to the touch. A pure silt soil is rare. Clay soils have the smallest size particles, not visible without magnification. Clay is smooth to touch. When clay soil is wet, it is almost gummy. You could roll it into ropes, almost like kids’ play-dough. Once clay soil is thoroughly wet, it takes a long time to dry out. Once it dries completely, though, it requires a lot of moisture to saturate. The bonus of clay is that it holds nutrients well. No need to add fertilizer every few weeks.

Saturated clay soil should never be tilled or dug until it has dried out a bit. If your shovel leaves shiny sides to the hole you’ve dug (almost looks greasy), delay digging a day or two. Here is something that seems counterintuitive: If you want to make it easier for your plants to put down deep roots, DO NOT add sand to your clay soil, thinking that the sand with “lighten” the clay. Adding sand will create a nightmare soil that hardens into something similar to adobe (“brick”). Instead, add organic matter – it can be compost, leaf mold, ground pine bark (often labeled “soil conditioner”), aged manure, or mulch. Organic matter improves drainage, adds nutrients, and provides an environment for good bacteria. It is almost impossible to add too much organic matter, because it is constantly breaking down. The warmer the climate, the faster the breakdown. It works best if tilled into the soil, but if you cannot dig it in, throw it on top of the soil. Top-dressing your beds with a couple of inches of organic matter every year will repay you with a lighter soil and healthier plants. As much as I love the look of flower beds dressed with pine needles, they don’t break down and improve the soil nearly as well as ground bark mulches.

Back to the question – Orange soil is due to iron oxidation, another name for rust. It’s almost impossible to launder stains out of the knees of your khaki garden slacks, so invest in a comfortable gardener’s kneeling pad.

A clay soil this color should please fans of Clemson/Auburn/Tennessee

A ditch along a South Carolina driveway showing an orange slick, clay soil.

Cicada Cacophony

My husband and I recently purchased acreage near the NC/SC border. Our goal was to escape noise and traffic. Well, we escaped traffic but only exchanged one type of noise for another. This is the year that cicadas emerged from a 17-year hibernation. That is a bit of a misstatement, since some emerge every year, and it’s not so much a hibernation as it is an underground road-trip. It just so happens that 2020 is the BONUS year for a huge exodus from their underground homes in our part of the Carolinas’ piedmont. If you see plentiful small holes in your grass, blame it on cicadas instead of voles.

There are three species of the 17-year cicadas, and they each have their own distinctive raspy calls. There is also a species with a 13-year emergence cycle. The 13-year variety is found more commonly in the southeastern US, while the 17-year model is more plentiful in northern climates. An annual species is found countrywide. It is normal to find shed cicada exoskeltons clinging to limbs. The cicadas in the Mary Snoddy garden favor the trunks of crape myrtles as a deposit spot for spent shells.

Males and females make sounds that vary from buzzers to sirens to radio static. These loud calls are intended to attract or accept mates. It’s a bit like downtown New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Once mated, the females cut a small slit in tree limbs where they deposit eggs. In six to seven weeks, the eggs hatch and baby cicadas fall to the ground where they burrow in and start dining on tree roots. They work their way deeper and deeper into the soil each year. While this slit-in-the-tree egg depository may cause a bit of a dieback in a limb, neither the bark cut nor the root feeding causes any lasting harm to host trees.

Virginia Tech University published an article in May (Virginia Tech News, https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2020/05/CALS-periodical_cicada_2020.html) indicating there may be as many as 1.5 million cicadas PER ACRE in this year’s emergence. The annual species cicadas emerge in fewer numbers, from hundreds to thousands per acre. That’s a lot of buzzing/sirens/static. I don’t own a decibel meter, but I’m certain the combined sound equals the volume of my husband’s Harley-Davidson.

Cicadas are distant relatives of aphids. They are quite large (see the photo for a size in comparison to a quarter) but are completely harmless to humans, although the red eyes of some can be rather creepy. They do not enter homes. Squirrels and birds eat large quantities of them. Cats and dogs may eat a few, too. No need to be concerned – they are not toxic.

Do Not Pet a Velvet Ant

A huge (about ¾ of an inch) red and black ant made an appearance in my garden this week. I see them every year in late summer. As bugs go, they are pretty in their flashy velour coats as they twitch and scurry around. Their rapid movements give a hint to their true identity. Despite its resemblance, this is NOT a member of the ant family. Instead, it is a wasp, Dasymutila occidentalis. Females do not have wings, which strengthens the ant-like appearance. Both males and females can reach up to one inch in length. The female has a stinger up to ½ inch.

Its common names include Velvet Ant (due to its fuzzy-looking body) and Cow Killer. The latter arose from folklore saying that the sting is so powerful that it can kill cattle. This is an exaggeration, of course, but the sting is very much like a paper wasp. A big, angry paper wasp. Do not be tempted to mess with this character. It is not aggressive but will sting if threatened.

Velvet Ants do not live in colonies, preferring life as loners. They feed on the larvae of bees and wasps. Their small numbers mean they do not have much of a negative impact on good bee populations. Velvet Ants are tough customers, with flexible bodies that almost refuse to be squashed. They are not bothered by other insects, perhaps due to a nasty-smelling odor they emit as a deterrent. If injured (by your work boot, perhaps) they give off a high-pitched squeal. Their squeals will never exceed the volume of the one you produce if you step on one barefoot.

This amazing closeup photo was taken by Jerry A. Payne, USDA Agricultural Research Service, and found on Bugwood.com ( https://www.insectimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=0001025#collapseseven)

Easy, Hardy Orchids

Bletilla striata is pronounced bleh-TIL-ah stry-AY-tah. Such a musical moniker for a lovely spring-blooming orchid. Common names are Hardy Orchid, Ground Orchid, Chinese Ground Orchid. All three are accurate. They are hardy in Zones 5 to 9. They are “terrestrial,” meaning they grow in soil. And they are native to China, Korea and Japan.
Hardy orchids spring from a bulb (a pseudo-bulb, actually, but the distinction is unimportant). Their pleated leaves emerge in earliest spring and are often zapped by late freezes. The damaged foliage doesn’t impact the blooms. The leaves are unusual in that the veins run from base to tip in a fan-like arrangement.  Downward-facing purple blooms have markings similar to cattleya orchids, with up to 18 flowers on each wiry stem.  A white type is available also, but it is not as vigorous as the purple form. A mature clump will produce numerous bloom stems. The flowering period lasts for several weeks.
Plants thrive in rich, moist but well-drained soil, and reproduce readily, meaning they naturalize into attractive clumps. Divide clumps when the number of bloom stems starts to decline. Individual plants reach heights of 12 - 18 inches. These show-offs are easily grown in partial shade. They will also perform well in containers. Cut stems to ground in winter for a neat appearance when the new leaves emerge in the spring. Mulch well in cold-winter areas. Do not allow soil to dry completely or flowering will be reduced.

Tiny orchid-like flowers

A photo in early spring, before the flowers open. Note the tips of the leaves show damage from a late freeze.

A healthy clump