Category

Plants

Coming Up, events, online event, Plants

Foster Nature by Landscaping with Native PlantsFeatured

February 29, 2024

with Drew Lathin, owner of Mountain Native Landscape Design

Tuesday,

March 12, 7 p.m.

Landscaping with native plants is critical for building wildlife habitat, reducing resource inputs like excess water and fertilizer, and creating healthy outdoor living areas. Learn why only native plants can do this as well as some design tips to make your native landscape beautiful.

Drew Lathin is the owner of Mountain Native Landscape Design. He is also a certified Blue Ridge Naturalist. Drew is an advocate for re-wilding our urban and suburban landscapes, using native plants in thoughtful ways to bring biological diversity and beauty to our everyday lives.

No RSVP necessary for this event. We look forward to seeing you there!

Past Events, Plants

High Elevation Wildflower Walk

May 28, 2023

Chilly morning temperatures at 5000 feet did not deter the 28 BRNN members joining our high-elevation wildflower walk on Tuesday May 23rd.  Ably led by guides Lou Dwarshuis, Marilyn Kolton, and Randy Richardson, our gang set off to explore the trails leading from the Pisgah Inn to the site of the former Buck Springs Lodge.  On the sunnier, drier Buck Springs trail we saw the first of the late spring/summer flowers, with highlights including blooming Speckled Wood Lily, Wild Sarsaparilla, Wood Betony, Catawba Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel, Canada Mayflower, Wild Lily of the Valley and Umbrella Leaf.  The shadier, wetter Campground trail yielded the last vestiges of a number of species of  trillium (Painted, Red Wake Robin, Large-flowered, and Vasey’s) including some examples with four and five leaves!  And a small cadre of committed plant nerds stopped along the Parkway on the way home to see the rare Small-flowered Yellow Lady’s Slipper.  
Our group included some keen birders, and they recorded some very interesting bird species, including:

  • Hooded warbler
  • Blue-headed vireo
  • Black & white warbler
  • Indigo bunting
  • Scarlet tanager
  • Northern parula
  • Chestnut-sided warbler
  • Dark-eyed junco
  • Downy woodpecker
  • Veery

Selected photos from the outing are provided below:

photo by Nancy Gordon
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online event, Past Events, Plants

Prospecting for Plants – The Western Carolina Botanical ClubFeatured

May 28, 2023

Tuesday, June 13, 7 p.m. / Reuter Center Manheimer Room

Please access the recording and transcript download here. The recording will be available until July 13.  https://unca-edu.zoom.us/rec/share/ngU5DXtewwy2X2GKaQ8RzU9HD_gOTYKJ81ZSVncMW028-un8vHBrN4LV6MHwS0CB.2_6-rSAeeVoYUyul

Have you ever wondered where and when to find our most interesting and rare wildflowers at their peak? Have you wanted to discover some new and interesting trails loaded with botanical curiosities? If so, you’ll want to join this program to learn more about the Western Carolina Botanical Club.  Now celebrating its 50th year, the Western Carolina Botanical Club connects people who are passionate about the plants of the Southern Appalachians.  Representatives of the club will discuss its history, mission, and the tremendous amount of data they’ve collected on our local plant species. We will also learn about its weekly field trips to some of our most interesting local biodiversity hotspots, illustrated with photos of favorite wildflowers, woody plants and mosses.