Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) is a tough, tall-growing grass that forms dense, substantial clumps (tussocks) featuring arching, finely serrated, narrow green leaves that are topped in fall by huge, feathery, silvery white plumes. First introduced into the U. S. in 1848, this giant ornamental grass is indigenous to southern South America. It has been a […]
Archive for the ‘Southern Appalachian Region’ Category
A Look At Pampas Grass
Posted by Hugh on March 19th, 2026
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Flower arrangments, Landscape ideas, Non-native, Ornamental Grasses, Pampas Grasss (Cortaderia), Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Uncategorized, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on A Look At Pampas GrassBaker’s Dozen Of My Favorite Redbuds
Posted by Hugh on March 14th, 2026
Redbuds (Cercis canadensis) are small flowering landscape tree. Most varieties grow up to 20 to 30 feet tall and 20 to 35 feet wide, but there are a number of compact patio forms. It is generally a small understory tree that is often found growing beneath taller trees. Redbuds may tolerate full sun to part shade, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Flower Arranging, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Redbud, Small landscape tree, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Baker’s Dozen Of My Favorite RedbudsRosebay Rhododendron
Posted by Hugh on March 7th, 2026
Luxuriant and bold, rosebay rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) is a stunning broad-leaved evergreen for a large garden or naturalized in the woodland landscape. This multi-stemmed, upright spreading shrub typically grows 8 to 15 feet tall… but can reach to 30 feet in Appalachian Mountains where it is native. In early summer, mature branches produce large floral […]
Posted in acidic soil, Anthracnose, Attracting birds, Azalea (deciduous), Bees and other pollinators, Botrytis disease, Christmas fern, Columbine (Aquilegia), Evergreen, Ferns, Fertilizing plants, Flower arrangments, Heuchera (coralbells), Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Phytophthora ramorum, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (layering), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Rosebay Rhododendron (R. Maximum), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Tiarella (foam flower), Trees & Shrubs, Uvularia (bellwort), Wild ginger Comments Off on Rosebay RhododendronList Of Messy Trees To Avoid
Posted by Hugh on February 28th, 2026
When purchasing trees and shrubs for their yard, many gardeners should avoid species that drop lots of litter (fruits and/or leaves) all spring and summer long. Landscape trees, among them crabapples, mulberries and Chinese (kousa) dogwoods produce fleshy or pulpy fruits that mess lawns, walkways and stained & sticky parked cars. Many, not all, are […]
Posted in acidic soil, American hornbeam, Attracting birds, Beech (Fagus spp.), Bees and other pollinators, Bradford Pear, Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), China fir (Cunninghamia), Chinese (kousa) dogwood, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Evergreen, Flowering, Ginkgo biloba, Green ash (Fraxinus), Hackberry (Celtis), Kentucky coffeetree, Landscape ideas, Magnolia grandiflora, Messy Fruits, Mulberry (Morus), mulching, Native Plant, Non-native, Norway spruce (Picea), Oaks (Quercus spp.), Osage Orange (Maclura), Pines (Pinus spp.), Poplar (Populus spp.), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Spruces (Picea spp.), Sweetgum (Liquidambar), Sycamore (Platanus), Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on List Of Messy Trees To AvoidStachyurus – Early Spring Delight
Posted by Hugh on February 22nd, 2026
Stachyurus (Stachyurus praecox) is a deciduous woodland shrub that makes an eye-catching statement from early to mid-spring when daffodils are in bloom. Flowers appear before the leaves emerge. (USDA 6-8). Floral buds form in autumn and overwinter on the shrub in pendant, catkin-like racemes that hang from the leaf axils. This distinctive chains of yellow […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Breeding Plants, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Flower Arranging, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Propagation (Cuttings), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Staking, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter flowering, winter hardiness Comments Off on Stachyurus – Early Spring Delight“Witchhazel” Winter Time
Posted by Hugh on February 9th, 2026
Add flowering and fragrance to your winter garden. Witchhazels (Hamamelis spp.) are prized for their strap-shape petalled flowers which bloom mid- to late winter. Depending on species and cultivar, blooming begins in late January and many possess fragrant blooms. Witchhazels are medium to large deciduous shrubs, typically 12-20 feet tall. Foliage texture is somewhat coarse. […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Caterpillars, Chlorosis (yellowing), Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fragrant, Japanese beetles, Landscape ideas, Leaf/needle spots, mulching, Non-native, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Winter flowering, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Witchhazel (Hamamelis) Comments Off on “Witchhazel” Winter TimeBloodroot In The Spring Garden
Posted by Hugh on February 1st, 2026
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a member of the poppy family Papaveraceae. This botanical family includes about 825 species, including bleeding hearts (Dicentra spp. and Lamprocapnos spectabilis), Corydalis, and opium poppy (Papaver). Bloodroot is native to the eastern half of North America continent from Canada south to Florida. Bloodroot typically rises 6-10 inches tall and spreads over time to […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, bloodroot (Sanguinaria), Container garden, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Environmental Conservation, Fragrant, Ground cover, Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Native Plant, Perennials, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Wind protection, winter hardiness Comments Off on Bloodroot In The Spring GardenDon’t Plant These Trees In Your Landscape
Posted by Hugh on January 27th, 2026
Invite landscape trees to your property that will be long-lived, seasonally beautiful, and low maintenance. Gardeners are looking for all kinds of plants that invite pollinators and songbirds to their property. We also wish to avoid critter proof and invasive plants. Below is a list of notoriously bad tree choices in most urban yards and […]
Posted in Ash (Fraxinus), Bradford Pear, Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), Canker disease, Deciduous, Emerald ash borer, Evergreen, Garden Problems, Green ash (Fraxinus), Invasive species, Landscape ideas, Messy Fruits, Mimosa tree (Albizia), Mulberry (Morus), Native Plant, Non-native, Pests, Planting tips, Poplar (Populus spp.), Siberian elm (Ulmus pumla), Silver maple (Acer saccharinum), Southern Appalachian Region, Street tree, Sumac (Rhus), Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus), Trees & Shrubs, Willows (Salix) Comments Off on Don’t Plant These Trees In Your LandscapeStunning Midwinter Fire Dogwood
Posted by Hugh on January 22nd, 2026
‘Midwinter Fire Bloodtwig dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) is a multi-season deciduous shrub that is native to Europe and western Asia. It is an upright, round-topped, spreading, twiggy, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub that typically matures to 8-15 feet tall and as wide. It is native to northern Europe and northwestern Asia (USDA hardiness zones 4-8). ‘Midwinter Fire’ is […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aggressive grower, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Cornus sanguinea, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Erosion control, Fall Garden Interest, Flower Arranging, Flower arrangments, Flowering, Flowering shrub, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Ornamental bark, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (dividing), Propagation (layering), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Wildlife attractant, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Stunning Midwinter Fire DogwoodNew Redbuds From Dr. Dennis Werner
Posted by Hugh on January 7th, 2026
Despite his retirement from NC State University, Dr. Werner, the redbud breeder of varieties like ‘Flamethrower’ and ‘Ruby Falls’, has introduced two more new varieties. Both cultivars are the beginning of the new compact redbud series. The two newest redbud releases from NCSU are ‘Pom Poms’ and ‘Amethyst’ are two new compact redbud trees. (Zone […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Breeding Plants, Cold tolerance, compact tree, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Redbud, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips Comments Off on New Redbuds From Dr. Dennis Werner
