​Fall is a spectacular time for native perennials! Itea virginica, Virginia Sweet Spire, has showy cat-kin like spire white flowers in the late spring months that make way for glossy green leaves that turn vibrant red and orange in the fall. The flowers are produced on last year’s growth or old wood and depending on the cultivar the flowers may be upright or cascading. “Little Henry” is a popular cultivar of this plant. The shrub is deciduous with an attractive arching form. It can handle a variety of soil conditions and planting sites including low and wet sites. Not only is this plant native, it’s deer resistant, a source of nectar for pollinators, drought tolerant, and produces an attractive display for three fourths of the year. This mid-sized shrub grows 3-5 feet tall and has a spreading growth habit in an urban landscape setting. In a more natural setting with shade it can grow taller.
 
By: Lauren Hill, Horticulture Agent Cabarrus County

​You have aerated, re-seeded, fertilized and established a healthy tall fescue lawn this season! If not it is best to wait will next fall to establish a tall fescue lawn by seed, springing seeding typically cannot make it through the summer months. You may also consider installing tall fescue sod or exploring other turf grasses for your home lawn. To keep your tall fescue lawn healthy you must continue care through the winter months as this cool season grass is actively growing. Tall fescue requires a 2 ½ to 3 inches mowing height and it is best to leave clippings on the lawn for additional nitrogen. Tall Fescue needs 1 -1 ¼ inches of water every week, ideally all at once. Water to a depth of 4 to 6 inches to adequately wet the soil. Typically clay soils will have runoff from irrigation because they absorb water slowly, allow water to absorb then begin irrigating again until reaching desired amount. Always irrigate in the morning hours to reduce incidence of disease. Tall Fescue grass should only be fertilized in the fall and winter months when it is actively growing, do not fertilize after March 15th. Ideally a soil test will indicate the type and amount of fertilizer needed. If you do not test use a complete nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium turf-grade fertilizer. For example a 12-4-8 or 16-4-8 fertilizer and apply 1 pound of actual nitrogen in November and again in February. Regular leaf removal is essential in keeping tall fescue alive, leaf accumulation a top a new lawn will kill the young grass. Applying the practices will ensure a healthy and beautiful lawn for the upcoming months.
 
For more information please contact Lauren Hill, Cabarrus County NC Cooperative Extension Horticulture Agent, at (704) 920-3310 or by email at lhdunca3@ncsu.edu.
 

St. John's Wort is a beautiful pollinator attracting plant for any garden needing a showy display of yellow flowers from late spring through the summer months.  St. John's Wort is part of the Hypericaceae family. A perennial that likes wet areas also can tolerate dry locations. It performs best in partially shaded locations but can tolerate full sun. This bush has an upright habit that can reach a height of five feet when planted in its ideal location of moist soil and partial sun. Pollinators are attracted to this plant because of its nearly 25-100 large showy flowers per a stem that contain many stamens. Pollinators that are attracted to the showy flowers and nectar source include leaf cutter bees, bumble bees, beetles and flies.  St. John’s Wort is an excellent addition for a pollinator restoration habitat. It can be propagated by seed, division or cuttings.

The fall canker worm is a native insect inhabiting the Eastern part of the United States but is a particular problem in Cabarrus and Mecklenburg counties. It is an inch worm caterpillar that emerges in the spring as leaves begin to appear. With the recent freezing night time temperatures, it is now time to band your trees to protect against the fall canker worm. At the first freeze in the late fall, canker worm female moth emerges from the soil, climbs up the host tree and lays her eggs on an available branch to overwinter and hatch in spring.  Once the leaves emerge from their buds in the spring the eager worms begin eating leaves on trees and shrubs. Repeated canker worm damage can lead to a trees decline in health. To protect your tree against a canker worm infestation banding is the recommended course of treatment.
 
Banding the tree will trap the females as they begin to climb the tree in hopes of lying their eggs. Bands should be applied to trees from mid-November through the end of January. Most bands are applied to the middle of the trunk where you can reach easily from the ground. You will need a cushioned material such as fiber glass insulation (sold as pipe insulation) or cotton quilt batting in a 3-4 inch wide strip around the tree. You can secure the batting with staples or tacks, nailing into the tree is not recommended. Apply a strip of tar paper 5-6 inches wide leaving an inch margin on each side of the cushioned material and secure with stapes as well. Apply the Tangle Foot material to the paper with a putty or spackle knife. It is recommended to wear disposable gloves and old clothes because the Tangle Foot substance is very sticky. As leaves fall you may need to apply another layer of the Tangle Foot to ensure adequate coverage. You will need to remove the band in the spring after the canker worms have come and gone. Banding supplies are available for purchase at local nurseries, hardware stores, big box stores and online.
 
For more information please contact Lauren Hill, Cabarrus County NC Cooperative Extension Horticulture Agent, at (704) 920-3310 or by email at lhdunca3@ncsu.edu. 

Winter is the perfect time to plan for yard projects, specifically lawn maintenance and lawn renovations. Several types of turf grow in piedmont North Carolina including cool season and warm season grasses. Tall fescue tends to be the most popular as well as the most maintenance intensive. Best management practices can help you maintain a healthy lawn. Best management classes include soil testing, watering, mowing and fertilizing. They vary depending on the type of lawn you have. Soil testing can be done at any time of the year, watering varies for the grass type and time of year, mowing varies on the turf type and fertilizing is dependent on your soil sample recommendations.
 For lawn renovations you must plan ahead to amend the soil for the desirable lawn you are planting by first soil testing. Cool season grasses require watering during warmer months. Warm season grasses are dormant during the winter and can be drought tolerant during the warm summer months. Mowing is dependent upon the type of lawn and time of year. When planning a renovation you must consider seeding or sodding, plugs are available for some turf types as well. Fertilizing should be done when the grass is actively growing, cool season in the cool months and warm season in the warm months. Watering should be done in periods of little rain.
Seeding is less costly than sodding, both can be labor intensive. Most lawns can be seeded in the warmer months of the year. Warm season grasses such as Bermuda, zoysia, centipede and St. Augustine can be seeded April through May. Tall Fescue and other cool season grasses need to be seeded in the fall, mid-September through the beginning of October.  Weed management can be lessened if a healthy lawn is established though best management practices. It is best to properly identify the weeds in question to come up with an integrated pest management plan. Planting the best-adapted grass for our area along with watering, mowing, and fertilizing properly will help create an integrated pest management for your lawn. Keeping the lawn healthy and dense prevents weed germination and creates a good habitat for beneficial organisms that help control pests.
 
For specific recommendations please refer to the Carolina Lawns Publication https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/carolina-lawns
For questions:
Email lauren_hill@ncsu.edu

By: Lauren Hill, NC Cooperative Horticulture Agent Cabarrus County
 
Fall is the ideal time to plan to re-seed your existing tall fescue lawn. The soil temperatures are still warm for the seed to easily germinate and thrive in the cool season to come. The middle to end of September is the best time to re-seed your tall fescue lawn. During this time the air and soil temperatures are optimum for tall fescue germination. The air temperature is 70 to 80°F and soil temperatures greater than 60°F. It is better for the air and soil temperatures to be warmer than cooler for the best germination rates. Seeding tall fescue in less than ideal conditions can result in poor germination rates and a thin turf.

It is important to soil test your tall fescue lawn to determine lime and fertilizing needs.  The ideal soil pH for a tall fescue lawn is 5.8- 6.5. This can be achieved through soil testing and amending with lime and the proper fertilizers. Purchasing quality and fresh seed ensures success in re-seeding. Check the label for sell by date, germination rate, percent of weed seed, and look for names of grass cultivars in the mix.

Before seeding, aerating your soil is highly recommended to ensure the seed comes into direct contact with the soil and reduces any soil compaction. After seeding, the area will need to be watered to keep the top 1.5 inch of soil moist at all times.  Depending on the weather and soil, light watering for the next 7 to 21 days after seeding may be required. Wait until new grass reaches 4.5 inches before mowing at a 3 inch height. 
​
For more detailed information and questions please contact Lauren Hill 704-920-3310 or lhdunca3@ncsu.edu

lan·guage of flow·ers
noun
a set of symbolic meanings attached to different flowers when they are given or arranged.

-The language of flowers has been around for centuries.

• Writings of ancient Greeks, romans, Egyptians and Chinese all included flower and plant symbolism.
• In 1714 The Language of Flowers was introduced to Europe by King Charles II of Sweden after five years of exile in Turkey.
• In 1718 Lady Mary Wortley Montagu became fascinated with the concept.
  • Lady Mary Wortley Montagu and Seigneur Aubry de la Mottraye, two Europeans who visited Turkey during the early 1700s, are often cited by scholars as having introduced the idea of a language of flowers to Europe with their descriptions of the Turkish “sélam'. These descriptions were written in a series of letters from Lady Mary, which became very popular after being published in 1763. “Sélam” was described as a way for a girl in a harem to communicate in secret with her lover on the outside. A group of objects would be wrapped in a handkerchief and sent from the woman to her lover and vice versa. It was not so important what the specific items were, but the messages were supposedly derived from words that rhymed with the names of the objects. (Seaton 62)
• Became very popular in the 1800’s during Queen Victoria’s Reign.
• The first published phrase of “The Language of Flowers” occurred in 1809.
• Flowers symbolized a person’s feelings for another without words during a modest time period.
• An import of new and exotic flowers increased dramatically during the Victorian Era. Around 9,000 plants entered Europe during this time. For the British, this was an immense source of pride, as it was seen as “tangible proof of Britain's expanding influence and wealth, and the glory of the monarch”(Scourse1)
• During the eighteenth century there was an increase in interest in the subject of botany. Great explorers were discovering new plants all over the world and taxonomists began to further classify plants and name them. Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist. He created the formal system of naming plants called binomial nomenclature. He is known as the “father of modern taxonomy”. Much of his writings are in Latin hence the Latin or botanical names of plants today.
• The world of medicine benefited from the influx of plants. In America, Britain and France medicinal advances and the connection with botany increased the interest in flowers.

 
  
Works Cited:
Seaton, Beverly. The Language of Flowers: A History. Charlottesville : University Press of Virginia, 1995.
Scourse, Nicolette. The Victorians and their flowers. London : Croom Helm ; Portland, Or. : Timber Press, c1983.
 Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae :secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin) (10th ed.). Stockholm: Laurentius Salvius.

 
Choose plants that flower at different times of the year to provide nectar and pollen sources throughout the growing season and have a variety of shapes and colors to attract different pollinators. Mix some annuals with perennials.
 
ANNUALS:  Most annuals produce flowers that will attract pollinators. Plant for sequential blooming all season.  Skip double-flowered hybrids: they don’t produce enough pollen.  Mass several of each variety.  A big clump is like a sit-down buffet for pollinators.  Butterflies and moths prefer landing on flat flowers while bees and birds like to investigate tubular flowers.  Provide dishes or puddles of water for hydration.
Butterflies like muddy water where they get needed salts and nutrients. Plant a variety of shapes and colors to attract more pollinators Some of these are perennials that are sold as annuals.

            Bachelor buttons           Zinnias              Alyssum         Borage           Impatiens         Calendulas                                            Sunflowers                      Bee Balm          Marigold       Cosmos          Lantana             Dianthus         
            Nasturtiums                    Ageratum         Verbena        Lavender        Scabiosa           Russian sage
            Salvia                                Fuchsia             Petunia          Lobelia            Mexican Sunflowers   
            Herbs: let them flower                             Gomphrena(Amaranth)
 
PLANTS THAT ATTRACT BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS (host plants):  See www.nwf.org for more
            Sassafras, Spicebush: Spicebush swallowtail                             
            Water Hemlock, parsley, dill, carrot, fennel: Black swallowtail
            Milkweed: Monarch butterfly
            Willow, poplar, aspen,cherry, plum:  Viceroy butterfly
            Elm, poplar, willow: Mourning cloak butterfly
            Clover, legumes, alfalfa, vetch: Sulfur butterfly
            Blueberry, viburnum,dogwoods:  Spring Azure butterfly
 
COLOR PREFERENCES:  Plant yellow, blue, and purple flowers for bees and flower flies.  Bees cannot see red, but are attracted to some flowers that reflect ultraviolet light.  Butterflies favor orange, yellow, pink, and blue flowers with sweet scents. They need to land before feeding and prefer flat-topped clusters or platform-shaped flowers in sunny locations. To attract hummingbirds to your garden, provide tubular flowers with lots of nectar in red, orange, purple and fuschia colors. Species to consider include nasturtiums, fireweed, fuchsia, honeysuckle, bee balm, and sage. Many fly species are also important pollinators and prefer green, white, and cream colors.  They have short tongues so require simple flowers. Plant night blooming flowers for moths. Bats don’t pollinate plants in the eastern U.S.
 
PERENNIALS:  Try to plant native plants whenever possible. Native plants are 4 times more likely to attract bees.  They are easier to grow because they are more drought tolerant, need less attention, less pesticides and fertilizers and we are helping to save the species.  Plants marked with an * are native plants.
            *Blue phlox                                                                       *Clover, henbit,* dandelions: (please          
            *Obedient Plant                                                                   don’t call them a weed!)
            Trumpet Vine                                                                     Poppies
            *Cranesbill (geranium)                                                      Mahonia (winter grape)
            *Asters                                                                                *Blackberries
            *Carolina Jessamine                                                         *Mountain Mint
            *Milkweed ( butterfly weed)                                            *Goldenrod
            Salvia (Sage)                                                                        *Joe-Pye Weed
            *Coreopsis                                                                          *Wild Indigo (Baptisia)
             *Spiderwort                                                                       * Sneezewood
             *Purple Coneflower (Echinacea)                                    * Ironweed (Veronica)
            *Stoke’s Aster                                                                     *Black-eyed Susan(Rudbeckia)
            *Blanketflower (Gaillardia)                                              *Passionflower                      
            Catmint                                                                               * Anise hyssop ( a bee magnet)
            *Bee Balm (Monarda)                                                       *Stonecrop (Sedum)
            *Beardtongue (Penstemon)                                              Dogbane (Amsonia)
            *Green and Gold                                                                 Mallow( includes  Hibiscus )
            *Yarrow                                                                                 Hollyhocks
            *Lupines                                                                              *Sundrops
            *Liatris (Blazing Star)                                                          Queen Anne’s Lace (biennial)
 
Shrubs: those with * are native                                   
            *Oak-leaf Hydrangea (don’t plant mop-heads)                * Sparkleberry
            *Hollies (American Holly is native)-Ilex                              *Spicebush
            *Summersweet (pepper bush)                                            *Honeysuckle (Shrubs and vines)
            *Piedmont Azalea                                                                         some are  not native
            *Fragrant Sumac                                                                     Vitex( Chaste tree)
             Butterfly bush (can be invasive)                                         *Viburnum
             Camellia                                                                                  *Swamp rose
           *Blackberry and blueberry                                                    *New Jersey Tea
           *Hearts-a-Bustin                                                                     *Mountain Rhododendron
           *Painted Buckeye                                                                   *Buttonbush
 
Trees: those with * are native
            *Little Leaf Linden (basswood)                                       *Persimmon
            *Witch-alder(Fothergilla)                                                  *Tulip Tree
            *Devil’s Walking Stick (Prickly Ash)                                  *Umbrella Magnolia
            *Pawpaw                                                                             * Apple, Cherry, Crabapple, Pear                          
            *Mockernut Hickory                                                              (fruit bearing, not ornamental)         
            *Eastern Redbud                                                                Crepe Myrtle
            *Fringe Tree                                                                        *Red Maple
            *Parsley Haw                                                                      *Willow (can be invasive)
            *Green Hawthorn                                                               *Sourwood
            *American Hornbeam (Ironwood)                                   *Oak, Poplar, Birch              
 
Integrated Pest Management Practices are the best way to manage pests. Pesticides should always be used as a last resort. Do not use pesticides when flowers are in bloom. Always read the label: it is the law. When selecting pesticides choose those that are least toxic to pollinators. As an alternative use Bacillus Thuringiensis(Bt), insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, neem oil extract, or spinosad. Please contact your local extension agent and refer to these websites for more information:
 
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants Cabarrus County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association