Eastern Star Sedge is a cool season grass in the Cyperaceae family. Growing in shady areas, it is a great lawn alternative where sun-loving turf grasses won’t survive. This sedge grows well in wet soil, making it perfect for filling in a rain garden. In spring through summer, white achenes…
Possumhaw Viburnum is a 12-15-foot tall (some report up to 20 feet) x 12-15-foot wide, deciduous, wet-tolerant shrub of surprising ornamental value found in Eastern states from Texas north to Canada. It ioccurs in all three NC zones, mountains, piedmont and coastal plain, though in the mountains the quite similar Viburnum…
Rusty Blackhaw is one of our Southern woodland viburnums whose range is central and southeastern U.S. In NC it occurs mostly in piedmont and coastal plain counties. It is a deciduous, dense, showy, highly arching understory shrub or small tree. Mature height is about 18′, but can be taller if grown…
Pond Cypress is a deciduous conifer of our Southeastern states which roughly resembles (and is considered by some to be a variety of) Taxodium distichum, or Bald Cypress (See our entry for T. distichum). There are similarities between the two, such as their amazing soil moisture adaptability from standing water to…
Virginia Mountain Mint is an herbaceous perennial of the Mint family found mostly in north central and north eastern U.S. Two counties in NC are among a very small handful of counties reporting this plant in the southeast. Nevertheless, we are respectful of its potential value in our landscape for a…
Sensitive Fern is a very handsome, very vigorous, running deciduous perennial fern. It is “sensitive” only to the first frost in the late fall, and perhaps to drought — but very hardy otherwise! It is widely reported to be two- to three-foot tall and taller in wet soil, but we have…