I teach a lot of classes on gardening and landscaping, and I always lead off with this question, "is it easy to garden in Southeastern North Carolina?" Inevitably the room fills with groans and heads shaking in a collective "no."
Between our poor, sandy soil and never-ending drought conditions, to the many fungal diseases exacerbated by our humidity, tending a garden in this climate is not for the faint of heart. However, in the rolling hills of Mills River, at NC State University's Mountain Horticulture Crops Research Station, JC Raulston Distinguished Professor Dr. Tom Ranney is helping gardeners and landscapers find plants that are up to the challenge. Scientists at NC State combine traditional horticulture with modern genetics to create plants that are beautiful, disease resistant, and designed specifically to withstand the harsh conditions of our suburban environments.
Having introduced more than 80 new plants for the commercial market, Dr. Ranney's research goes beyond mere aesthetics; his lab addresses critical ecological issues like invasiveness. For example, certain varieties of Maiden Grass (Miscanthus) frequently escape cultivation and disrupt local ecosystems. Ranney's team developed Miscanthus 'Bandwidth', a beautiful ornamental grass with gold bands that is completely sterile. Landscapers can now enjoy the visual texture of this grass without the risk of it invading our natural communities.
Perhaps the most exciting plant introduction is the return of the Dogwood. Once a staple of our landscapes, native dogwoods have declined over the years due to successive seasons of drought and susceptibility to dogwood anthracnose and powdery mildew. Ranney's team has developed the Cloudburst Dogwood, a vigorous hybrid of our native Cornus florida and the exotic Kousa Dogwood. This introduction shows superior heat tolerance and high disease resistance against powdery mildew, ensuring large, lasting blooms even in the stress of urban yards. We've planted one here at the Arboretum and are excited to see how it grows.
To celebrate these plant introductions, we have installed a new feature here at the Arboretum: the NC State Horticulture Showcase Garden. This space was designed specifically to highlight the incredible plant breeding happening at NC State. When you visit the Showcase Garden, you can see firsthand how these new cultivars perform in a real-world setting. Featured plants in the Showcase Garden include:
- Invincibelle® Spirit II Hydrangea: A hardy native hydrangea cultivar bred for sturdier stems to prevent flopping and feature reliable deep pink flowers that thrive in the heat.
- Double Play Candy Corn® Spiraea: A "living sunset" of a shrub that transitions from red to pineapple-yellow. Unlike older varieties, it was bred specifically not to scorch in our intense humidity.
Gardening in the southeast may be challenging, but with new plant introductions from NC State, you can find landscaping plants that will not only survive but thrive. We invite you to explore the Showcase Garden at the Arboretum and find inspiration to transform your own landscape.
Amy Mead is the County Extension Director in New Hanover County. She can be reached at afmead@ncsu.edu. Visit NC Cooperative Extension at the New Hanover County Arboretum.
