Fall Plant Sale 2019: Japanese Silver Tree

By Katherine Hale

Odds are good that many people have never seen anything quite like neolitsea. A smooth-barked evergreen with aromatic leaves and cascades of tiny fall-blooming flowers, neolitsea is worth seeking out. And we’ll have it among many tree options at our Fall Plant Sale.

Native to beech-laurel mountainous slopes of China and southern Japan, neolitsea (Neolitsea sericea) is practically unknown in American gardens, but it deserves to be more widely grown. It’s also known as the Japanese silver tree for the color of newly emerged leaflets, which are downy at first before transitioning to reddish-pink and then to a mature green.

The trees are dioecious, meaning male and female flowers occur on separate plantings. Mixed-gendered plantings will result in holly-like red berries on female trees for additional winter interest.

Neolitsea flourish in the warmth and humidity of southern climates, particularly when planted in a sheltered location to protect it from cold snaps. Like rhododendrons, neolitsea need acidic soil to thrive, and the soil should be well-drained if possible.  Trees grow faster in full sun if given adequate water, but they will tolerate light or dappled shade, with an even, rounded shape that will need little in the way of pruning.

If you’re in the market for something new and different—something you may never have seen anywhere else— give neolitsea a try. For those willing to branch out and explore the possibilities, it’s a winner.

Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

FALL PLANT SALE DETAILS:
Date: Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019
Time: 8 a.m.-noon
Member benefits: Duke Gardens members get 10% off all purchases, plus access to the members-only previews sale and dinner from 5-7 p.m. on Sept. 27, and a full list of plants in advance, plus staff recommendations. Join online or on site.
Parking: Free.
Pets not permitted. Please see Duke Gardens' pets policy here.
Wagons + boxes: Our supply is limited; please bring your own if possible, and you'll have more time to spend gathering beautiful plants.
Your support helps Duke Gardens to provide summer internships to aspiring horticulturists from across the nation.
Please see our event page for more information, and we'd love for you to spread the word by sharing the event on Facebook and inviting your friends.
Thank you!

Plant Sale Preview: Why Plant in Fall?

By Sheon Wilson

Publications coordinator

Fall is the best time to plant a garden, whether you have a vegetable garden, perennial garden, shrubs or trees. It’s prime time to improve your landscape, and Duke Gardens Fall Plant Sale this Saturday will help you meet that goal.

From herbs to shrubs, we'll have a wide variety of plants
that are ideal for this region. Photo by Cecilia Xie

The sale will include plants propagated by Duke Gardens staff and volunteers, along with bulbs, trees, vegetables, shrubs and other delights from local suppliers. Our well-received “Herb Garden in a Box” discount deal is back by popular demand, as well as dorm-friendly succulents and other plants perfect for students. Duke Gardens members will receive 10 percent off every purchase.

Getting your plants into the ground now will give them a strong head start to a healthy spring and summer.

“We are getting into the cooler season, when plants go dormant and put more energy into their root systems,” says Jason Holmes, curator of the Doris Duke Center Gardens. “The root systems are easier to establish during the fall and winter months.”

A complex underground network, roots go into resting mode in the winter, minimizing the basic processes that sustain a plant. The falling temperatures and reduced daylight cause the upper part of a plant to stop growing and enter a state of suspended animation. Without leaves to photosynthesize and make food, the plant’s roots live off of stored sugars.

Plant your tulip bulbs in fall for a spring spectacle.
Photo by Bobby Mottern.

The roots’ ability to sustain life year-round benefits the entire plant. In fall, the soil is warm from summer sun, so the roots can expand with ease until the soil freezes, and thereafter grow more slowly.  In springtime, the plant is prepared to send energy back out to the extremities so blooming can begin. And the roots will have more strength to withstand  often harsh summer soil conditions.

In the Terrace Gardens, horticulturists usually maintain the summer beds through mid-October, and then pull weaker plants and fill the beds with fall color, said Mike Owens, curator of the Historic Gardens.

Use that tip to improve your garden. Remove annuals that have been ravaged by the summer sun and replace them with a splash of color, perhaps some showy and resilient chrysanthemums.

Plant in fall to get a healthy start on a strong
root  system, like that our dawn redwood.

We’ll have gorgeous plants for a variety of garden styles and conditions, and our expert horticulturists and volunteers will be happy to advise you on the best fit for your garden conditions and for the time and energy you have (or don’t have!) to spend caring for your plants. We look forward to seeing you at the sale, and to giving your plants the healthy head start they need. 

Fall Plant Sale details:

Date: Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017
Time: 8 a.m.-noon
Membership benefit: Duke Gardens members get 10% off! Join now or on site.
Parking: Free.
Pets not permitted
Wagons + boxes: Our supply is limited; please bring your own if possible, and you'll have more time to spend gathering beautiful plants.
Please see our event page for more information, and we'd love for you to spread the word on Facebook. Thank you!

Class Preview: Pruning Young Trees for Structure and Health

Learn how to help your trees thrive with proper pruning.
Photo by Micaela Unda

Pruning trees is an art and a science. But it can be learned.

This art and science will be the topic of a 3-hour workshop titled “Pruning Young Trees for Structure and Health” at Duke Gardens on Saturday, Oct. 22. Instructor Bryan Lowrance is a horticulturist and certified arborist with Bartlett Tree Experts in Raleigh.

Discover the basics of how to select a healthy tree, examining leaves, bark, the trunk root flare (where it meets the ground) and roots. Bryan will give you tips of what to look for in a healthy tree, how to look for signs of stress in poor leaf quantity or stunted leaves, and how to check if roots are growing in an unhealthy pattern.

Once you’ve found your healthy tree, Bryan has a few suggestions for pruning right away.

“Always cut out any dead, diseased or broken branches,” he says. “Then begin pruning for future health, improving the plant’s structure and eliminating future problems.”

It’s a misconception to think that newly planted trees don’t need attention. Bryan will cover tips on tree establishment, symptoms of stress, and proper mulching and care for your tree to help it thrive long into the future.

He will also explain how the structure of a tree, including crossing branches and co-dominant stems, impacts it over time. For example, you want to avoid a tree with two main stems (co-dominant), because the place where they join the trunk is weak and will be more likely to split later on.

You do not need to bring any of your own tools.  But you will learn all the basic pruning skills, with a focus on proper technique and seasonal timing. You’ll finish the class knowing what you should look for when pruning trees and how to make thoughtful pruning cuts.

Bryan plans for the entire class to be outdoors so participants can get hands-on experience. He will also bring one of his arborist crew leaders to do a tree-climbing demonstration.

The workshop will run from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Parking is free until 1 p.m. For more information, please go to our website. To register, call 919-668-1707.

You are sure to learn a lot while also enjoying a lovely fall morning in Duke Gardens.