North Carolina
Native Plant Society
Southern Piedmont Chapter
March 2022 Meeting
The Fungus Among Us
How Fungi Power Plants and Animals
March 13, 2022 2:00pm
In-Person and Virtual Meeting Open to the Public
In this newsletter... The Fungus Among Us March Meeting
April 2022 Meeting
Spring Hikes and Garden Tours
Resources for Walking in Nature
Plant Sale at 2022 NCNPS Annual Meeting/Picnic
Volunteer Opportunities
Join US
In case you missed it... NCNPS Handouts
UNCC Native Plant Studies Classes
March 13, 2022 Meeting
The Fungus Among Us: How Fungi Power Plants & Animals
with Josh Partridge, Mushroom Farmer and Owner of Mush!
Josh Partridge is the owner of Mush!, an urban mushroom farm in uptown Charlotte. Mush! grows gourmet mushrooms from wood byproduct from local lumber manufacturers. Mushrooms are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and micronutrients. Fungi, which create mushrooms, convert decaying matter into usable nutrients for plants, but they can also create useful goods like leathers, cosmetics, insulations, packaging, and even meat substitutes from “waste” materials. Located at the Innovation Barn, ground zero for Charlotte’s transition to the circular economy, Mush! is a living lab where fungi give waste a second life.
In-Person at Reedy Creek Nature Center 2986 Rocky River Road Charlotte NC 28215 or
Virtual
Southern Piedmont Chapter
Spring Hikes and Garden Tours
April and May 2022
Members Only Events
Get outside this spring to enjoy private native plant gardens and wildflower hikes with your fellow Southern Piedmont Chapter members. Five members have volunteered to open their certified native plant gardens for private tours. Other members will lead you on walks to see special places and special native plants. These events are for NCNPS members only. We would love to have you join us. If you aren't a member yet, use the button below to join.
Spring Hikes Registration will open in late March with the exception of the 40-Acre Rock hike which is open now. Watch the next newsletter for details on registration for the other hikes.
40-Acre Rock Hike
with Amy Tipton
When: 02 Apr 2022 10:00 AM, EDT
Where: 40 Acre Rock Preserve
on Conservancy Rd, Kershaw, SC 29067
Join Amy Tipton at 40 Acre Rock in Kershaw, South Carolina. Standing atop the gigantic granitic rock, you feel on top of the world, or close to it. Mosses and lichens thrive there.Bright purple compass plant and wild azalea bloom early. A dozen rare, threatened, or endangered plant and wildlife species are protected here, including nodding trillium and the green violet or hybanthus. Blue cohash, usually found only in the mountains, grows in the preserve. Longleaf pine and turkey oak, trees typical of the Sandhills, are here, too.
New Registration System
Registration is through the NCNPS member site on Wild Apricot. Use the Register link above to sign up. When you click the link, you will be prompted to log in using your user name (email) and a password. If you haven’t logged in before, select forgot password to create your own password. You must use the same email address that you used when you became a member.
Once you have logged in you can register for the event. Final event details (parking location, Amy’s contact info, etc.) will be sent with the confirmation email. You will be prompted to read and acknowledge the liability waiver as you register. We will maintain a waiting list so if you later find you cannot attend, please cancel your registration so that others may have a spot for the event.
More Hikes This Spring Mineral Springs Greenway with Lisa Thompson 4/9 10-2 In Search of the Pink Lady Slipper Reedy Creek Nature Preserve
with Laura Domingo 5/8 1-3 Mellichamp Native Plant Terrace UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens
with Ed Davis Date TBD
Native Plant Garden Tours
Tour the private gardens of Southern Piedmont Chapter members whose gardens have been designated as Certified Native Plant Habitat by the North Carolina Native Plant Society.
Davis Garden South Charlotte 4/9 2-4
Fox Garden Matthews Area 4/16 1-3
Walker Garden Weddington 4/24 2-4
Vagnoni Garden Huntersville 5/1
Fawcett Garden Mint Hill 5/7 2-4
Resources for Walking in Nature
You don't need a guided tour to enjoy winter landscapes and spring ephemerals. Use these videos from 2020 and 2021 to find a new trail to explore or enjoy a familiar one where your favorite wildflowers live.
Trails Less Traveled
Sean and Vanessa tell us about lesser known trails in the Charlotte region.
2022 NCNPS Annual Meeting/Picnic
June 11, 2022
If you are wild about natives, the plant sale/auction at the annual picnic is a great place to find native plants donated by NCNPS members. You can bid on special or unique natives in the auction portion of the sale.
The 2022 picnic is in the northeastern part of the Charlotte region at Pfeiffer University in Meisenheimer NC. It's a great opportunity for Southern Piedmont Chapter members to find a native plant sale in our own backyard while socializing with fellow native plant enthusiasts from across the state.
The plant sale and auction is a fundraiser for the Society. We need your donations. As you work in your garden this spring, pot up those extra plants that you've dug up or divided for the plant sale. Be sure to label each plants as you pot them up.
Mandy Bloom will be supervising the plant sale and auction. She would like to get an idea of who will be bringing plants, what plants to expect and what plants are suitable for the auction. Click the button below to let Mandy know what plants you intend to bring. If you aren’t sure, just let her know that you will bring something for the plant sale.
Volunteer Opportunities Your native plant society has many opportunities for volunteering at the state and local level. SPC member Roxanne Newton maintains an Engagement Opportunities Inventory for NCNPS. Click the button below to find the list of current volunteer needs. Write an article for the state quarterly newsletter or man a table at one of the Southern Piedmont Chapter community events this spring.
In case you missed it... Use the link below to watch the zoom recording of our last online meeting.
In February, Dr. Larry Mellichamp discussed how plant families were identified and categorized over the centuries and then took us on a tour of the mysterious blueberry family.
In January, Lesley Starke from the North Carolina Plant Conservation Program spoke with us about protecting our North Carolina endangered plant species in their native habitats and what we can do in our own lives to help the cause.
NCNPS has four handouts to help you select native plants for your garden. They are Favorite Native Plants for the Garden, A Native Plant Color Palette for the Garden, Native Groundcovers for the Garden and Ferns. You can download a copy of these handouts at this link.
UNCC Certificate in Native Plant Studies
UNCC Botanical Gardens has new classes in its Native Plant Studies certificate program. They include basic and advanced botany, sustainable gardening, landscape design, soils and wildflower ID. Click on this link for more information and to register for classes.
