FREE WALKING TOUR OF ARBORETUM

Ilex verticillata - Winterberry Holly

Join the Pitt County Master Gardener Volunteers at 10:00 AM on Thursday, December 2nd, for a free Walking Tour of the Arboretum.  The focus of the tour will be "Good Plants for Winter Decorating".  Meet under the Green Roof Shelter in front of the Ag Center.  The tours last about and hour and will be given rain or shine.  Click on the MAP link on the right for directions.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

"Not what we say about our blessings, but
how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving." -


W.T. Purkiser

TREES FOR FALL COLOR

This week in mid November at the Arboretum you will find many deciduous trees in their full fall color glory.  Below is a list of the colors that are predominant and which trees best display that color.

YELLOW:  Ginko biloba - Ginko
YELLOW/ORANGE:  Carpinus caroliniana -  American Hornbeam
ORANGE:  Acer saccharum - Sugar Maple
RED-ORANGE to RED:  Pistacia chinensis - Chinese Pistache
RED: Cornus florida - Flowering Dogwood
REDDISH BROWN:  Quercus alba - White Oak
BRONZE RED:  Zelkova serrata - Japanese Zelkova
RED/PURPLE:  Acer palmatum - Japanese Maple
ALL FALL COLORS:  Lagerstroemia indica - Crape Myrles

Hurry out to see these colors because soon they will be gone!

WITCH HAZEL

If you visit the Arboretum this week you will see that our hybrid witch hazel, Hamamelis x intermedia, is blooming.  Its showy yellow flowers compliment the changing colors of the other deciduous trees in the Certified Plant Professional area.  More details about witch hazel can be found by clicking here.  

HOLLY LEAF OSMANTHUS

What's in bloom this time of year?  Osmanthus heteropyllus, holly leaf osmanthus, blooms in the fall.  Its extremely fragrant white flowers are a delight.    This evergreen shrub can be found in front of the brick wall between our compost area and the herb garden.   Its spiny-edged, glossy green leaves resemble a true holly, but the leaves are opposite on the stem.  This shrub can grow large, but is easily kept in bounds with selective pruning.  They have been noted to be somewhat resistant to deer munching.

LEARN HOW TO TAKE HARDWOOD CUTTINGS

On this month's free walking tour, Master Gardener Volunteers will show you how to take hardwood cuttings to  propagate trees and shrubs.  Meet under the Greenroof Shelter in front of the Ag Center starting at 10:00 AM this Thursday, November 4th.  Click on the map on the right side of this page for directions.   Tours are held rain or shine and last about an hour.  Bring any other questions you may have about starting your own plants.