The NPS/Putnam Greenhouse is in short supply of some seeds. See Page 4.

For updates and more information, go to www.scnps.org 1996 – 2017 AUGUST 2017 NEWSLETTER OF THE UPSTATE CHAPTER OF THE SC NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY

Upcoming Society Events(in Bold) It is illegal Saturday, August 12, Field Trip: Durant Ashmore Native Plant Nursery Leader: Durant Ashmore Mr. Ashmore will gather the native plants to buy, sell, trade, or possess a that he grows on his 30-acre nursery and regulated pest plant species within have them in a condensed space to make it easier for him to make a presentation the state; if it is on your property to our group. After the presentation, you are legally obligated to remove those who would like to purchase will be allowed to buy plants. There are nature it. For the three most recently added trails in the nursery and Mr Ashmore species (in South Carolina), these will lead an excursion for those who are interested. regulations are now in effect. Bring sun hat, shoes that will accommodate wet and steep areas, water, snacks and insect repellant. A golf cart Three species have recently been added to South Carolina’s list of will be available. To make reservations, regulated pest plant species (also referred to as the Plant Pest List): please sign up by August 9 by emailing Carpool should meet at the Home Depot, • Fig Buttercup, also known as Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna/ 1339 S Pleasantburg Dr, Greenville, SC Ranunculus ficaria), 29605, at 8:00am. • Crested Floating Heart (Nymphoides cristata), and ______No program meeting in August! • Yellow Floating Heart (Nymphoides peltata) Don’t forget about the two minute The state plant pest list is maintained and enforced by Clemson TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE University’s Department of Plant Industry and can be viewed at this link: on August 21st at 2:36pm! Partial stage of the eclipse begins at 1:07pm Many of the plants on this list are not familiar to us — and for that and ends at 4:01 pm. Plants and we can be grateful. Regulators on the state or federal level have seen how trees in the 60 mile wide path of they have behaved in other areas and managed to keep them (mostly) out the eclipse through the state will of our state. experience a temporary disruption in photosynthesis, but should resume On the other hand, familiar invasive thugs such as Kudzu, Chinese normal plant activities Privet, Tree of Heaven, and Japanese Stiltgrass are noticeably absent from soon afterwards. the list. Why? Because by the time their invasiveness was acknowledged, ______they were so widespread that banning would no longer be effective. It Thursday, September 7, Field Trip: would be like closing the barn door after the cows have gotten out (or in Roper Mountain Butterfly Garden this case, in). Leaders: Virginia Meador This underscores the importance of timely regulations and (Details pending) ______knowledgeable and alert regulators Save the date!! — as well as the importance of each of us paying attention to ***SCNPS Annual Meeting*** the identity of the plants we see Tuesday, September 19, 7:00pm, taking up residence in our green J. Vern Smith Auditorium on the spaces! Learn more at our upcoming main campus of Greenville Technical College • Greenville meeting in Landrum on Oct 17. Program: Pollinators and the Plight Fig Buttercup is an early- of the Monarch Butterfly blooming perennial with showy Speaker: Dr. Sarah V. Ross, Director yellow flowers, which gardeners Wormsloe Research Garden, Savannah ... continued on page 2

(Reception following) Photo: JKMarlow ... continued on page 4

SCNPS: Working to preserve, protect & restore native plant communities in South Carolina It is illegal ... continued from page 1 sometimes confuse with the native Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris). Recently, its behavior has transitioned Photo by Keith Bradley to that of an aggressive invasive species that threatens bottomlands throughout its adopted range. Its 2013 discovery at Lake Conestee Nature Park was the first documentation of its naturalizing in South Carolina; since then, SCNPS volunteers have worked every year to eradicate it there and in the waterways Crested upstream. An infestation has also been Floating Heart found in York County. Learn more at Crested Floating Heart (Nymphoides cristata) and Yellow Floating Heart (N. peltata) are aquatic plants often found in water gardens, which are the source of many of the introductions. Crested Floating Heart was first detected at the southeastern end of Lake Marion (Orangeburg County) in 2006, which was the first time that free-living populations of the plant had been found in the US outside of Florida. It has spread throughout the Santee Cooper Lake System (Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie) with a total of some 6,000 acres infested as of October 2012. If not controlled, biologists estimate that it could ultimately infest as much as 40% of the 160,000-acre lake system. Learn more at Photo by JK Marlow

— Janie Marlow Yellow Floating Heart rowin s on Propagation Days: at gGREENHOUSEg Thursday, August 10 the Tuesday, August 22 (A great way to learn about propagation!) up to larger containers, weeding, and making The NPS/Putnam “Greenhouse the plants look their Gang” will meet on Thursday, best. The mornings also August 10 and Tuesday August 22 include good company from 8am to about Noon. Come and lots of interesting anytime within those hours. chatter about native We are propagating plants for the plants. low-key greenhouse sale Oct. 7 and We are always looking 8 and for the larger sale next April. for new volunteers. It is The work includes starting seeds, a great way to learn the potting seedlings, potting plants native plants and how to grow them. To volunteer or be put on the email notification list, contact Published monthly by the Upstate Chapter of the SC Native Plant Society Dan Whitten, President ««««« Steve Marlow, Editor Email articles, photos (with descriptions and/or captions) See additional Greenhouse and general announcements to article on Page 4, “Miller Needs Seeds...” September issue deadline is Friday, 4 Aug 17 Photo by Judy Seeley 2 Recent

Turnout for June’s Hands-On Fern I.D. Program approached standing room only!

? Photos by Steve Marlow

Veteran educator Virginia Meador put her years of teaching experience into practice for NPS at last month’s Greenville A copy of Anne and Barbara program. With her collection of preserved fern samples keyed Hallowell’s Fern Finder was awarded to the Fern Finder guide, participants could hardly miss I.D.ing as a door prize at the meeting. most of the ferns correctly. The problem with ferns, though, ATTENTION all participants at is recalling later on the trail how to spot correctly the “one... FVirginia’s workshop: What fern sample

two... and three-times divided fronds!” is pictured above?...

Osmorhiza claytonii. Osmorhiza Sweet Cicely, Cicely, Sweet Whoops! It’s not a fern! It is is It fern! a not It’s Whoops! & Beyond...

small purple fringed orchid. Rick led these like-minded Thursday SCNPS “botanizers” on a roadside July 13th FIELD TRIP treat, but didn’t say whether they found the orchids or Rick Huffman is one not when he sent in the passionate explorer of group photo. the BRP (Blue Ridge Nevertheless, anyone Parkway). He has who has participated in an probably driven more SCNPS field trip knows that miles on this National the journey to and from Park scenic road than wherever is as much a part most people drive of a good day as finding the to work and back “prize,” whatever it may be. in a lifetime! On this occasion, the destination was Editor’s Note: This just in... Two participants on the field trip have Mount Mitchell confirmed that, indeed, they did — in search of the find the small purple fringed orchid (Platanthera psycodes). Photo by Virginia Meador Photo by Rick Huffman 3 South Carolina Non-profit Native Plant Society Organization PO Box 491 U.S. Postage Norris, SC 29667 PAID Upstate Chapter GREENVILLE, SC PERMIT NO. 618 ««««« ««««« SCNPS Electronic Service Requested. Annual Meeting Tuesday, September 19th Greenville Program: Pollinators and the Plight of the Monarch Butterfly «««««

Upcoming Society Events Pickens County Museum ... continued from page 1 Native Plant Garden Tuesday, October 17, 7:00pm, Landrum NPS members and Master Gardeners keep the beautiful native plant garden in Depot • Landrum, SC Pickens going and growing. Volunteers work on the first two Tuesday mornings Program: The Advancing Front of (and sometimes the 1st Saturday) of each month under the direction of Sally Gurrie, Invasive Species; Early Detection 7am 11am Rapid Response and Exotic Plant Master Gardener. Come out between and to help weed, dig, plant, and chat. Management Team Efforts to Control Volunteers often take home “extras” that the garden provides. Spread • Speaker: Dr. Lauren Serra In August the dates are Tuesday the 1st, Tuesday the 8th. Contact Sally Gurrie at Non-native invasive plant species can to volunteer or to go on the notification list. threaten and alter both natural and Come and enjoy the garden! cultural resources. Recognizing invasive ««««««« species potential for spread and finding new introductions is key to protecting Miller Needs Seeds these resources. We’ll talk about invasive In order to keep growing plants at the greenhouse, Miller and Kitty need a fresh sup- plants that may be on your doorstep and ply of seeds each year or donations of seedlings or plant divisions. They are in short how to share observations. supply of: ______Thursday, October 5, Field Trip: Amsonia hubrechtii — Blue Star Eutrochium dubium — Little Joe Pye Weed Pressly Heritage Garden • Erskine Amsonia tabernaemontana — Blue Star Geranium maculatum — Wild Geranium College, Due West, SC Aquilegia canadensis — Native Columbine Hibiscus coccineus — Texas Star Hibiscus Leaders: Eva Pratt, Dr. Jan Haldeman (not the blue non-native) Iris cristata — Dwarf Crested Iris Lunch at Moffat Dining Hall at 12 noon, cost $7.00 • Meet Dr. Haldeman at side Asclepias (any species) — Milkweed Lonicera sempervirens — Coral Honeysuckle entrance of the dining hall at 1:00 pm to Baptisia albescens — Spiked Wild Indigo Maianthemum racemosum — False Solomon’s Seal begin a tour of campus trees and the Garden Coreopsis auriculata — Mouse-eared Coreopsis / Muhlenbergia capillaris — Pink Muhly Grass (beside the Science Center), an easy walk from Lobed Tickseed Passiflora incarnata — Passionflower/Maypop the dining hall. Coreopsis (any species) — Tickseed Polygonatum biflorum — Smooth Solomon’s Seal To carpool, meet at 11:00 am at the Home Echinacea purpurea — Purple Coneflower Rudbeckia triloba — Brown-eyed Susan Depot parking lot, 1339 South Pleasantburg Dr. (near Augusta Road), Greenville. To reserve Please let Miller know if you have a supply of these plants: seeds, seedlings, or divisions. Call him at the garden tour, email Seeds should be dry and put in a paper envelope with the hotmail.com>. Please include a cell phone scientific name (genus and species), common name, date collected, your name, and the county of origin for number for last minute communications. the seeds, (if known). Labeling is very important so that we know exactly what we are planting. (Janie Marlow’s Name that Plant website is a great tool to help with identifica- tion.) If you are not completely sure of the plant ID, attach a digital photo of the flowering plant, 4 including the leaves and stem. PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER