By Margot Ringenburg
I first met Larry in 2010 at an NC Native Plant Society Spring Outing in the Brevard area soon after moving to North Carolina. Two veteran members offered some wise and valuable advice: “When we break into groups, go with Larry.” And, I soon learned why.
He Understood the Importance of Our State’s Natural Heritage
Larry not only knew his plants, he was an exemplary teacher. This was due in no small part to his understanding of human nature, his inimitable sense of humor, as well as his innate appreciation of language and the power of words. He chose his words with care and used them to keep his audience – be it students, native plant enthusiasts, or the general public – interested, entertained, and aware of the importance and unique features of our state’s native plants and their distinct natural habitats. He may have made use of an identical phrase countless times over when addressing various audiences, but on each occasion it was delivered in a fresh and authentic manner.
Larry never outgrew his sense of wonder with the natural world. This comes across clearly in his descriptions of native plants in what has become my favorite garden guide, Native Plants of the Southeast. He said this of Orange Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis): “What kid (in all of us) has not freaked out at pinching the ripe, turgid seedpods and having them suddenly split like a hand buzzer to our delight?”
“It is Magical”
Of Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasco), he wrote, “The large white flowers are hauntingly beautiful when you see them blooming en masse in a shady seep or wet woods . . . . It is magical to see them come up so suddenly in early spring.” His words were used to educate, but also to humor and reassure both veteran gardeners and those just putting their first native plant into the ground: “I have never killed a trillium (well, hardly ever).” Larry painted pictures with his words, leaving those who accompanied him on walks with indelible images that remained clear and helpful months and years later when encountering a particular native wildflower for the first time – whether in the wild or a cultivated garden.
Despite my sometimes faulty memory, his description of Large-flowered Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) has never left me: “The stems and leaves appear to have just come out of the washing machine and are twisted and wrinkled, but that is part of the charm.”
Beauty Right Outside the Car Window
He also taught me never to underestimate the beauty of what might be discovered right outside the car window, in the ditches that lined the roads of the coast or around the next bend on a curvy road in the mountains, be it diminutive and delicate Rose Pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides) or that equally spectacular show-stopper, Eastern Shooting Star (Primula meadia).
He Saw Hidden Wonderlands
One of the clearest and strongest memories I have of Larry dates back to the 2011 NCNPS Fall Outing at Shaken Creek Savanna Preserve in Pender County. He was out in front, leading a long and sinuous line of us, wading up to his elbows through a sea of Curly-headed Toothache Grass (Ctenium aromaticum). [Sue, please use a photo if we have a photo of this grass in our library]Periodically, Larry would pause and part the grasses, peering down and then pointing out to us the hidden wonderland of carnivorous plants that lay at our feet. I hope and trust that if there is such a thing as an afterlife, it is home to such a species-rich savanna for endless days of wandering and discovery.
Margot Ringenburg, Chapel Hill (NCNPS Triangle Chapter). Vice-president of the North Carolina Native Plant Society.