By Chapter Chairs reporting for Native Plant News Winter 2025
Chapter members, please join us in supporting NCNPS by making your Year-end Campaign gift on Giving Tuesday December 2. Together, we can plant the seeds for a flourishing future for native plants.
Native Plant Society people are dynamic and for sure, friendly! But you already know this if you’re a member. If you’re not a member, join us already and find your fit. We welcome you!
Central Coastal Plain Chapter
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Central Coastal Plains Chapter co-chairs, Karen Mulcahy and Jeff Pierce, pull Chamberbitter, (Phyllanthus urinaria), from the site of the Island Creek parking area in the Croatan National Forest. Chamberbitter was introduced to the United States from Asia and is now prevalent in southeastern states including coastal North Carolina.The Coastal Plain Chapter was recently approved to assist in remediation of the Croatan National Forest site.
Reid (Triangle) Chapter
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Margaret Reid Chapter, after a brief summer lull, was back in high gear for fall. Jackie Trickel and a huge team of NCNPS volunteers prepped the NC Native Plant Gardens and booth at the North Carolina State Fair and then welcomed and educated thousands of visitors 11 hours a day over the 11 days of the fair. Other Reid Chapter activities included field trips to Pando Land, Bluestem Conservation Cemetery, garden and greenway workdays and a table at the NC Botanical Garden plant sale.
Oconee Bell Chapter
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Oconee Bell Chapter. We had a free native plant swap event at the Cashiers Library pond during our May meeting. In June we joined Friends of Panthertown and Highlands Biological Station to hike a beautiful trail in Panthertown. We saw Common Grass-pink orchid, Rock Harlequin, Roundleaf Sundew, and Flame Azalea. Also in June and July we saw lovely Fly-poison among Carroll Rivers’ ferns, Turk’s-cap Lily in bloom at the 4500 feet elevation garden of Dru and Ennis James, and we visited Sherran Blair’s garden with many native plants and a lovely moss covered stream, followed by pot luck lunch in her beautiful home.
Southern Piedmont Chapter
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Southern Piedmont Chapter activities included a workday at Reedy Creek Nature Preserve; a roundtable discussion about native plants; a field excursion to learn to use iNaturalist, with Carrie DeJaco, chapter co-leader; helping at a Kids in Nature event at Woodland Discovery in Concord and in Charlotte; a Native Plant Sale at Charlotte’s Innovation Barn with Theresa Morr, chapter co-leader, and hosting a table at the Monarch Festival at Reedy Creek Nature Center. Chapter members Ben Ziros and Donna Hood helped craft a 5-year NCNPS Strategy Plan at an NCNPS Workshop at Wildacres Retreat.
Triad Chapter
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Triad Chapter members learned about the importance of genetic diversity in native plant gardening from Dr. Alison Northup, NCNPS member and owner of Piedmont Plants Nursery. Members were treated to door prizes of native plants. Other activities were visits to Triad-area facilities including a guided tour at Hoffman Nursery of its growing areas and a planting mix of Helianthus, Solidago, Muhlenbergia.
Uwharrie Chapter
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Uwharrie Chapter members (57 of them!) met in Star, NC to hear Crystal Cockman on rare plants of the Uwharries, after which Montgomery County Master Gardeners gave a tour of their native plant pollinator garden in the front parking area of a cafe. Other activities included staffing a NCNPS native plant booth for Stanly County Agri-Civic Day; touring the site of Mu-Sha-Ni Girl Scout campground, where David Auman explained their burn plan and unusual plants; and listening to Gabriella Garrison, Eastern Piedmont habitat conservation coordinator for North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, talk about native bees and their specialty plants. An upcoming project, at the request of the Badin Museum, is to replace non-native plants surrounding the building with native plants, focusing on plants that may have been used by the Hardaway indigenous people dating back 12,000 to 15,000 years ago.