Blueberries, Azaleas and Rhodies, Oh My! The Secret and Not So Secret World of Blueberries

Dr. Larry Mellichamp will take us on a journey through the blueberry family or Ericaceae (erik case see ee).

In-Person at Reedy Creek Nature Center
2986 Rocky River Road Charlotte NC 28215
Masks Required Indoors, Free and open to the public
or
Virtual

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Dr. Larry Mellichamp will take us on a journey through the blueberry family or Ericaceae (erik case see ee). While mysterious, this family has few mysteries, and we will explore some of our North American genera and species, and famous members from around the world. It is one of the world’s most valuable plant families, and one of the largest. The Ericaceae give us fruits like blueberries (perhaps the best thing you can eat) and cranberries (originating only in North America), but also flowers like azalea and rhododendrons, and ornamental garden plants like Pieris and Mountain Laurel. The family is named after the genus Erica, the heaths and heathers of Scotland in the Old World.

Dr. Mellichamp will also introduce us to plant families: what they represent, how they are defined, and what holds them together. There are about 200 plant families in the world with probably 500,000 species of flowering plants; the Ericaceae is in the top 20 largest. Clue: it’s all about the structure of the flower.

Dr. Larry Mellichamp is a professor emeritus of botany and horticulture at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he taught for more than 30 years. He was also director of the University’s Botanical Gardens including the Mellichamp Native Terrace Garden, which demonstrates the use of natives directly for the homeowner. Larry is an expert on native trees, shrubs and wildflowers. He is also the recipient of the Tom Dodd, Jr. Award of Excellence from the Cullowhee Native Plant Conference. Two outstanding book publications of his are: Native Plants of the Southeast and The Southeast Native Plant Primer.