Text by Andrea Thunem. Photos by Diane Laslie
As an organization that promotes native plants, participating in the annual Green & Growin’ Marketplace in Greensboro is always a treat. It was especially satisfying this time. A venerable 73 years old, the NC Native Plant Society is an acknowledged leader in the increasing wave of public interest in native plants and promoting a more resilient ecosystem.
This year we were a Bronze Sponsor of the regional event organized by the NC Nursery and Landscape Association. At our booth, volunteers of the North Carolina Native Plant Society shared educational resources and answered questions from attendees. Two of our popular handouts were the Society’s Piedmont Landscape Booklet and the Coastal Landscape Initiative’s Coastal Landscaping Booklet. Many representatives from nurseries visited us, reflecting an increased demand from their customers for native alternatives.
Adorning our information table was a stunning winter display created by Dan Walker, a Triad Chapter member of NCNPS. The large urn of vibrant winter foliage was accompanied by a plant identification list: Broadleaf Cattail (Typhia latifolia), Northern Rattlesnake-master (Eryngium yuccifolium), Groundseltree (Baccharis halimifolia), Tall Ironweed (Vernonia altissima), doghobble (Leucothoe sp.), Common Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal minor), Hardhack Spiraea (Spirea tomentosa), mountain-mint (Pycnanthemum sp.), Swamp Titi (Cyrilla racemiflora), Fetterbush (Lyonia lucida), Camphorweed (Pluchea camphorata), pitcherplant hybrid (Sarracenia hybrid), White-berried Inkberry (Ilex glabra ‘leucocarpa’), wild indigo (Baptisia sp.), and Eastern Yarrow (Achillea gracilis).
It was great to see many suppliers showing interest in offering more native plants! There has been a surge of demand in recent years and growers often sell out of their supply.
Text by Andrea Thunem. Photos by Diane Laslie
Native Plant News – Spring 2024
Andrea Thunem is editor of the North Carolina Native Plant Society’s Native Plant News and a member of the NCNPS Southern Piedmont Chapter. A retired journalist and landscape designer with a passion for native plants and environmental sustainability, she loves working with people to present their stories about the holistic nature of plants, people, earth, and connections. Email her at newsletter@ncwildflower.org
Diane Laslie is the primary organizer of the NCNPS booth at the Green & Growin’ Marketplace of the NC Nursery & Landscape Association’s annual event. She is treasurer of the NCNPS board of directors and chair of the NCNPS finance committee. A long-time Society member, Diane is also active in its Triad Chapter.