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Garden Talk Series

Garden Talk digs into the world of plants with horticultural highlights written by Duke Gardens staff members. 

We can’t wait to tell you more about some of our favorite flora found throughout the Gardens.

Golden larch branches in autumn

Conifers are generally evergreen, but there are a handful of exceptions with wonderful fall color, including the golden larch (Pseudolarix amabilis).

Volunteer in waders cleaning up water lilies in a pond

Aquatic plants have fascinated and delighted humanity for thousands of years thanks to their ability to bridge the gap between land, water and sky.

Creeping fig on Duke stone

If you look closely at the stonework connecting the Mary Duke Biddle Rose Garden and the Walker Dillard Kirby Perennial Allée or bordering the Virtue Peace Pond and the Angle Amphitheater, you’ll it covered with vines with unusually tiny heart-shaped leaves and adventitious roots emerging from the flattened woody stems.

A wasp on a yellow fennel flower.

Many creatures like ants, beetles, wasps and flies are pollinators in their own right, and deserve recognition for their hard work and effort.

Pink hydrangea flower clusters.

Here in central North Carolina, June may bring either rain or shine, but the bigleaf hydrangeas will brighten your day nonetheless.

Orange California poppies in a scree planting

This spring, you don’t have to travel all the way out to the West Coast to enjoy the blooms of California poppies (Eschscholzia californica).

Oak pollen tassels with soft focus background.

Ah, spring, a time of awakening and renewal, of warmer and longer days filled with bird songs, of cherry blossoms and tulips—not to mention drifts of yellow pollen filling the air and blanketing everything left outside for more than a few hours.

Pink Chinese fringe flower in bloom.

If you spy a plant sporting what look like pink pom-poms in mid- to late March, you have most likely discovered a Chinese fringe flower (Loropetalum chinense) in full bloom.

A boardwalk through a ravine garden with a bridge in the background.

Although it seems hard and solid on the surface, the ideal soil is actually light and fluffy on a microscopic level, allowing air and water to easily infiltrate.

View of a pine tree canopy from below, backdropped by blue sky

On a clear chilly morning in early February, a group of Duke Gardens members gathered together for a special treat: Matthew Archibald, an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist and educator with Leaf & Limb, a local tree service and tree care provider, led the group on a tree walk through the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants.

Leafy foliage of cast iron plant.

Most commonly grown indoor plants aren’t hardy enough to survive outdoors in the winter, but the cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) is a rare exception with roots in both worlds.

Close-up of orange flowers with delicate, stringy petals, on a slim branch with a soft focus background that includes more of the same flowers.

Unlike the more common American witch hazel (H. virginiana), which blooms in the fall and is found across eastern North America, Ozark witch hazel blooms in the spring (vernalis” is Latin for “spring”), and wild populations are limited solely to the Ozark plateau in Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Bright yellow Chinese dogwood flowers on a bare branch.

The Chinese cornel dogwood (C. officinalis) is especially notable in February for its bright yellow clusters of early-blooming flowers.

Edible brassica plants in front of a wooden tobacco barn

Late winter and early spring is the peak season for brassicas, or members of the mustard family, in the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden.

Dried flower stalks with a soft focus background.

The impulse to organize and tidy a garden over the winter is a natural one, but it’s not so helpful to the animals that call it home.

Windmill Palm

The word “palm” usually conjures up visions of tropical beaches or rainforests, but a surprising number of these plants are capable of surviving hard freezes and even snow without artificial protection.

A row of dwarf boxwood plants in a formal garden.

“Thinking outside the box” encourages us to adopt creative solutions, but when it comes to landscaping, it’s easy to see why people have stuck with boxwood (Buxus spp.) for so many years.

Dwarf white irises as a groundcover.

“Groundcover” is a catch-all term for any quickly spreading plant capable of expanding and filling a wide area over time.

View of a pine tree canopy from below.

The oldest known tree in the garden may have fallen, but it’s entirely possible that an even older tree remains hidden in plain sight.

River oats seedheads with a background in soft focus.

Anyone strolling along the banks of the Eno River and other waterways in central North Carolina in late summer and early fall will quickly spot the thick patches of river oats lining the banks and the surrounding woodlands.

Woodland pinkroot flowers

Commonly known as Indian pink or woodland pinkroot, Spigelia marilandica is a beautiful perennial native to the Southeastern United States.

Bicolor needles of dwarf tigertail spruce.

Dwarf tigertail spruce has naturally bicolor needles—green on top and silver-blue below—and thus will appear different depending on your angle of view.

Water plants in a pond

With its long, swaying stalks and bright purple flowers, this plant stands out even at a distance, waving in the wind just like a flag on a flagpole—fortunately, no alligator required.

A multitude of colorful daylilies in a garden bed.

Daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) are often considered “the perfect perennial”—beautiful, adaptable, persistent and hardy.

Okra pods on a table next to a sign saying "Okra - Silver Queen"

Growing up in Alabama meant eating plenty of one of the most classic Southern veggies of all time: okra.

Green China fir foliage with yellow pollen catkins at the tips.

Although not native to the area, this spiky conifer has become a staple of Southeastern horticulture since its introduction to the United States, as it thrives in the warm, humid climate and compacted clay soils that dominate the area.

Scree garden at a path intersection.

For plant geeks like me, crevice gardening offers an opportunity to learn about and experiment with fascinating ecosystems and plant communities with which I rarely interact.

Southern magnolia flower

Step under the canopy of a mature Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) and discover a different world.

Pond surrounded by trees and water plants

Here at Duke Gardens, we have more than 20 water features across our 55-acre campus. They are often the most popular attractions on our grounds, no matter what is in bloom, and for good reasons.

Purple irises beneath a tree canopy

Like its namesake rainbow, I. tectorum comes in a wide variety of colors, from deep purple to lavender to completely white to pale blue with speckled falls and a fuzzy white fringe

A butterfly on yellow blooms

Plants use a language of sorts to communicate with potential pollinators. A pollinator syndrome refers to a suite of traits that developed as plants and their pollinators coevolved and adapted to each other’s changes over time.

Orange, black, and white koi carp in a pond

Visitors to the Historic Gardens often marvel at the colorful koi in the pond at the base of the Terrace Gardens, complemented by the ornamental water lily display in the warmer months.

Close-up of delicate white and pink flowers, with twisting branches in a soft-focus background.

Instead of a mass of flowers high up in the canopy, the flowers of the dwarf Fuji cherry are at eye-level, making it easy to appreciate them up close.

White magnolia flowers with a soft focus background.

We typically think of species as fixed and immutable, but the boundaries between different kinds of organisms are more fluid and permeable than we assume, especially when it comes to plants.

Low-growing clumps of Cherokee sedge in a woodland setting.

Cherokee sedge is tough, durable and adaptable to a wide range of soil and shade regimes, and thus it’s easy to incorporate in almost any garden setting.

Coast redwood foliage and developing cones.

To say that coast redwoods (Sequioa sempervirens) inspire awe and wonder is a vast understatement.

A circle of pines around a snow-covered clearing.

Duke Gardens is pleased to share this informative Q&A about tree care from Basil Camu, owner of Leaf & Limb, one of our corporate members.

Pink flowering plum blossoms with a soft focus background.

For thousands of years, the iconic flowering plum (Prunus mume) has brightened the chilly gray days of late winter with its dazzling display of colorful blossoms.

A bare tree on the edge of a lawn with a forest behind.

January might seem like a lull, but a walk through the gardens right now will reveal numerous species in bloom, including those of Persian ironwood.

Silhouette of a tree against a cloudy sky

All dawn redwoods alive today belong to an ancient lineage stretching back millions of years.

Blue rosemary flowers and foliage.

While most plants go dormant during the winter, the evergreen rosemary blooms continually through the fall and winter here in the Triangle, brightening the short days with its tiny, sky-blue flowers.

Rolled needles of Korean fir.

For one month at the end of every year, millions of Americans who celebrate Christmas bring a bit of nature into their living rooms via the Christmas tree itself.

A man uses a machine to lift a pot with a cactus

Here at Duke Gardens, we have hundreds of non-hardy plants — plants intolerant to cold temperatures — around the garden that must be stored in the greenhouse during the winter months.

Summer annuals in a garden bed

As a gardening professional, I am ready to take up the cause, and I want to invite you to join me in my endeavor to leave the garden bed as “messy” as possible for the benefit of our fauna neighbors (and also our backs and knees).

Japanese garden and teahouse.

As Japanese gardens have gained widespread popularity over the past century, many non-Japanese designers and horticulturists are faced with the question, “What defines a Japanese garden?”

Several large pink chrysanthemum blooms in a garden setting.

Several years ago, I stumbled upon the exhibition chrysanthemum show at Duke Gardens, and the flower that I had always considered to be the bridesmaid of the plant world suddenly became the bride.

Tatarian aster flowers with an ornamental birdhouse in the background

Aster is the Latin word for “star,” and asters are well named in multiple respects—not only are their flowers as beautiful and numerous as the stars, they are also one of the showiest and most reliable performers in the late-season garden.

Close-up of a white tea camellia flower on a leafy branch

The first question visitors to Duke Gardens usually have about the tea camellias are, “You can really grow those here?” Yes, you can!

Pink Japanese anemone flower with a background in soft focus.

The pride of many a fall perennial border, Japanese anemones grow in thick clumps, sending up dozens of blooms resembling pink and white buttercups on long stems from August through October.

An assortment of eggplants of varying shapes, sizes, and colors on a wooden table.

If you wander through the Discovery Garden this summer, you might notice more than 20 different varieties of eggplant (Solanum melongena) featured in our raised brick beds.

Heart-shaped foliage of leopard plants beside a flowing stream.

How did the leopard plant get its spots? The answer depends on which variety you’re talking about.

Partially folded leaves of a sensitive plant, with a stone wall in the background.

If you have had occasion to touch the sensitive plant in the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden, then you know how accurate its namesake is!

A conical bunch of small white flowers on a tree branch, with deep green leaves and more flowers higher on the branch. Background is deep green in soft focus.

One of the most popular ornamental plants in the southern United States, crapemyrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.) might seem too ubiquitous to merit much attention. However, a closer examination of this widely planted genus proves that “common” is by no means synonymous with “boring.”

A bee sits on pale green leaves with tiny white flowers at the center, and more leaves and flowers in the background.

Most animals rest during hot summer afternoons, but visitors to the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants or the Historic Gardens’ Butterfly Garden will notice one group of plants in particular that are literally buzzing with activity from late June through September, even in the middle of the day.

A trained weeping bald cypress over a staircase.

How do you turn a tree into a living shelter? With patience, luck, care and, of course, the right plant.

Hummingbird at a red beebalm flower

These native perennials are staples in North Carolina native or pollinator gardens during the summer, with their vibrant red, pink or purple flowers drawing in hummingbirds and beneficial insects from a distance.

Red coral honeysuckle flowers

Coral honeysuckle (L. sempervirens) is a Southeastern native vine that possesses all the excellent traits of its genus and is also highly beneficial for wildlife.

Trillium in Blomquist

Many visitors are aware that dog walking is permitted in Sarah P. Duke Gardens before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m. It’s often a surprise for dog walkers to learn that the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants is an area where dogs, with the exception of service animals, are not permitted at any time.

Pink flowering dogwood blooms.

The flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) is simultaneously one of our most recognizable native trees and an iconic symbol of the American South.

Eastern redbud flowers.

It’s easy to pick out eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) in the spring—just look for the purple!

A single woman with her back to the camera walks down a cherry allee in full bloom.

Here at Duke Gardens, the custom of appreciating cherry blossoms is alive and well.

A mass planting of tulips and other bulbs.

Magical and more than a little mysterious, Duke Gardens’ annual spring bulb displays in the Historic Gardens and Doris Duke Center Gardens are a source of fascination for both frequent visitors and newcomers alike.

A saucer magnolia tree in bloom.

‘Alexandrina’ is one of the oldest cultivars of saucer magnolia, first introduced in France in 1831, and remaining popular to this day due to its showy, early blooming flowers.

Tangled corkscrew hazel branches

Although a beautiful sight at any time of year, corkscrew hazel is best appreciated in late winter, once the leaves have fallen and exposed the complex twists and turns of its winding branches.

Close-up of hybrid hellebore flower with soft focus background.

Native to Eurasia, wild hellebores have captured the human imagination for centuries, thanks to their seemingly miraculous tendency to bloom in the middle of winter.

Green foliage of a Christmas fern.

This common fern is one of the easiest native species to identify, thanks to its distinct evergreen fronds, which stand in sharp contrast against dominant grays and browns of the winter forest.

Evergreen shrub next to metal pergola

The Duke Gardens plum yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Duke Gardens’) was discovered right here at Duke Gardens in 1958 by horticulturist and future director Richard Fillmore.

American robin on a branch of palm berries

To paraphrase “Field of Dreams,” if you plant it, they will come. But who are “they,” anyway?

Blue berries of southern wax myrtle on a leafy branch. Background in soft focus.

If you love candles, you’re probably familiar with the color and scent of bayberry, a popular decoration in old-fashioned Christmas displays.

Sunlight through red Japanese maple leaves.

Fall in the North Carolina Piedmont has a knack for seizing all of our senses, from crickets chirping to mark the waning days, to the early morning chill of frosty lawns and windowsills. But a walk through the woods or even a single glance out the window marks the most dramatic shift of all in the trees themselves.

A female ruby-throated hummingbird perches on an anise-scented sage plant in flower.

Boasting flags of brilliant blue and purple inflorescences from late August until frost, anise-scented sage (Salvia guarantica) is impossible to miss right now in the Historic Gardens.

A mass planting of obedient plants in flower in a woodland settling.

While many native plants are winding down by mid-September, others are just getting started.

Assortment of hot peppers on a table.

Nothing loves the heat of August like a hot pepper, and few places in Duke Gardens are warmer than the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden.

Security camera footage of four white-tailed deer in a line along a path at night.

Despite being adjacent to a major university and a bustling city, the same features that make a region so attractive to humans—the lush landscapes and forested buffer—offer a corridor directing hungry animals right to the Gardens.

An industrial machine drops mulch into a pile.

How do you turn trash into treasure? As Sarah P. Duke Gardens has grown over the years, our landscape waste has grown with it.

Red oak leaves on a branch with a soft focus background.

This year, take a “leaf” out of Mother Nature’s book and consider “leaving the leaves” to add all those nutrients back into the soil.

Yellow ginkgo foliage in a woodland setting.

There’s no shortage of unusual plants here at Duke Gardens, but the ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba) might be the strangest of them all.

Pink seashore mallow flowers in bloom in a woodland setting

This native perennial is one of the last to emerge each year—long after other species have come and gone—but its profusion of silver-green, maple-like leaves and masses of pink blooms make it well worth the wait.

A bee on purple coneflowers

Duke Gardens facilities manager Nick Schwab features one of his favorite plants for butterflies and birds and an excellent low maintenance native plant that is drought tolerant once established.

Lavender plants in bloom next adjacent to a stone wall

Just as the name suggests, lavender ‘Phenomenal’ truly is extraordinary.

A Japanese black pine in a Japanese garden.

When folks are asked to think of a Japanese garden, one of the initial images that comes to mind is the iconic, meticulously trained Japanese black pines, Pinus thunbergii.

Close-up of a blackberry lily flower with a soft focus background.

These dainty flowers are one of my favorites because they add a lot of interest in the summer and fall with their color, flower shape and fruit.

Three pollinator houses full of a variety of materials for bees to nest in

How many people have been out and about at a park or even Duke Gardens and seen a small box hanging with a bunch of little holes drilled in it? If so, then you were likely looking at a pollinator house.

White peony flowers

What do James Bond and a tree peony in our collection have in common?

Open meadow full of epimedium in bloom

This mass planting consists of 30 plants that were planted two years ago and have since created a wonderful carpet of tiny yellow to bronze flowers that bloom from March through May.

Close-up of pink weeping peach flowers.

Prunus persica ‘Crimson Casade’ is one of my favorite spring-blooming trees in Duke Gardens.

Variegated winter daphne leaves and flowers.

Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’ is an evergreen shrub that blooms anytime from January to March here in Zone 7.

Rohdea plant with berries in a woodland setting.

Rohdea japonica is an evergreen perennial native to Japan, China, and Korea.

Green holly berries on a branch.

Of all seasonal greenery, the hollies (genus Ilex) have always been of special significance.

Close-up of a purple climbing aster flower.

I am always interested in cool climbers. Climbing aster, known to us botanical types as Ampelaster carolinianus, is one of the coolest I know.

A black and yellow garden spider in a web surrounded by yellow flowers.

Although gardeners and garden-lovers also experience this fear of spiders, we would be mistaken if we let this feeling distract us from how interesting and helpful our eight-legged friends really are.

A bumblebee on weeping rostrinucula flowers.

Here is one that’s hard to pronounce; I am not even sure I say it right!

Two images of pink banana flowers and fruit.

The pink banana is a true hardy tropical for the summer landscape and will leave many gardeners asking, “What’s that?”

Close-up of a red spider lily in bloom.

There are 20 species of surprise lilies (and many cultivars), with differences in color of the flower as well as their shape and size.

Red plumleaf azalea flowers.

Not only is this azalea one of the most striking native rhododendrons in the Southeast, it is also one of the rarest.

Close-up of pink Epimedium flowers

Many Duke Gardens visitors ask what kinds of perennials grow well in the shade, and the first plant that always comes to my mind is epimediums.

Close-up of snowdrop flowers in a woodland setting.

These bulbs emerge and produce their little snowdrop flowers in February and March.

A fan-shaped array of long deep green leaves with frozen dewdrops on them and a soft-focus background.

This palm is evergreen and looks great all year long with minimal effort.

Frozen alder cones.

This has to be one of my favorite plants in the Blomquist Garden. It is a landscape workhorse.

Close-up of Algerian iris flower.

Iris unguicularis is an underutilized iris that blooms from mid-winter through early spring.

Questions about our Garden Talk series?

Please contact us at gardens@duke.edu.