American Forests’ National Register of Champion Trees began as a national competition with one goal in mind; to discover and preserve the largest living specimens of American tree species. This goal stemmed from a desire to protect and preserve these trees for future generations. The National Register of Champion Trees recognizes more than 600 trees as […]
N.C. Plant Conservation program
Sweating the small stuff: NC Plant Conservation Program to protect small endangered plant
Pondberry, a small, wetland shrub with yellow flowers that pop up each spring, may soon be gone forever in the state. The shrub, native to the Southeast and historically found in wetland habitats, was essentially wiped out last century as an unintended consequence of wetland draining. Now, the remaining populations are endangered by a non-native […]
Today’s Topic: It’s a felony to steal Venus flytraps in North Carolina
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” Earlier this month, four men were charged for poaching 900 Venus flytraps from the Holly Shelter Game Land in Pender County. They were arrested by state wildlife officers, and they are the first people to be charged […]
Photos from the Field: Ginseng
While you may have heard of ginseng used in teas, medicines and supplements, you may not realize the plant is found in the wild across the state of North Carolina. We checked in with one of our botanists, Laura Gadd, to learn more about the plant and the local industry. Wild American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) […]
NCDA&CS Plant Conservation Program gains 60 acres in Union County
The NCDA&CS Plant Conservation Program has some additional land, thanks to the generosity of The Nature Conservancy. The conservancy announced today that it had transferred 60 acres of Union County prairie, known as the Mineral Spring Barrens, to the program. “Our department is pleased to accept this generous donation of valuable property from The Nature […]
News Roundup
Each week we’ll round up the latest N.C. agricultural headlines from newspapers across the state and country, as well as excerpts from the stories. Click on the links to go straight to each paper’s full story. “How a Cabarrus farm is growing the next generation of farmers,” Charlotte Observer: As squash, okra and Swiss chard […]