Home & Garden

About the Author - Dr. Susan Hamilton

Dr. Susan Hamilton is an associate professor in the University of Tennessee Department of Plant Sciences and director of the UT Gardens. The gardens are a project of the Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station, with locations in Knoxville and Jackson: http://utgardens.tennessee.edu.

I love plants! Big plants, little plants, flowering plants, foliage plants, really almost every type of plant. But I pay special attention to one particular group – the native plants of the eastern United States (which includes Tennessee). These plants have naturally evolved over time for this region and, as a result, have developed a strong connection to the land, each other and the wildlife.

BIOLOGICALLY ADAPTED
Using native plants creates a landscape that is biologically adapted to our climate, soils, wildlife and plant communities. Choosing native varieties over hybrid, non-native plants known as “exotic” plants, can reduce the threat of releasing “invasive” plants into the landscape that can upset the balance of our natural flora and fauna.

Let me give you some examples. Both kudzu and bush honeysuckle are exotic plants that were introduced into Tennessee landscapes, then became invasive species. As a result, neither kudzu nor bush honeysuckle is now produced for its original intended use.

ONE FOR EVERY NICHE
A native plant grows in every landscape niche. For vines in our zone, I love passionflower with its summer-long blooms and Carolina jasmine for its bright yellow spring flowers. In terms of native shrubs, plenty of the available varieties have landscape appeal.

Ninebark is a deciduous shrub with dark burgundy-bronze foliage and white spring flowers. I have three different selections in my garden: “Coppertina,” “Diablo” and “Summer Wine.” Sweetshrub has fragrant, burgundy spring flowers and glossy foliage. “Hartlage Wine” is a choice selection for its extremely large burgundy flowers. Wild hydrangea “Annabelle” is another of my favorites with its large white flowers blooming prolifically in summer.

Winterberry holly is a deciduous shrub with showy red berries – perfect for the winter garden. I have several scattered throughout my landscape.

NATIVE TREES
An abundance of trees are native to our region as well. For large trees, choose red maple and sugar maple; white oak, red oak, Southern red oak, and pin oak; sweet gum; tulip poplar; black gum; river birch; and yellowwood.

If you desire smaller landscape trees, check out a redbud. Choice cultivars include burgundy-leaved and gold-leaved selections. Other smaller trees of interest might be fringe tree, serviceberry, dogwood, sourwood and Carolina silver bell.

You’ll also find plenty of native perennials, herbs, grasses and wildflowers to serve as seasonal herbaceous plants for your garden.

NATIVE PLANT RESOURCES
We are blessed to have a variety of native plant resources in Tennessee. To assist you in selecting native plants for your landscape and the invasive exotic plants for which they can be substituted, the Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council (TN-EPPC) has developed guides for gardeners and landscapers.

To download or order these guides, visit the TN-EPPC Web site at www.tneppc.org. 

In addition to TN-EPPC, I recommend Margie Hunter’s book Gardening With the Native Plants of Tennessee. The book gives detailed accounts of 450 species of wildflowers, ferns, grasses, vines, shrubs and trees native to Tennessee. You can order a signed copy from Margie’s Web site at www.gardeningwithnativeplants.com. 

Finally, if an outing appeals to you, check out the Tennessee Native Plant Society at www.tnps.org. Members meet frequently at various locations all over the state for field trips led by local amateurs and professionals who know the plants in a given area.

One last note: I’d urge you to support nurseries that sell “nursery-propagated” native plants rather than plants taken from the wild. Collecting plants from the wild truly endangers the sustainability of native populations. Despite attempts to protect their natural populations, some native plants – ginseng, for example – are in drastic decline. Reputable nurseries will label their stock. 

Finding Native Plants

Several Tennessee nurseries carry native varieties

The following are some of our state’s native plant nurseries. Be sure to support nurseries carrying ‘nursery-propagated’ native plants and not those taken from the wild. 

Native Gardens
5737 Fisher Lane
Greenback, TN 37742
(865) 856-0220
www.native-gardens.com

Sunlight Gardens
174 Golden Lane
Andersonville, TN 37705
(800) 272-7396
www.sunlightgardens.com

GrowWild
7190 Hill Hughes Road
Fairview, TN 37062
(615) 799-1910
www.growildnursery.com

Nashville Natives
7443 Liberty Road
Fairview, TN 37062
(615) 799-8719
www.nashvillenatives.com

Overhill Gardens
1404 Citico Road
Vonore, Tennessee 37885
(423) 295-2288
www.overhillgardens.com

Shy Valley Farm
315 Ridge Rd.
Fall Branch, TN 37656
(423) 348-6570
www.shyvalley.com

Email to a Friend
Please enter the following information:

Your Name:

Your Email:

Recipient Name:

Recipient Email:

Notes:

Please enter the word you see in
the image below:

Information being sent:

Magazine:
Tennessee Home & Farm, Fall 2010 Edition Edition

Headline:
In the Zone

Summary:
Create a beautiful garden with Tennessee's native flora.

This article brought to you by: