Date: April 15, 2023

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Location: Anne Elizabeth Suratt Nature Center at Walnut Creek Preserve

Speaker: Lisa Wagner, plant ecologist

The plants that grow in our native Western North Carolina forest communities provide a wonderful plant palette for creating diverse and beautiful woodland gardens using Eastern North American natives. Spring wildflowers such as bloodroot, foamflower, black cohosh, woodland phlox, and Solomon’s seal are native woodland garden favorites, while adding characteristic native shrubs and trees in the mid- and upper canopy creates a beautiful supporting framework.  Native trees are equally important in creating a sustainable forest community, too, if they aren’t already there. Lisa will describe the process of creating a native woodland garden, how to choose the appropriate species for your site, and review some of their characteristics and growth habits.

Lisa served as Director of Education at the South Carolina Botanical Garden, Clemson University for over 20 years. She is a plant ecologist by background, earning her Ph.D. in Botany from the University of California, Berkeley. She is interested in native plants, sustainable gardening, public education, and promoting habitat restoration, as well as being a passionate gardener. Lisa and her husband Tim Spira live full-time in Asheville, where they’ve surrounded their home with native plantings.

In order to make this an enjoyable and educational experience for participants, space is limited to 100 participants and pre-registration is required.

*Walnut Creek Preserve is private property and guests are only allowed on the property by invitation (a planned event or scheduled group).  Thank you.

Contact Pam Torlina, pam@conservingcarolina.org, with questions or for more information.