Director's Note

By Mark Weathington, Director

This chilly, damp winter has been dragging on too long and JCRA staff are all anxious for spring to arrive but we're trying to follow our own advice to stop and smell the roses. One rose family member that is definitely making its presence known is Prunus mume, the Japanese flowering apricot so beloved by J. C. Raulston. I've been opening my office window even on the chilliest days to enjoy the fragrance of 'Josephine', a selection from our good friend Tom Krenitsky with large, soft pink flowers. 

The winter symposium will help get us all in the mood for spring—Bryce Lane's inspirational talk will have you chomping at the bit while Bill McNamara's explorations of Asia with a veritable who's who of British and Chinese colleagues will satisfy even the stodgiest of armchair travelers, and John Dole will pull back the curtain to show the secret life of roses. More information and how to register (we're online now!) is available below.

The work in the gardens doesn't stop so Lizzi and Tim are once again having a mulching week with our volunteers. Drop in anytime between 7:30 AM and 4:00 PM on February 9–13 to help out as your schedule allows. If you aren't on our volunteer roster, get in touch with Arlene Calhoun for information on how you can join the team.

Speaking of help, we are gearing up for summer interns. This year we are adding an extra intern dedicated to children's programs in addition to our usual crew of horticulture students. If you'd like to support this great hands-on educational opportunity, check out Sonia Murphy's information below.

Photograph: New Finley-Nottingham Rose White Garden under construction.

Plant of the Month

Prunus mume

By Mark Weathington, Director

Few plants have been so closely associated with J. C. Raulston as Prunus mume, the Japanese flowering apricot, or ume as it is known in Japan. J. C. actually left money in his will for the purchase and planting of this tree around Raleigh. As he wrote in one of his many distributions of flowering apricot, "I have often lectured and written about this most favorite plant of mine, the flowering apricot, which blooms in January with white, pink, and red highly fragrant flowers. The Japanese consider the flowering apricot their finest flowering tree and have hundreds of cultivars."

His many students, inspired by his love of the plant have incorporated the tree in landscapes around central North Carolina and I have never found a higher concentration anywhere outside of Asia than in the Raleigh area. Ume typically starts flowering in zone 7 gardens by mid-January, the earliest selections in December, and will continue often into March. The flowers have an intoxicatingly spicy-sweet clove scent which is very strong but doesn't have the cloying sweetness of some winter flowering plants.

The main knock against the flowering apricot is a tendency to fade into the background once they have finished flowering and while the hardcore enthusiasts will praise the glossy jade stems, I dare say green twigs do not rate high on the average homeowner's wish-list. The foliage is relatively nondescript and in some forms looks a bit tired by midsummer. The fruit is a thin-fleshed, sour apricot. It is very nearly inedible in most forms when eaten fresh but is prized in China and Japan for drying or pickling. In Asia, the pickled or dried fruits are eaten as a vegetable not a sweet fruit. With enough sugar, a passable jam or preserve can be made as well.

The JCRA is currently growing about 20 selections of P. mume with colors ranging from pure white to deep rose-red and single to fully double-flowered. I have yet to find a Japanese apricot with no fragrance, and a single tree can scent an entire suburban landscape and probably the entire block. Many forms have been selected to add interest beyond flowers, and the weeping, contorted, and upright growth habits of some cultivars brings welcome structure to the garden. In Asia, many of the hundreds of selections are for fruit production, and these forms are finding increased interest among the many folks who are rediscovering home-pickling and preserving. Gardeners who want the flowers but not the often messy fruits should seek out double-flowered cultivars which form few if any apricots.

Prunus mume is hardy to zone 6 but starts to suffer when grown much warmer than zone 8 or a cool 9. Ideally, it is planted in full sun with a moist, well-drained, acid soil. Shaded plants will not flower well and decline over time. The incredible flowers that appear just when the winter feels like it may never end are reason enough to grow a specimen even if the fragrance was negligible. The intoxicating aroma make a Japanese flowering apricot a must-have for the well-appointed garden.

JCRA Internships: A Win-Win for Students and the Arboretum

By Sonia Murphy, Director of Development

Thanks to all of you who have supported the JCRA Internship Program. This past summer, four students participated in the program and further explored their passion and potential future in horticulture. One of our interns worked specifically with the Children's Program last year and helped with the increasing interest in this program area.

More than 40 students have studied and worked at the JCRA since 2003 and our mission is to continue to grow the program and educate future generations of entrepreneurs and leaders in this important field.

JCRA Director Mark Weathington will soon be advertising and interviewing students for the 2015 summer program, and the intern positions are highly sought after by many talented young people. The JCRA continues to need private funding to support this program, so please contact me, Sonia Murphy, if you would like more information on how you can help. 

You may also give directly to the JCRA Internship Program at this secure giving Web site.

Kids, Science, and Fun

By Elizabeth Overcash, Children's Program Coordinator

Citizen Science is a huge buzzword right now. But what is it? Citizen Science is people all over the world volunteering their time to help scientist gather data for their research. It doesn't take a science degree or any training in a lab to be a citizen scientist. Just find a project that interests you and dive in.

This year, we are inviting children and youth to dive into Citizen Science with us! The JCRA Garden Scouts will be a year-long program where we learn about Citizen Science projects and work together collecting data. There are cool things like an official name badge, invitations to data collection events, a family ticket to Raulston Blooms! or the Summer Solstice Ice Cream Party, and of course, free plants!

Register your child or youth today for the JCRA Garden Scouts—$20.00 for one child, $5.00 per additional child in the same family. Registration forms are available in the Bobby G. Wilder Visitor Center or by contacting Elizabeth Overcash at elizabeth_overcash@ncsu.edu.

The JCRA Volunteer Spirit Continues to Thrive

By Arlene Calhoun, Volunteer and Membership Coordinator

Grounded in a devoted volunteer spirit from the very beginning, the Arboretum would not be what it is today without the decades of work and knowledge this group of incredible folks provides us. One hundred and ninety one volunteers contributed 9,762 hours in 2014. That's over 1,220 eight-hour days, 58 full weeks, over a year's worth of valuable time. Without doubt, the JC Raulston Arboretum volunteer spirit is alive and well.

We want to publicly thank each volunteer for every minute. The devotion, expertise, and time they selflessly give keeps this garden beautiful and relevant. Thank a volunteer next time you're visiting. They mean the world to us.

JC Raulston Arboretum volunteers who contributed over 100 hours in 2014 include:

Love Is in the Air

By Arlene Calhoun, Volunteer and Membership Coordinator

Our gardens are a beautiful and unique place to create or capture memorable moments. Engagements, weddings, receptions, event and family photographs—we enjoy being part of your story.

Be sure to plan and book early, spaces fill quickly. For additional information please visit our Web site or contact Faye Koonce, our facilities coordinator at faye_koonce@ncsu.edu or (919) 513-7457.

Winter Symposium

By Christopher Todd Glenn, Programs and Education Coordinator

"Stop and Smell the Roses"
February 21, 2015

Take time out of your busy schedule to enjoy the beauty of plants during the JC Raulston Arboretum's "Stop and Smell the Roses" winter symposium. Learn to appreciate life's beauty through the power of plants with Bryce Lane, NC State University, and transform your knowledge of roses with John Dole, Ph.D., NC State University, and Bill McNamara, Quarry Hill Botanical Garden.

For more information, please contact Chris Glenn at (919) 513-7005 or chris_glenn@ncsu.edu. Registration is limited and is available online.

An Evening with the Explorers

By Christopher Todd Glenn, Programs and Education Coordinator

Triumphs and Tribulations of the Plant Hunters

Sponsored by Bartlett Tree Experts

Friday, March 6, 2015

Celebrate the start of spring with the JC Raulston Arboretum and six noted plantsmen. Hear extraordinary plant collecting tales from Andrew Bunting, Dan Hinkley, Ozzie Johnson, Greg Paige, Scott McMahan, and Mark Weathington. Enjoy hors d'oeuvre, wine, beer, other drinks, and a silent auction and a live auction featuring numerous rare plants and a two night visit with Dan Hinkley at his home and garden in Indianola, Washington.

For more information, please contact Chris Glenn at (919) 513-7005 or chris_glenn@ncsu.edu. Registration is limited and is available online.

Upcoming Programs

By Christopher Todd Glenn, Programs and Education Coordinator

Propagation Workshop
Saturday, February 7

Join the JCRA horticultural staff in this hands-on workshop and learn how to asexually propagate some of your favorite plants in the JC Raulston Arboretum's collections via hardwood cuttings. Participants will go home with a greater knowledge of plant propagation and with many freshly propagated plants. Techniques discussed can be done at home. This workshop is open to all knowledge/experience levels.

Registration is open and is extremely limited.

Renewal Pruning Class and Demonstration

Saturday, March 21

Want to maximize the production of flowers and fruits from your shrubs? Renewal pruning is the way to do it. This simple technique works with the natural cycle of replacing old stems with new. This class will start with classroom explanations of the nature of shrubs, the reason for and the techniques of renewal pruning, the tools of the trade as well as demonstrations of this technique. This will be followed by actual demonstration of the technique on shrubs in the Arboretum with some hands-on experience for class participants.

Registration is open and is limited.

For more information about these and other programs, please contact me, Chris Glenn, at chris_glenn@ncsu.edu or (919) 513-7005.

Coming Attractions

By Nancy Doubrava, Interpretive Specialist

Magnolia zenii
Zen magnolia

Crocus imperati 'De Jager'
crocus

Daphne odora 'Zuiko Nishiki'
winter daphne

Iris histrioides 'Lady Beatrix Stanley'
reticulate iris

Hamamelis ×intermedia 'Jelena'
copper-flowered common witchhazel

Narcissus 'February Gold'
cyclamineus daffodil

Crocus chrysanthus 'Romance'
spring crocus

Cornus officinalis 'Spring Glow'
Cornelian cherry

Helleborus ×hybridus
Lenten rose

Prunus mume 'Bridal Veil'
weeping Japanese flowering apricot

YouTube Channel

By Christopher Todd Glenn, Programs and Education Coordinator

Three new videos were recorded in January. Look for them in our YouTube Channel or click the links below.

Receive announcements about our latest additions by subscribing to our channel.