Tag: Durham County Cooperative Extension

Upcoming Gardening Events: November 2026

On By durhammastergardenersIn ask a master gardener, Briggs Avenue Community Garden, Durham Garden Forum, Durham NC, Garden events

The Ask a Master Gardener Program is an opportunity for members of the community to ask questions about gardening and learn more about the NC State Extension Master GardenerSM program. Volunteers are available to provide answers using research-based information about plants and plant problems.

You can reach the Extension Master Gardener volunteers in Durham County by calling (919) 560-0528. You can also reach them by emailing mastergardener@dconc.gov or by visiting the Durham County Cooperative Extension at 721 Foster Street, Durham, NC. The helpline and office are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Two women standing behind a table under a canopy with a sign that reads 'Ask a Master Gardener.' The table is decorated with flowers and gardening materials.

Look for the “Ask A Master Gardener” banner at our Public Events. (Image credit: Allie Mullin)

You’ll find Extension Master Gardener volunteers at the following November events ready for your questions:

Durham Garden Forum

  • Tuesday, November 17, 7pm – 8:30pm Virtual. “Small Scale Stormwater Solutions: Rain Gardens and Other Practices”, with Mitch Woodward, Area Specialty Agent, Water Shed and Water Quality, NC Cooperative Extension

Read here for more information on registering and attending. $10 session fee for non-members or $25 for annual membership.

Learn with our Community Partners

Sarah P. Duke Gardens – Durham

November is Mum Month with lots of events celebrating mums. From Walking Tours to Basic Flower Design and Classes on Rare Heirloom Chrysanthemums. For a full line up of what is being offered at Sarah P. Duke Gardens in November, take a look at their calendar.

A display of various colorful chrysanthemums, showcasing flowers in shades of yellow, pink, orange, and white, arranged in vases with labels in a garden setting.

Chrysanthemums being judged at the Festival of Mums at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. (Image credit: Sarah P. Duke Gardens)

North Carolina Botanical Garden – Chapel Hill

The NC Botanical Garden offers many learning opportunities for adults, including home gardening workshops, botanical art classes, nature walks, and free Lunchbox Talks, They also offer certificate programs in Native Plant Studies, Botanical Art & Illustration, and Therapeutic Horticulture. Learn more

A vibrant garden featuring a mix of yellow black-eyed Susan flowers and purple blooms, surrounded by lush greenery.

The NC Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill offers a wide range of classes from Conservation Gardening to Botanical illustration. (Image credit: NC Botanical Garden)

JC Raulston Arboretum – Raleigh

The Arboretum offers a series of online programs every Wednesday at 3 pm. All Midweek Programs are free and require pre-registration.

November is also the kickoff month to the very popular, “Moonlight in the Garden” Lighting Exhibition. Various dates are offered.

For a full line of of activities offered at the JC Raulston Arboretum for the month of November, take a look at their calendar.

A well-lit pathway lined with lanterns, surrounded by lush banana plants illuminated in vibrant colors.

Moonlight in the Garden at the JC Raulston Arboretum. Image credit: JC Raulston Arboretum

Durham County Library

Did you know that you can check out seeds at the library? The Digging Durham Seed Library offers vegetable, herb, and flower seeds that you can take home and plant.

  • Tuesday, November 10, 3:30pm – 4:30pm Garden Club for Kids (Ages 7-12) at Children’s Programming Room, Southwest Regional Library, 3605 Shannon Rd, Durham, NC 27707. Registration required.

Article shortlink: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-8lw

Edited by Marcia Kirinus NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County

Native Notes – Wildlife Hero Fragrant Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)

On By durhammastergardenersIn bird friendly habitat, deer-resistant plants, ecological sustanability, fall blooming plants, insects, pollinator gardening, Uncategorized

By Laurel Babcock, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County

Three bright yellow spicebush blooms on brown stem.

Yellow flowers of spicebush, Lindera benzoin. (Image credit: Phillip Bouchard CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

This is the next installment in our series, Native Notes, where we explore plants that strengthen local ecosystems and support biodiversity while adding beauty to our Durham County, NC landscapes.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

One shrub that I love to check on in my garden is spicebush (Lindera benzoin). It is a native shrub that brings beauty, fragrance, and wildlife value to my landscape with minimal maintenance. Spicebush belongs to the laurel family (Lauraceae) – the same family as sassafras, bay laurel and avocado. This shows in the plant’s wonderfully aromatic leaves, twigs and fruit. The Piedmont variety found in Durham County is Lindera benzoin var. pubescens.

Appearance

Spicebush is a medium-sized, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub that typically reaches 6 to 15 feet tall and wide. The simple, alternate leaves are oblong with smooth margins.  The broken twigs, fruit, and occasionally the leaves give off a lemony-spicy fragrance when crushed or broken, which explains the origin of the name. The Piedmont variety has slightly hairy undersides on the leaves and young twigs, sometimes visible only with a hand lens.

Though the small yellow blooms are fairly insignificant, they are among the earliest flowers in the NC spring and so offer an early food source for awakening pollinators. My spicebush starts blooming toward the end of March and lasts for about a week.  The pale flower buds are distinctively ball-shaped and easy to spot on bare branches before the leaves emerge.

Spicebush shrubs are dioecious, meaning it has separate male and female plants. Male plants produce only pollen-bearing flowers. Female plants produce flowers that, if pollinated by a nearby male, develop into bright red berries in late summer to fall. Male flowers are typically fuller and have prominent yellow stamens, while female flowers are smaller and have a central pistil and fewer stamens. Most nurseries do not label their plants by sex, so if the berries are important to you, it’s best to plant several and observe them over time.

Comparison of male and female yellow spicebush flowers showing 4mm male blooms with anthers and stamens and 2mm female blooms with ovary, style and pistil.

Distinguishing features of male and female spicebush. (Image credit: Laurel Babcock)

Come fall, the foliage turns a clear, bright yellow, a lovely addition to the autumn garden.  The high-fat red berries, which ripen in late August through September, are eaten eagerly by migratory songbirds as fuel for their fall journeys south.

Habitat and Distribution

NC distribution map of spicebush Lindera benzoin across 82 counties in North Carolina.

Distribution map from Vascular Plants of North Carolina website (Image credit: Laurel Babcock)

This species naturally occurs in the slightly acidic soils of forests, but spicebush also occurs in brown water swamps in higher elevations in North Carolina. It has been found throughout the mountains, Piedmont, and all but a few south-central counties in the coastal plain. It is deer-resistant and suitable for low areas, rain gardens, along wooded creeks, or swales. It is adaptable to a wide pH range and tolerates occasional flooding as well as occasional dry periods, making it a good choice for the variable Durham County weather. It spreads readily by root suckers but can be propagated by growing from seed by collecting ripe red berries in late summer or fall, by softwood cuttings, or by layering.

Bright red spicebush berries on a stem with green and yellowing leaves in the background.

Spicebush fruits and yellowing leaves approaching fall (Image credit: Matthew Beziat CC BY-NC 2.0)

Even if you don’t know the sex of your plant, you can still enjoy one of the most fascinating things about it: it is a critical host plant for the spicebush swallowtail butterfly (Papilio troilus)! These caterpillars curl up in the leaves and mimic snakes (see false eyespots) for protection! They also change to a deep yellow color after they stop eating leaves.

Immature brown swallowtail caterpillar on green spicebush leaf host in background.
Mature green swallowtail caterpillar with yellow and black false eyespot markings against green spicebush leaf host in background.
Black swallowtail butterfly with white and blue wing markings on pink blooms with green leafy background.

From left to right: “Spicebush Baby” (Image credit: DrPhotoMoto CC BY-ND 2.0); “Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar” (Image credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Northwest Region, Public Domain Mark 1.0); Spicebush caterpillar after ending leaf consumption (Image credit: Laurel Babcock); “Spicebush Swallowtail female” (Image credit: Anita363 CC BY-NC 2.0).

Spicebush is a true native hero in the Piedmont. It brings four-season interest, supports native butterflies and birds, and thrives in the varied conditions found across central North Carolina. Whether you’re gardening on a city lot or stewarding a woodland edge, this is a plant that will reward you and your local ecosystem for years to come.

Resources and Additional Information

Lindera benzoin (Northern Spicebush, Spicebush, Spice Bush) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

NC Common Wetland Plants Guide: Lindera benzoin

Penn State Extension discussion of spicebush in rain garden settings: Rain Garden Plants: Spicebush

Article shortlink: https://wp.me/p2nIr1-7X0

Edited by Susan Sharp, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County