Rhus trilobata, Aromatic sumac. Photo taken in Red Rock UT. Easily handles drought and heat, red/orange fruits in Fall that are loved by wildlife. 3' to 5' tall.
Herb Gardening in a world of changing climate...
2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone maps
In 1990, our house was located in Zone 7a, with temperatures known to dip to zero and below. Twenty-three years later, gardeners know quite well that our temperature has warmed. That is bad news for the planet and for us, and we need to be mindful of our personal impact on the environment. While doing so, we CAN now grow plants that once found our temperatures too cold. So if there is a plant who would like to grow but never dared to spend the money caring for it, try now! Sadly, some of our favorites plants also no longer find the weather here to their liking. You might try moving such plants to a spot with a little dappled shade.
If you have had success or failures with favorites, let us know your secrets. You can send us a note using our Contact us using the form below the maps.
If you have had success or failures with favorites, let us know your secrets. You can send us a note using our Contact us using the form below the maps.
USDA Agricultural Research Services, 2023 National Plant Hardiness Zone map
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map 2023, represents a shift from 7a in 1990 to 8b today
1990 NC Plant Hardiness Zones, USDA Agricultural Research Services
IF YOU VISIT THE USDA SITE, YOU CAN ENTER YOUR ZIP CODE TO SEE YOUR SPECIFIC ZONE and get more information: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone maps
Keeping up with carbon dioxide levels....
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It is important for all of us to be mindful of the state of the planet. We live here, wildlife lives here, plants live here....and we are all dependent on one another. If one system fails, the others follow.
CO2 levels this week are 77.4 (72.0 last month) parts per million above the safe level. That is not good for us, nor for the plants we love and need. We are also seeing changes in pollinator levels, a further threat to plants. |
Atmospheric CO2 in parts per million, 4-15-2024
Data from NOAA 427.5 ppm 5-13-2024 422.0 ppm 4-15-2024 Safe level: 350.00 ppm last reported in 1990 Increase over the past 10 years: 24.9 ppm 
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Below: Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly milkweed loves the heat and dry conditions in Canyonlands National Park, UT.
And a container of succulents in southern UT. |
Penstemon palmeri, Palmer's penstemon, also thrives in heat and dry conditions.
Junipers are also quite happy in southwestern habitats, al well as here in NC. |
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Agave getting ready to bloom along the NC coast!
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The Native Herb Conservation committee of The Herb Society of America, Inc. is focusing attention on two major areas: 1) Herbs Native to North America, and 2) The Conservation Status of Herbs.
HERBS NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA
On this website you will find a section dedicated to Notable Native Herbs, Trees, and Shrubs. Each year the Native Herb Conservation committee selects a Herb of the Year and a Tree/Shrub of the Year. Fact Sheets are developed for each of these and are posted on this site and appear on the website for the Herb Society of America.
CONSERVATION STATUS OF HERBS
On this page you will find some of our research into the status of herbs around the world. This work us just beginning, so watch for information to be posted from time to time.
CLIMATE CHANGE
While a 1.5 degree change doesn't sound like much, we are already watching the dramatic melting of glaciers in Montana at Glacier National Park. The ice of Greenland is melting faster than expected, as well as in Alaska and the Arctic. Storms are erratic as are temperature swings even here in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Summers are hotter and drier for many of us. And it will get worse. Spring and Fall seem shorter, with longer summers and winters.
The focus on this page is adapting our gardening styles to changing conditions. Those old Zone maps we used to count on serve little purpose at this point. That means we CAN grow some plants we thought might not do well here, and some old favorites may need tender loving care to stay in our gardens.
We will report our findings as we can, and we encourage suggestions from you--just drop us a note using our Contact Form (we will keep all information anonymous unless you specifically state that we may use your name).
Just to get started, we suggest a few simple steps:
1. Consider the water needs of each plant species. Some require more water than others, which means more work and money for you.
2. Xeriscaping, gardening and landscaping with little to no supplemental watering or irrigation, is back in style!
3. Pay close attention to the movement of the sun across your gardens. With temperatures creeping up, full sun may be too much for thin-leaved, water hungry plants. You may need to move them to a part-sun location.
4. Mulch may help, but brings some problems of its' own. Pine bark mulch can raise the acidity of your soil. Oak leaves are thick and break down slowly, so run a mower over them before using. Maple leaves are thin and mat together when damp, keeping your soil moist--maybe a little too moist and encouraging slugs. Be mindful of what you choose and think about planting things close together to reduce the need for mulch. Old cottage gardens were beautiful--masses of a variety of plants and ornamentals--making a lovely, useful, diverse, healthy garden. The perfect place for HERBS!
5. Consider reducing the amount of lawn in your landscape - save the water for gardens of vegetables, herbs, and flowers! A lawn is a mono-culture, which is not a healthy environment. We need to adjust our thinking about what makes an attractive lawn/landscape!
HERBS NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA
On this website you will find a section dedicated to Notable Native Herbs, Trees, and Shrubs. Each year the Native Herb Conservation committee selects a Herb of the Year and a Tree/Shrub of the Year. Fact Sheets are developed for each of these and are posted on this site and appear on the website for the Herb Society of America.
CONSERVATION STATUS OF HERBS
On this page you will find some of our research into the status of herbs around the world. This work us just beginning, so watch for information to be posted from time to time.
CLIMATE CHANGE
While a 1.5 degree change doesn't sound like much, we are already watching the dramatic melting of glaciers in Montana at Glacier National Park. The ice of Greenland is melting faster than expected, as well as in Alaska and the Arctic. Storms are erratic as are temperature swings even here in the Piedmont of North Carolina. Summers are hotter and drier for many of us. And it will get worse. Spring and Fall seem shorter, with longer summers and winters.
The focus on this page is adapting our gardening styles to changing conditions. Those old Zone maps we used to count on serve little purpose at this point. That means we CAN grow some plants we thought might not do well here, and some old favorites may need tender loving care to stay in our gardens.
We will report our findings as we can, and we encourage suggestions from you--just drop us a note using our Contact Form (we will keep all information anonymous unless you specifically state that we may use your name).
Just to get started, we suggest a few simple steps:
1. Consider the water needs of each plant species. Some require more water than others, which means more work and money for you.
2. Xeriscaping, gardening and landscaping with little to no supplemental watering or irrigation, is back in style!
3. Pay close attention to the movement of the sun across your gardens. With temperatures creeping up, full sun may be too much for thin-leaved, water hungry plants. You may need to move them to a part-sun location.
4. Mulch may help, but brings some problems of its' own. Pine bark mulch can raise the acidity of your soil. Oak leaves are thick and break down slowly, so run a mower over them before using. Maple leaves are thin and mat together when damp, keeping your soil moist--maybe a little too moist and encouraging slugs. Be mindful of what you choose and think about planting things close together to reduce the need for mulch. Old cottage gardens were beautiful--masses of a variety of plants and ornamentals--making a lovely, useful, diverse, healthy garden. The perfect place for HERBS!
5. Consider reducing the amount of lawn in your landscape - save the water for gardens of vegetables, herbs, and flowers! A lawn is a mono-culture, which is not a healthy environment. We need to adjust our thinking about what makes an attractive lawn/landscape!
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Plant selection ideas:
Penstemon, Flax, and Winecups grow naturally in full sun, dry areas. They should do well here, too. Sunflowers are a natural for hot, dry weather and come in many sizes. Consider shrubs and trees that will adapt to our changing climate too. Photos courtesy: Katherine K. Schlosser |