Hello,

We'd like to update you on the Native and Underused Fruits garden at the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens.  

We have already completed the hardscaping elements; we brought in large stones that tiered the garden, took out weeds, and brought in compost to begin planting. Our first plant species include local blueberries, Crab Apples, Muskadines grapes, Elderberry, Purpleleaf Sandcherry, and American Hazelnut.

Our staff gardeners will be completing our planting in the fall when the weather is better for young roots to spread out. Our goal is to have at least 30-40 different species in this garden. Some of the plants that will be going in include Pawpaws, Maypops, and Huckleberry.

This would not be possible without your support. Thank you! I hope that you can come visit the gardens soon to check out our progress.

Sincerely,

Jeff Gillman

The Botanical Gardens at UNC Charlotte is so grateful for the support we have received this fall semester! A huge THANK YOU to our donors who have supported our initiative to create a new orchard focusing on Native and Underused Fruits of North Carolina. 

The Garden's Horticulture Supervisor will be meeting a proposed contractor within the next couple of weeks to discuss the "hardscape" elements (paving and retaining walls) and determine a project starting date. We are hoping to begin February or early March. Our staff gardeners will do the soil preparation and plant installation. The proposed ideal planting date would be at the end of March or first week in April. More to come on the opening date of this orchard but be on the lookout for mid-April or early-May!

More specifically, we will begin clearing the site in preparation for the contractor's start of work within the next couple of weeks. Ed Davis, Horticulture Supervisor, will also begin identifying the various plant sources and nurseries for the native fruit specimens and preparing orders. Below is an image of a Maypop, a fruit that visitors of the Botanical Gardens at UNC Charlotte may be able to see come Spring 2018!

The Scuppernong Grape and the Southern Crabapple are two types of fruits that the Botanical Gardens at UNC Charlotte would like to showcase in the new Native and Underused Fruit section of the gardens. The Scuppernong (first image featured below) is a large and golden variety of North Carolina's native grape, muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia). One can eat a scuppernong grape off the vine (but don't eat the skin or "hull" which is tough). Many Carolinians make wine and jelly from the fruit.

Crabapples (second image featured below) make superior ornamental trees in addition to providing fruit to eat. The trees can be somewhat smaller than a common apple. The fruit can be used in any apple recipes, but be aware that crabapples tend to be more tart. North America is home to several native crabapple species. Malus angustifolia, the Southern crabapple, is found in the Southern and Eastern United States.