October - UT Gardens - The University of Tennessee

Friends courses at UT
Dig and Divide
How often does someone invite you to come and
learn how to dig treasures out of the
yard? This is your opportunity to dig in the UT
Gardens and take home a load of plants
for your own use, too. We will learn how to divide
plants in the perennial beds throughout the
Gardens, replant one section of a plant, and put
the remainder in the course pool for participants to
select from when the digging is completed. Tools
will be provided, but if you have favorite digging
tools and hand pruners, bring them along. Also,
dress comfortably and be prepared to get dirty and
have a good time.
Date: Saturday, Oct. 13, l0 a.m.-12 noon
Location: Friendship Plaza of the University of
Tennessee Gardens, Agriculture Campus
Instructors: UT Gardens Staff assisted by master
gardeners from the Friends of the University of
Tennessee Gardens
Course # 281620
Fee: $49
Space is strictly limited for this class.
Registration deadline is Oct. 5.
Plants Alive! Keeping Gardens and Containers
Awake in Winter
Fight those winter blues and blahs. Learn how to
maintain winter interest in the garden, including
a review of plant material to use for winter and
early spring containers. Also, design strategies for
selecting plant material as well as techniques for
grooming the winter garden will be discussed and
demonstrated.
Date: Saturday, Oct. 20, l0 a.m.-12 noon
Location: Friendship Plaza of the University of
Tennessee Gardens, Agriculture Campus
Instructor: Karen Petrey. With degrees in ornamental
horticulture and plant and soil science from UT, Karen
has extensive experience as a garden designer in East
Tennessee. She is also a past president of the Friends.
Course #: 281605
Fee: $39
Beyond Dogwoods and Azaleas – Less Common
Trees and Shrubs for the Home Garden
Searching for distinctive trees and shrubs beyond
the usual spring pretties? Explore some of the less
commonly used woody plants suitable for our area.
After a slide presentation, we will stroll through the
University Gardens to see some of these unusual
specimens first hand.
Date: Saturday, Nov. 3, l0 a.m.-12 noon
Location: Room 128 in UT Ellington Plant Sciences
Building on the Agriculture Campus
Instructor: Nancy Rennie A graduate of the UT ornamental
horticulture and landscape design program,
Nancy has extensive experience as a consultant and
garden designer in East Tennessee.
Course #: 281606
Fee: $39
Holiday Wreaths with Greenery from the Gardens
There is no substitute for fresh greenery and woody
plant material plucked directly from the wide selection
at the University Gardens under the guidance
of a master designer. Course members will
have the option of constructing a wreath or centerpiece
arrangement. There will also be a demonstration
of how to fashion a “kissing ball.” Participants
are encouraged to bring material from their own
gardens to use and to share.
If you plan to make a centerpiece and have a
special container you want to use, please bring it.
Also, bring your own hand pruners. All other materials
will be furnished, and a $10 materials fee is
due to the instructor at the class.
Date: Saturday, Dec. 8, 10 a.m.-12 noon
Location: UT Greenhouse 11, Agriculture Campus
Instructor: Nancy Robinson
Course #: 281600
Fee: $39
Space is strictly limited for this class.
Registration deadline is Dec. 1.
The Friends offer educational programs through UT
Outreach & Continuing Education Professional
& Personal Development. Call 865-974-0150 to
register or order a catalog, or see www.outreach.
utk.edu/ppd to register or for additional details.
Nyssa sylvatica
Black Tupelo, Black Gum or Sour Gum
By Andrew Pulte
Around the year 1735 the first member of the
genus Nyssa was described and given the name
Nyssa aquatica. Nyssa is a derivation of Nysa,
the mythological water nymph. Later (around
1750) this plant was discovered to be related to
one of the Eastern Seaboard’s most beloved native
trees: Nyssa sylvatica or Black Gum. The scientific
name “sylvatica” means “of woods,” which
by all accounts would make Black Gum the water
nymph of the woods. This makes sense, because
you often find this tree along stream banks
throughout the eastern half of the U.S. However,
it’s not isolated to stream beds; it’s also quite
ubiquitous in the Southeast in both lowland and
upland areas. In the wild you will find Black Gum
in large groups as well as mixed with other hardwood
trees. The common name Black Gum is
somewhat of a misnomer, because the tree is not
known to produce latex or gum of any kind.
The wood of Nyssa has been used for centuries
for implement handles, skid poles and even floors.
Black Gum could possibly be one of our most
underused native trees. It is adaptable to both wet
and dry sites and is relatively immune to almost all
insects and disease.
This tree is also interesting during all four seasons.
In spring a beautiful flush of shiny green leaves
appears with soft greenish yellow flowers. This
is followed by a late summer crop of small blue
and red berries that are quickly eaten by wildlife
as they ripen in late September. Fall is when this
tree really comes into its own, as its leaves show
their charm in shades of florescent yellow, orange,
scarlet and deep purple. Black Gum is by far one
of the most consistent in its fall display and never
seems to disappoint those looking for a tree with
fall personality. When the brilliance of fall is past,
the gray-brown, broken and thick irregular bark
Nyssa sylvatica, or Black Gum, is interesting in the landscape during all seasons,
but fall is when this tree comes into its own. Photo courtesy of Michigan
State University.
stands out and complements the different forms of
this tree, which can range from pyramidal in youth
to oval at maturity.
Nyssa sylvatica is a great size tree for many
urban yards. It matures to between 30 feet and
50 feet high and spreading around 20 feet or 25
feet. Typically only the straight species of this
tree is planted; however, some noteworthy cultivars
can be found in the nursery trade. The UT
Gardens proudly displays the common species of
Nyssa sylvatica along with Nyssa sylvatica
‘Zydeco Twist’ a new contorted variety, and Nyssa
sylvatica ‘Dirr’, a variety chosen by plantsman
Michael Dirr from the University of Georgia. You
may also want to look out for the variety ‘Wildfire’
chosen specifically for fall color and ‘Autumn
Cascades’ which has a graceful weeping habit.
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