South Carolina ETV

Making It Grow! News Articles

February 4th

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plants can have different meanings to different people. what may be an
ornamental to one gardener could be a noxious weed to another. it all
depends on the taste of the respective gardener. it also depends on
growth habits and requirements of the plant. this is just one example
of what makes gardening so interesting and challenging.

question: i am interested in the planting of salt cedar or tamerisk
bushes in south carolina. my wife saw one at the botanical garden at
riverbanks zoo and liked the look of the plant. in searching the
internet, we found it is a noxious weed in the southwest. what are
your commnets? tamerisk (Tamarix chinensis) is the most common
cultivar found in the southeast. this is probably what you saw at
riverbanks. it really has limited landscape value. the foilage and
flowers are somewhat interesting, but the plant can become leggy. it
is best suited for saline environments perferring low fertility well
drained soils. tamerisk or salt cedar is considered a noxious weed in
the southwest. according to dr h b jackson, dept head of plant
industries at clemson, it is not considered a problem in south
carolina.

question:for years i have been looking for a small pocket plant
called "grandmothers pocketbook". the plant has small blooms
about the size of a thumbnail, orange-brown in color, and the
blooms are in the shape of a woman's pocketbook. what is the
scientific name and where can i get one? pocketbook plant
(Calceolaria herbeohybrida) was found listed in "complete guide to
plants and flowers-1974" by a sumter county master gardener. it is
primarily an indoor plant with slipperlike flowers that may vary from
orange to yellowish to a red orange. you may want to check at woodley
garden center in columbia or head lee nuresry between seneca and
walhalla. both of these nurseries usually have or can find hard to
locate plants.

question: i have a slope of planted lirope that i can't seem to
control the weeds. weed growth is consistent even with a thick
amount of pine straw. can i use Ortho Weed-B-Gone or will it kill the
lirope? lirope is difficult to kill with any herbicide. the product
you are asking about is not labeled for weed control in lirope. it is
used for controlling broadleaf winter annuals in warm season grasses.
you may want to find a rope wick applicator made out of pvc pipe. with
this tool you can mix Roundup and water and rub on the weeds. this
elimaintes spraying and damage to other plants. continued had pulling
will eventually eliminate the problem unless you have a hard to
control perennial weed like Florida betony.