Chapters in Tennessee

Join us on a hike led by Dennis Horn, TNPS Charter member/Author/Naturalist and botanical guru.  He will be our hike guide and lead us through middle Tennessee's Barrens ecosystem for grassland species at the Arnold Engineering Development Center and at May Prairie.  Dennis is co-author of “Wildflowers of Tennessee,” and you can bring your copy for an autograph or purchase an updated edition at the hike. 

First walk along with us roadside and into the large power line cut at Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) to see slender blue Iris (Iris prismatica), cinnamon fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum), native orchids: tuberous grasspink (Calopogon tuberosus), spreading pogonia (Cleistesiopsis bifaria), and possibly ragged fringed orchid (Platanthera lacera) and rose pogonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides).  We should also find early blooms of death camas (previously known as Zigadenus leimanthoides, now Stenanthium tennesseense).  

Then on to May Prairie for examples of TN rare plants that are disjunct from the Gulf Coastal Plain and the prairies of the Midwest, with more than 300 species, 25 of which are rare in Tennessee.  View blooms of paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea), marsh pea (Lathyrus palustris), early blooms of horned bladderpod (Utricularia cornuta), and swamp candles (Lysimachia terrestris), three eryngo species (Eryngium prostratum and possible early flowering Eryngium mississippiense, formerly E. integrifolium, plus vegetative Eryngium yuccifolium) and many more.   

Easy walking and not to be missed.  Sign up for further details!  

Registration now open!

Come out and celebrate native plants with us and spread the word about Wild Ones' mission at the ANNUAL McCOY FARM AND GARDEN Memorial Day Picnic.

Register here: https://smokymountains.wildones.org/may-registration/

Join us and Allana Funderburk as she details the steps we can all take toward a fire-wise landscape that also supports our wildlife.

How can you help keep Tennessee’s forests, and your own backyard, healthy and resilient? We’ll learn how to create defensible space, using fire-resilient native plants. Whether you have a small yard or acres of land, you’ll leave with clear, actionable tips.

This talk will explore The Nature Conservancy’s work in Tennessee, including their role in shaping the state’s 2020-2030 Forest Action Plan. We’ll focus on practical steps homeowners can take to support native species, maintain a thriving landscape, and reduce wildfire risks. Using insights from the Post-Wildfire Restoration Manual, we’ll discuss the importance of creating defensible space and landscaping with native fire-resilient plants to protect your home and surrounding habitat. Whether you have a small yard or acres of land, this session will provide useful guidance for managing your property with nature in mind.

About the speaker

Allana Funderburk serves as the Forest Action Plan Coordinator with The Nature Conservancy, working in collaboration with the Tennessee Division of Forestry. In this role she leads the 5-Year Review of Tennessee’s 2020 Forest Action Plan and is developing a Post-Wildfire Restoration Manual for landowners.

She is passionate about all aspects of forest management in the southeast- from landscape level restoration to sustainable timber harvesting and believes in the power of partnerships to advance shared conservation goals.

The Perennial Plant Society and the Wild Ones Middle Tennessee Chapter will have a joint native plant propagation workshop on Saturday, June 7, from 1:30 - 4:00 PM in the main meeting room of the Edmundson Library in Nashville. The workshop  will begin with a lecture followed by a hands-on workshop.  Participants will be able to take home a 50-cell propagation tray of seeds and cuttings to care for over the summer and transplant in the Fall.

W. Marshall Hamilton will be the instructor.  Marshall has B.S. and M.S. degrees in plant and soil science from MTSU and Texas Tech University.  He has worked on propagating pecan trees and inoculating  with native pecan truffles, he taught at MTSU (Plant Science, Soil Science, Agroforestry), and worked as the propagationist at GroWild.  He is currently the special projects manager for TreeTopBuilders.

This event is for members only.

Registration information coming soon.

Bill Moll will illustrate how native shrubs can be used in your landscape with examples from about 25 commonly available shrubs that can be included in your garden design:

Criteria:

Under 10’, Attractive, Commonly available, Easy to grow