Making It Grow Minutes

Not all evergreen magnolias (Magnolia grandifloras) are the same, so choose wisely.

If you like to have greenery in the house, you can always cut Magnolia grandiflora, more commonly known as Southern magnolia.

Plant breeders developed grafted honey locust cultivars without thorns and without seeds pods for people to grow in their yards and along streets.

Honey locust seed pods have a sweet nutritious substance surrounding the seeds, but not many animals these days can eat through the tough pods.

Gleditsia triacanthos is the scientific name for honey locust, Gleditsia for a German botanist and triacanthos means "three-spined."

Some scientists theorize the reason that honey locust trees developed thorns is because of the mastodon.

Early human inhabitants of our continent did interact with mammoths, mastodons, saber tooth tigers, and even horses that are no longer here.

Host Amanda McNulty describes the many uses of black locust trees.

Want fence posts that will last for 100 years? Use black locust wood.

Host Amanda McNulty describes the joys of gathering the fragrant white blossoms of the black locust tree.

Locust wood is extremely durable and reports say locust fence posts easily last fifty years.

At first glance, the blossoms of a black locust tree can be mistaken for white wisteria.

If done at the wrong time of the year, cut-stumping wisteria can strangle the trees they’re wrapped around.

Native wistaria (Wisteria frutescens), also known as "swamp wisteria," isn’t as showy as its invasive cousins and blooms later.

Wisteria doesn't just strangle trees, it can completely obscure the ground below from sunlight, creating a dark dead zone.

Amanda McNulty says you can spell it "wisteria" or "wistaria," but please don't plant it.

One plant, two spellings. Host Amanda McNulty explains what information you'll discover online based on how you type the name of this blooming vine.

Amanda McNulty explains the difference between yellow jessamine and swamp jessamine.

If you’re new to the South, you need to know that yellow jessamine is extremely poisonous.

If you’ve ever tried to pull yellow jessamine out by the roots, you’ll understand the nickname “poor man’s rope.” 

Sometimes, yellow jessamine blooms in conjunction with Asian azaleas, but this year, it jumped the gun.

Amanda McNulty explains why yellow jessamine was selected in 1924 as our state flower.

Dandelions have long tap roots, and unless you get almost all of them out, they merrily grow right back.

Early settlers to the New World brought dandelion seeds with them to have a source of vitamin-rich greens.

Though dandelions are sometimes considered a pest, their prolific growth does have some ecological benefits.

Dandelions grow everywhere, except in Antarctica. 

Though there are a wide variety of types of greens, Amanda McNulty explains why some are her favorites, while others fall short.

 We now revere and protect our sea turtles, but it was not always this way.

The SC Department of Natural Resources hotline is live 24/7

The South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston can save sea turtles suffering from various complaints. 

All litter flows downstream, into storm drains, creeks, lakes, and massive amounts end up in the ocean.

Amanda McNulty explains what to do if you observe a sea turtle that looks injured or ill.

The structural weakness of sycamores is a boon to a variety of animals.

Sycamores not only tend to lose limbs, which makes nesting sites for bats, birds, and mammals, but they also tend to rot from the inside, leaving open spaces at their base.

Most people wouldn’t, and shouldn’t, plant sycamore trees in their yards.

Sycamores have a complicated wood structure, but they have interesting properties that can be put to good use.

Amanda McNulty marvels at the beauty and endurance of the mighty sycamore.

Amanda McNulty shares how Christmas tree ornaments gathered over the years can stir warm memories of loved ones, both near and far.

Amanda McNulty reflects on the romance and beauty of Christmas trees once lit by candles.

Amanda McNulty embraces the spirit of the season by sharing the joys of visiting your local Christmas tree farm.

Amanda McNulty explains the origin of her passion for colorful Christmas tree lights

Amanda McNulty reminisces about putting up her Christmas tree in her 19th century home.

Cedar apple rust is a fungus, but its brown cases become jelly-like blobs with protrusions that look like something from outer space.

Our eastern red cedar is one of the junipers whose berries are used to flavor gin.

Native Americans used eastern red cedar for canoes and ceremonial buildings.

Before the ubiquitous Fraser firs that don’t grow well here, many people got an eastern red cedar.

Eastern red cedar has long been used to line chests and closets to protect wool items.

Bird and bat guano have both been used as valuable sources of fertilizer. The most valuable guano is found in caves protected from water.

Agave growers get higher yields of tequila precursors when the plants aren’t allowed to flower, imperiling bats that depend on the night-blooming flowers.

Do you enjoy tequila? Thank the bat community.