From pumpkins dotting the fields to leaves blazing on the trees, orange is November’s signature color. Ripening berries on pyracantha bushes across the state sport the seasonal hue.
Pyracantha favors North Carolina’s environmental conditions. Although this ornamental plant likes well-drained soil, it still flourishes in heavy clay. Pyracantha also endures hot, dry conditions. In fact, for best berry production, it demands full sun. Pyracantha grows aggressively in the garden — it can reach 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide — but regular pruning keeps it manageable. Cutting it back slightly in late fall prepares pyracantha for next year’s growing season and provides plenty of fresh, fiery clippings for indoor holiday arrangements.
When scoping out a location for pyracantha, gardeners must keep in mind its ability to stretch (up to two feet a year) and its sharp barbs, which give it the nickname firethorn. It’s best not to plant this species near entryways or garden paths.
Pyracantha is generally trouble free, but lace bugs and spider mites pose potential problems. Diseases threaten occasionally, particularly scab and fire blight. Both diseases affect the leaves and berries, causing them to discolor and fall off. Pruning away the infected areas is the best treatment for afflicted plants. Choosing disease-resistant cultivars, such as ‘Mohave,’ ‘Rutgers,’ ‘Shawnee,’ ‘Red Elf,’ ‘Apache,’ ‘Teton,’ and ‘Pueblo,’ prevents later trouble.
Despite its thorns and hassles, pyracantha earns its spot in the garden every autumn when those bright orange berries accentuate nature’s palette.
In North Carolina, spring brings the scent of fresh-cut grass and memories of helping Dad mow the lawn.
Nostalgic burger joints are like time machines, delivering something extra special that keeps us coming back.
This tiny city block in downtown Greensboro once had a gigantic reputation. Not so much for its charbroiled beef patties — though they, too, were plentiful — but for its colorful characters and their wild shenanigans.
In the 1950s, as Americans hit freshly paved roads in shiny new cars during the postwar boom, a new kind of restaurant took shape: the drive-in. From those first thin patties to the elaborate gourmet hamburgers of today, North Carolina has spent the past 80 years making burger history.
