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In This Issue

Plant of the Month

December's Children's Program

Membership Rates Increase in 2012

Coming Attractions

Recent Members Only Additions

December Events

Poinsettia Open House
December 4, 2011 (Sunday)
1:00 PM-5:00 PM

Poinsettia Sale
December 8, 2011 (Thursday)
10:00 AM-2:00 PM and
December 10, 2011 (Saturday)
9:00 AM-1:00 PM

Children's Program
"Who's Who? Trees Without Their Leaves"
December 11, 2011 (Sunday)
2:00 PM

Plantsmen's Tour
"What Is That Plant? Winter Plant ID"
Mark Weathington, Assistant Director and Curator of Collections
December 13, 2011 (Tuesday)
1:00 PM

Year-long Class
"The Year in Trees and Shrubs, Etc."
Charlie Kidder, JCRA Volunteer
December 18, 2011 (Sunday)
2:00 PM

Plant of the Month

Arbutus unedo – Strawberry Tree

by Mark Weathington, Assistant Director and Curator of Collections

American gardens rely heavily on Asian plants sprinkled with some American natives, but are relatively light in European species. There are quite a few excellent garden plants from the area, though, and one of our favorites at the JC Raulston Arboretum is Arbutus unedo, sometimes called strawberry bush or just arbutus.

Arbutus unedo is a handsome evergreen shrub or small tree which can slowly attain heights of 25'–30'. The branches and trunks are gnarled and twisted, giving a feeling of great age even to relatively young plants. The reddish-gray bark is fissured and can be very handsome with age. The foliage is a beautiful lustrous green, 2"–4" long with a serrate edge. It flowers in the fall, typically late September to November with some flowers appearing into the winter. The urn-shaped, white to sometimes pink-tinged flowers in 2" panicles make a nice display against the foliage. The ¾"–1" rounded, reddish fruits ripen about a year after flowering, providing the unusual (for a temperate plant) occurrence of flowers and fruit on display at the same time. Plants are self-fruitful and do not require a separate pollinator.

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December's Children’s Program

by Caroline Richardson, Children's Program Coordinator

Bring the kids and grandkids to the Arboretum later this month for the last children's program of the year.

"Who's Who? Trees Without Their Leaves"
December 11, 2011 (Sunday)
2:00 PM–4:00 PM

When winter has begun and the trees have lost their leaves, how can we tell one tree from the next? For those in the know, the clues are everywhere. Come take a winter walk and learn the clues to identifying plants in the winter. And since this is the season of giving, use some materials from the Arboretum to make a gift for someone special.

Advance registration is required. Please call (919) 513-7007 to register. For more information about the JCRA's Children's Program and these events, please visit the JCRA's Web site.

Membership Rates Increase in 2012

by Ted Bilderback, Director

Your membership keeps the gates open and the gardens in top shape. Membership gifts are the primary support for the daily operations and vital for the success of the Arboretum. Membership dues have stayed the same low rates for many years. Due to rising costs and budget cutbacks, it is imperative that we increase these dues slightly.

However, this is your opportunity to take advantage of the current membership dues for up to two years, if you renew before December 31, 2011. Renew now using our secure Web site, or contact Judy Morgan-Davis at (919) 513-0264 or jvmorgan@ncsu.edu.

For all the details on the new 2012 membership levels and opportunities, please visit the JCRA's Web site.

There are many worthy organizations that you can support with your giving dollars, and we thank you for believing that the JC Raulston Arboretum is a wise investment for the future.

Coming Attractions

by Nancy Doubrava, Interpretive Specialist

Ilex cornuta 'Sunrise' golden Chinese holly		Itea virginica 'Longspire' Virginia sweetspire
Pinus taiwanensis Taiwan pine		Ilex vomitoria 'Yawkey' yellow-berry yaupon holly
Iris unguicularis winter flowering iris		Camellia sasanqua 'Pink Snow' sasanqua camellia
Camellia ×hiemalis 'Rose of Autumn' hybrid camellia		Prunus mume 'Trumpet' and 'Matsurabara Red' Japanese flowering apricots

Visit Showtimes for a much more detailed listing of what's in flower in December at the Arboretum.

Recent Members Only Additions

by Chris Glenn, Programs and Education Coordinator

Three new videos were recorded for the Members Only section on the Arboretum's Web site in November.

Click on the image below to play the video or visit the Members Only section to for a complete listing of all videos.

Content in the Members Only section is password protected and is only available to Arboretum members. In order to access these special features, members need to know the password that was printed on the label (use all lower case letters) of the latest Friends of the Arboretum Newsletter or included below.

user name = jcra
password =

JC Raulston Arboretum e-Updates are published electronically every month for everyone interested in the Arboretum and are e-mailed to the Arboretum's members. If you are a member and need to update your contact information or wish to be removed from this mailing, please contact Judy Morgan-Davis.

Contact information:
JC Raulston Arboretum
NC State University
Campus Box 7522
Raleigh, NC 27695-7522

(919) 515-3132

www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum