The Plant Ecologist's Blog

Tropical Milkweed vs. Native Milkweed: What Monarch Butterflies Actually Need

Tropical Milkweed vs. Native Milkweed: What Mon...

Gabriella de Souza

Tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) is widely sold in garden centers, but its year-round persistence in warm southern climates can increase OE parasite loads and may disrupt monarch migration. Here are...

Tropical Milkweed vs. Native Milkweed: What Mon...

Gabriella de Souza

Tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) is widely sold in garden centers, but its year-round persistence in warm southern climates can increase OE parasite loads and may disrupt monarch migration. Here are...

Conference Chatter

Early Career in Wilmington: Organizations Worth...

Gabriella de Souza

A practical guide to Wilmington-area organizations for early-career professionals in environmental science, food systems, supply chain, and conservation — where to apply, where to volunteer, and who to get in...

Early Career in Wilmington: Organizations Worth...

Gabriella de Souza

A practical guide to Wilmington-area organizations for early-career professionals in environmental science, food systems, supply chain, and conservation — where to apply, where to volunteer, and who to get in...

Companion Planting with NC Natives: Plant Pairings That Support Each Other

Companion Planting with NC Natives: Plant Pairi...

Gabriella de Souza

Native plants that evolved together in NC's coastal plain and piedmont have layered, overlapping relationships built into their biology. Here is what companion planting actually looks like when it is...

Companion Planting with NC Natives: Plant Pairi...

Gabriella de Souza

Native plants that evolved together in NC's coastal plain and piedmont have layered, overlapping relationships built into their biology. Here is what companion planting actually looks like when it is...

No Mow May: The Native Plants Already in Your NC Lawn

No Mow May: The Native Plants Already in Your N...

Gabriella de Souza

No Mow May is more than a mowing break. NC lawns that haven't been heavily sprayed often hold real native plant communities already blooming in May, from violet host plants...

No Mow May: The Native Plants Already in Your N...

Gabriella de Souza

No Mow May is more than a mowing break. NC lawns that haven't been heavily sprayed often hold real native plant communities already blooming in May, from violet host plants...

Lanceleaf Coreopsis and the Insects Only Native Flowers Can Feed

Lanceleaf Coreopsis and the Insects Only Native...

Gabriella de Souza

Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) supports specialist bees and a moth that disguises itself with flower petals. Here is why planting native wildflowers matters beyond aesthetics, plus four other spring-blooming NC...

Lanceleaf Coreopsis and the Insects Only Native...

Gabriella de Souza

Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) supports specialist bees and a moth that disguises itself with flower petals. Here is why planting native wildflowers matters beyond aesthetics, plus four other spring-blooming NC...

Five Native Spring-Flowering Trees for North Carolina

Five Native Spring-Flowering Trees for North Ca...

Gabriella de Souza

Bradford pears and ornamental cherries dominate spring nurseries, but NC has native trees that bloom just as beautifully and do far more for local wildlife. Here are five worth planting.

Five Native Spring-Flowering Trees for North Ca...

Gabriella de Souza

Bradford pears and ornamental cherries dominate spring nurseries, but NC has native trees that bloom just as beautifully and do far more for local wildlife. Here are five worth planting.