Purple Leaf Basil

Over the summer Saluda Shoals Park rangers have observed the gardens around the Environmental Education Center are flourishing – in spite of the long periods of hot, dry weather. In the Butterfly and Hummingbird garden the curly leaf basil, Ocimum basilicum, commonly known as Purple Ruffles, has returned in profusion. Purple basil, of which there are several varieties, is a hot weather herb cultivated from ordinary basil. Purple basil can be used in the same ways as any other type of basil – for flavor in cooking or as a garnish. You can also use basil in the garden as a companion plant to repel aphids, mites, and tomato hornworms. Once the flowers appear at the end of August/September, the pollinators also arrive. Butterflies and bees are the main pollinators of basil, ensuring fertile seeds for next spring. Hummingbirds are beginning to leave on their migration south, but have had the benefit all through the summer of the other nectar producing flowers in the garden.

We are not sure how this plant’s seeds arrived in the butterfly and hummingbird garden at Saluda Shoals Park last spring, but hundreds of seeds found the garden to be the perfect place for their propagation. Towards the end of last summer, we noticed that when the flowers matured, the petals dried, dropped off and the green carpels that formed pods remained attached to the bloom stalks. Later in the season the carpels turned brown as the seeds inside matured. Once the carpels were dry and brown we stripped some of the pods from the blooms stems and crumbled them between our fingers to release the seeds. Some seeds self released over the winter. When we split a seed pod open, we could see the developing round shaped seeds inside. We noticed that as the seeds coats hardened, they changed color from pale green to brown to black.

This spring the basil reappeared in greater abundance and has grown to about two feet tall during the summer. All too soon, with the arrival of winter’s frost, only dry husks will remain which, in their turn; will assist in the germinating of new life for the coming spring.

American Beautyberries on the Greenway Trail

As Park Rangers, we have the opportunity to observe wildlife and plants that the average park visitor might pass by if not being observant. One such plant that has caught our eye is the, Callicarpa, Americana L., more commonly known as the American Beautyberry or French Mulberry. Native to the southeastern United States, the beauty-berry grows between 3 – 5 ft. tall and usually just as wide. The plant can even reach 9 ft. when growing in favorable soil and moist conditions.
Identifying this tree is fairly easy. It has long arching branches and yellow-green foliage. The bark is smooth with elongated, raised corky areas and is light brown on older wood and reddish brown on younger wood. The leaves grow in pairs or in threes, with the blades half as wide as they are long and up to 9 inches in length. What really make the beautyberry stand out are the berries that grow just below the leaves. These colorful berries in hues of pink and purple become incredibly vivid in September and last long into the winter.

The beautyberry is an attractive plant that attracts wildlife. It provides food for many bird species including robins, cardinals, mockingbirds, brown thrashers, bobwhites, finches and towhees. White-tail deer also enjoy eating enjoy this berry.

It has also been discovered that the American Beautyberry is a natural insect repellent for mosquitoes and ticks. Department of Agriculture research reports that a chemical from the plant – callicarpenal – has been patented as a mosquito repellent.