Highlands has no shortage of incredible plant life.
From the beautiful rhododendrons that so many property owners are proud of, to massive oaks the line many of the ridges surrounding town, there are thousands of forms of flora for everyone to appreciate.
That biodiversity and natural beauty bring the work of two local groups front and center.
The Coalition for Nonnative Invasive Plant Management is spending the month doing battle with Oriental Bittersweet in September.
Invasive Oriental bittersweet commonly occurs along the edge of a road where infestations are easily noticed and harvested by “unsuspecting” collectors. Broadly-oval, glossy leaves bear fine teeth and can be 2 to 5 inches long. Insignificant, light-colored flowers appear in May and June on separate male and female plants, like holly. This can be seen this time of year when some plants are clearly without fruit, growing right next to one that has fruit.
While environmentally savvy gardeners seek to reduce pesticide use, Oriental Bittersweet is one plant it is best not to try to control solely by manual methods. In combination with chemical controls, methods such as cutting or hand digging can be effective for established populations over time.
Another group will be celebrating one of Highlands native plants in September. The annual Dazzling Dahlia Festival will return to town this weekend Sept. 7-9 and organizers are excited for the festival to be bigger and better than ever.
Highlands will be in bloom all weekend with vignettes all over town. The Highlands Historical Village on 4th Street will serve as the main staging point for the festival but there will also be events at The Bascom Center for the Visual Arts, Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park and at various locations along Main Street.
Whether or not you may be a dahlia enthusiast, the festival brings new life to town with the bright blooms and as summer fades to fall it’s a nice change of pace. The event also serves as the biggest fundraiser for the Highlands Historical Society. The historical society does a great job of preserving the area’s roots, in a time sense, not a gardening sense.
Let’s all get out and enjoy one of Highlands unique festivals, and if you happen to see some Oriental Bittersweet go ahead and pull it out of the ground.