What's up, Forsyth?

What’s Up, Forsyth? In our next two blog posts, we will discuss how ozone ( O₃)   affects plants and how studying certain “ozone sensitive” plants can inform us of local air quality issues. In this first blog, we will delve into the physiological effects of  O₃   exposure on plants and the subsequent ecosystem and economic effects. In our following blog, we will explain how “ozone gardens”—areas planted with species that physically show ozone damage on their leaves—can help raise air quality awareness in our communities. We will also highlight a recent partnership between Triad Air Awareness and the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden to plant Kernersville’s first public ozone garden . Let’s begin by defining ground-level ozone. What is Ground-Level Ozone? Stratospheric ozone, commonly called the ozone layer, is naturally occurring in the Earth’s upper atmosphere and protects us from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. However, this same gas is an air pollutant ...

What's Up, Forsyth? For this next post, we’re not just thinking about what's “up,” but what's all around us! Have you ever seen one of these before?  …or one of these? …or, perhaps, something like this? These specimens may look a little like a plant (think moss) or a fungus (think mushroom), but they're something different altogether—they’re lichens! A lichen is an organism that forms when a fungus, alga, and/or cyanobacterium enter into a special relationship called a symbiosis . The photosynthetic partner (photobiont) in the relationship—either a type of algae or cyanobacteria—produces food for the entire organism. The fungal partner (mycobiont) provides a structure/home for the photobiont (and sometimes microorganisms like  tardigrades ), which protects it from harsh conditions. Because the mycobiont relies on the photobiont for food, lichenologist Trevor Goward has described lichens as  "fungi that have discovered agriculture." Lichens can grow almost any...

    Plantain: Nature's Band-Aid Written by Anne Ambs, Allergy and Asthma Center of NC, Cone Health Medical Group For this week’s adventure, I had to go no further than my own back yard, much to my chagrin, to find plantain weeds nestled in among the other herbaceous plants and bushes. This plant, which originated in Eurasia, has followed human migration patterns throughout history and is now found in nearly every state in the US. The genus Plantago , commonly referred to as plantain, includes over 200 species and is widely distributed around the world. Most are herbaceous perennials with similar growth patterns. Herbaceous plants have flexible green stems with few to no woody parts. Low to the ground, the leaves grow in a rosette pattern with a spikelike flowering structure towering above it. This plant’s leaves are low enough to the ground to evade lawn mower blades and are tough enough to bounce back to life, even if stepped on. Image 1: English Plantain.  Photo credi...

  Rye Grass: A Cool Season Grass Causing Allergies in Warmer Months Written by Dr. Joel Gallagher, Allergy and Asthma Center of NC, Cone Health Medical Group and Dr. Peter Gallagher, PhD Professor Emeritus, College of Applied & Natural Sciences at Louisiana Tech University  Rye grass (Lolium species ) is a cool season type of turf grass (along with fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and other grass varieties) as opposed to the warm season grasses such as Bermuda grass, St. Augustine, Zoysia, and centipede. North Carolina is in a transitional zone where a combination of warm season and cool season grasses are often used. In the Piedmont Triad, rye grass seed is often mixed with other grass species either for faster coverage (especially with autumn planting) or overseeded for winter color (when the warm weather grasses are brown while they are dormant). Image of perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne ). " perennial ryegrass Lolium perenne " by  loarie  is licensed un...

    Pigweed: Invasive Weed or Delicacy? Written by Anne Ambs, Allergy and Asthma Center of NC, Cone Health Medical Group As summer rapidly approaches, plants in the pigweed family begin to make an appearance across the United States. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), the organization that oversees the National Allergy Bureau (NAB) pollen monitoring program, includes pigweed, goosefoot, lamb's quarters, amaranth, saltbush, and Russian thistle in a single group for pollen counting purposes. The pollen grains from these plants are so similar that it is not possible to distinguish them.   Although pigweed is generally considered a nuisance weed, growing along the roadside and frequently fighting for space in lovingly cultivated gardens, it has long been utilized as a source of food, with nearly all parts of the pigweed being edible. Native American cultures grew pigweed as a staple crop, specifically Palmer amaranth ( Amaranth palmeri ...

  Bermuda Grass, or Devil Grass for Allergy Sufferers! Written by Dr. Joel Gallagher, Allergy and Asthma Center of NC, Cone Health Medical Group Bermuda grass… It always brings me back to my teenage days pulling weeds when I worked as a gardener in high school! This grass is extremely tenacious, and it was nearly impossible to completely eradicate it from a garden bed. There was something very appealing about it, however. The blue-green hue of the blades of grass made a distinct impact, and its ability to grow just about anywhere certainly made it one of the hardier strains of turf grass! Bermuda grass is very common on golf courses, as its low growing nature makes it ideal for the perfectly manicured putting greens amongst the rolling hills of the country clubs. It is also serves as a better choice for golf courses since it is more drought-tolerant, more pest-resistant, and recovers quickly from high traffic than many other types of grass. On the other hand, its tenacity also ca...