Ornamental shrubs and trees | New England

Culture

Best grown in moist, acidic, well-drained soils in full sun. As the common name suggests, this is a tree of cool mountain climates that dislikes hot and humid summers, and will not grow well south.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Native to Europe and Asia, European mountain ash has been widely planted in northern North America as an ornamental and has naturalized in some parts of Canada and the northern U.S. It is primarily cultivated for its compound green leaves and attractive clusters of fall fruit. It is a small, deciduous tree that grows to 20-40’ tall with a narrow, upright-oval crown, usually rounding and opening with age. Compound, odd-pinnate, flat medium green leaves have 9-15 serrate, oblong-lanceolate leaflets (each leaflet to 2.5” long). Leaves turn yellow to reddish-purple in fall. Small, white, 5-petaled flowers (1/3” across) bloom in flattened corymbs in May. Flowers give way to pendant clusters of orange-red berry-like drupes in late summer. Cultivars are available in commerce featuring pink, yellow and bright red fruits. Mountain ashes have ash-like leaves, but are members of the rose family, and are not related to true ashes (Fraxinus of the olive family).

Problems

Bacterial fireblight can be a severe problem, causing scorched leaves at the branch ends. Scab can cause significant defoliation. Cankers, crown gall, powdery mildew and rust may also occur. Insect visitors include aphids, sawfly, scale and borers. Stressed trees are particularly vulnerable to borers and cankers.

Garden Uses

Lawn specimen or small shade tree for cool northern climates. May also be an effective street tree in areas where road salt is infrequently applied in winter

This is the most common H. paniculata form. It can be grown either as a large shrub or small tree, and it is known for its large panicles of white flowers. In fact, with some good pruning, this shrub can produce flower clusters measuring up to 12-18" in length!

To train as a single-stemmed tree: Select the straightest and strongest stem to use as the trunk. Stake the stem. Prune out additional stems, leaving 3–4 branches on the upper ¼ of the plant. Every spring, remove branches from the bottom ¾ of the plant and prune the top to a desired shape.

"Kyushu" panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata "Kyushu"), is known for the large numbers of showy white conical flower heads it produces beginning at a young age. It grows in hardiness zones 4 through 8. "Kyushu" hydrangea can grow 10 to 20 feet tall with a similar spread and blooms on new wood, so major pruning to shape this plant is best performed in late winter or early spring.

pruning tips:

1 Wipe the cutting blades of any tools down or spray them with rubbing alcohol or a solution that contains 10 percent bleach between uses or, if you are pruning a hydrangea that may be diseased, after each cut.

2 Cut unwanted stems back to ground level in late winter or early spring if you are growing the "Kyushu" hydrangea as a small single or multi-stemmed tree. Also trim off any unwanted branches growing out of the retained large stem or stems near the bottom of the plant, as desired, cutting these branches off at the branch collar, the area of raised tissue where the branch meets a larger stem.

3 Cut up to one-third of the hydrangea's oldest stems back to just above soil level, once the plant is several years old, if you're growing it as a multi-stemmed shrub.

4 Trim off the ends of branches selectively to reduce the overall size of the hydrangea or shape it. Make any cut angled and just above a bud, leaf node or junction with a larger branch.

5 Inspect the hydrangea regularly for damage, diseased or pest-infested parts and prune off and dispose of any affected wood. Many cut several inches below the injury or infection into healthy wood and just above a node. Also trim off any overly vigorous, dead or out of place branches as you notice them.

6 Cut off brown, spent flower heads in fall if you find them unattractive.

Culture

Best grown in organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Can be trained as a small single trunk tree, but is best grown as a large, multi-stemmed shrub. May display best shrub form if regularly pruned to a height of 6-10’ tall. This is one of the most winter hardy of the hydrangeas. It thrives in urban conditions. Bloom occurs on current season’s growth, so prune as needed in late winter to early spring.

Larger flower panicles can be obtained by thinning the plants to 5-10 primary shoots. In full bloom, the weight of the flower panicles will typically cause the branches to arch downward.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Hydrangea paniculata, commonly called panicle hydrangea, is a vigorous, upright, rapid-growing, somewhat coarsely textured, deciduous shrub that is native to China and Japan. It typically grows to 8-15’ (less frequently to 25’) tall, and features oval to ovate dark green leaves and upright, sharply-pointed, conical, terminal flower panicles (to 6-8” long) containing both fertile and sterile flowers (mostly non-showy fertile flowers) that bloom from mid-summer into fall.

'Interhydia', commonly sold under the trade name of PINK DIAMOND, is a compact cultivar that typically grows in a rounded, upright form to 5-10’ tall and as wide. It was developed in the 1980s as a seedling of Hydrangea paniculata 'Unique'. It is noted for producing dense, pyramidal, cone-shaped panicles (to 12” long and 8" across) of sterile and fertile flowers at the ends of red-stemmed branches. Flowers emerge white but mature to a rich pink. The smaller fertile flowers are somewhat hidden beneath the showier, sterile ones. Strong stiff stems hold the flower panicles upright with no drooping. Flowers bloom from July through September. Elliptic to ovate, serrate, dark green leaves (to 6” long) produce generally undistinguished, yellow to purple-tinged fall color. Panicles may be cut for fresh arrangements or for drying, or may be left on the plant where they will persist well into winter.

REDUCED PRICE

Yucca filamentosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae native to the southeastern United States as far west as Louisiana, and along the East Coast from central Florida to southeast Virginia. They have become naturalized north along the East Coast to coastal Rhode Island and into parts of the lower Midwest. They are normally hardy in USDA hardiness zones of 4b to 9. Most commonly found in sandy soils, especially in beach scrub and dunes, but also in fields, barrens, and rocky slopes, though it grows well also in silt or clay soils. Its common names include Adam's needle, common yucca, Spanish bayonet, bear-grass, needle-palm, silk-grass, and spoon-leaf yucca.

Usually trunkless, it is a multisuckering evergreen shrub with heads of 75 cm (30 in) long, filamentous, blue-green, strappy leaves. It is fully hardy, though in cultivation it benefits from a sheltered position away from winter winds. Y. filamentosa is readily distinguished from other yucca species by white, thready filaments along the leaf margins. Flower stems up to 3 m (10 ft) tall bear masses of pendulous cream flowers in early summer.

Y. filamentosa is widely cultivated in mild temperate and subtropical climates as a broadleaved evergreen plant. It needs full sun and a well-drained soil, preferring an acid or slightly alkaline pH range of 5.5 to 7.5. It develops a large, fleshy, white taproot with deep large lateral roots. Once planted and established, it is difficult to remove it as the deep roots keep sending up new shoots for many years.

TRIUMPH™ elm zone 4b

The TRIUMPH™ elm has very good resistance to Dutch elm disease (DED) and is resistant to elm yellows; it also has good resistance to elm leaf beetle. It is easily transplanted, quick to establish, and adaptable to most soil types. Large, lustrous, dark green summer foliage gives way to yellow fall color. Useful for home and commercial landscapes or parks or as street tree.

Ulmus 'Morton Glossy' (selling name Triumph™) is a hybrid cultivar raised by the Morton Arboretum, Illinois. Originally named 'Charisma' until it was realized that name had already been registered for another plant, the tree was derived from a crossing of two other hybrid cultivars grown at the Morton: Accolade and Vanguard.

A ravishing four season accent tree, with panicles of white flowers in spring, good fall color and amazing glowing bronze-red bark peeling in strips, very showy in winter; fast growing and hardy, best in a garden setting as it doesn't like competition Amur Cherry features showy racemes of fragrant white flowers hanging below the branches in mid spring. It has green foliage throughout the season. The pointy leaves turn an outstanding lemon yellow in the fall. The black fruits are held in clusters in late summer. The peeling coppery-bronze bark is extremely showy and adds significant winter interest. Amur Cherry is a deciduous tree with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. This tree will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

Amur Cherry will grow to be about 26 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 16 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 4 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years. This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.

Acer ginnala (Amur maple) is a plant species with woody stems native to northeastern Asia from easternmost Mongolia east to Korea and Japan, and north to the Russian Far East in the Amur River valley. It is a small maple with deciduous leaves that is sometimes grown as a garden subject or boulevard tree.

Acer ginnala is a deciduous spreading shrub or small tree growing to 3–10 m tall, with a short trunk up to 20–40 cm diameter and slender branches. The bark is thin, dull gray-brown, and smooth at first but becoming shallowly fissured on old plants. The leaves are opposite and simple, 4–10 cm long and 3-6 wide, deeply palmately lobed with three or five lobes, of which two small basal lobes (sometimes absent) and three larger apical lobes; the lobes are coarsely and irregularly toothed, and the upper leaf surface glossy. The leaves turn brilliant orange to red in autumn, and are on slender, often pink-tinged, petioles 3–5 cm long. The flowers are yellow-green, 5–8 mm diameter, produced in spreading panicles in spring as the leaves open. The fruit is a paired reddish samara, 8–10 mm long with a 1.5–2 cm wing, maturing in late summer to early autumn.

Amur maple is closely related to Acer tataricum (Tatar maple), and some botanists treat it as a subspecies A. tataricum subsp. ginnala (Maxim.) Wesm. The glossy, deeply lobed leaves of A. ginnala distinguish it from A. tataricum, which has matte, unlobed or only shallowly lobed leaves. Acer ginnala is grown as an ornamental plant in northern regions of Europe and North America. It is the most cold-tolerant maple, hardy to zone 2. It is naturalised in parts of North America. Planted on exceptional sites facing south west with consistent moisture and light loamy soils, this tree can grow 3 to 4 feet per year making it a fast grower. It is often planted as a shrub along borders.

Description:

A medium-sized upright shrub covered in large panicles of showy white flowers that start white and fade to pink, elegant mix of upfacing sterile and fertile florets; relatively coarse appearance stands it apart, best used as an accent in the garden

Ornamental Features:

Angel's Blush Hydrangea features bold conical white flowers with pink overtones at the ends of the branches from mid summer to late fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It has green foliage throughout the season. The pointy leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color. The fruit is not ornamentally significant. The smooth gray bark is not particularly outstanding.

Landscape Attributes:

Angel's Blush Hydrangea is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a high maintenance shrub that will require regular care and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Plant Characteristics:

Angel's Blush Hydrangea will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.

This shrub performs well in both full sun and full shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder zones. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

For minimal  protected zone 5b or 6a

Bigleaf magnolia has huge leaves that are 12 to 36 inches long, and ivory-colored flowers that average 8 to 10 inches across. The tree's coarse appearance makes it difficult to use in residential areas. It can be used as a specimen tree or shade tree in parks or other large areas. Bigleaf magnolia has huge leaves that are 12 to 36 inches long, and ivory-colored flowers that average 8 to 10 inches across. The tree's coarse appearance makes it difficult to use in residential areas. It can be used as a specimen tree or shade tree in parks or other large areas.
 
Culture: Bigleaf magnolia can be grown in full sun or part shade. It prefers well-drained sand or loam and slightly alkaline to acidic soil. The tree is moderately tolerant of drought. It is susceptible to ice and wind damage, and its large leaves damage easily and decompose slowly, creating a litter problem. It tends to be short-lived in landscape settings unless care is taken to meet its cultural requirements. Bigleaf magnolia has suffered tip damage in zone 4.

Native habitat: Ohio to Florida, Arkansas to Louisiana. Growth habit - Oval, pyramidal, irregular silhouette.
Growth habit: is moderate.
Tree size: Reaches an average height of 30 to 40 feet.
Flower and fruit: Flowers are creamy white and up to a foot across. Flowers are borne in summer and have a pleasant fragrance. The inner three petals have purple stains near their base. Fruit is round to egg-shaped, rose-colored and about 3 inches long. Fruit is persistant and attracts birds.
Leaf: Leaves are alternate, simple, 12 to 36 inches long and 7 to 12 inches wide. They are bright green above and silvery gray below. Petioles are 2 to 4 inches long. Fall color is yellow.
Hardiness: Winter hardy to USDA zone 5.

Additional information:
Bigleaf magnolia is a deciduous tree but is semi-evergreen in the deep South. Bigleaf magnolia occurs over a large area but individual trees are scarce. It is found in Kentucky, which is home to the national champion - a tree in Tight Hollow, Ky. measured 108 feet tall with a 42-foot spread.

"Purple Robe" black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia "Purple Robe") can grow in some of the most difficult conditions and on a variety of sites. The tree reaches 30 to 50 feet tall at maturity, and its oval canopy spreads 20 to 35 feet wide. In spring, it blooms with fragrant and showy pinkish-purple flowers, attracting bees to the area. "Purple Robe" grows in  plant hardiness zones 4 through 8.

Sun and Soil Requirements: "Purple Robe" can grow in full sun or light shade, and in almost any type of well-draining soil, from acidic to alkaline and dry to moist. Avoid planting it in areas that flood often, as this plant cannot tolerate standing water. Unlike many other trees, "Purple Robe" can grow on salty sites and in extremely poor, almost barren soils. It grows best in moist, rich loam.

Baby Blue Spruce Trees are a selection that will give you the bluest of the Blue Spruce Color. It stays slightly smaller than its cousin the Colorado Blue Spruce but will be much bluer. Baby Blue Spruce Trees are an improved strain of the Colorado Blue Spruce Tree. They are comparable to the best blue clones of the species. Every tree is very blue with needles arranged in a full round pattern. Perfect for containers. Slower growing than the species.

• Excellent for privacy or used as a windbreak when planted in a row
• Magnificent silvery blue-green color intensifies with age, and stays year-round
• Popular for its compact, columnar, pyramidal shape 
• Long lived specimen

One look at ‘Texas Scarlet’ flowering quince in bloom and most gardeners are instantly sold. Though the display only lasts a week or two in early spring, the sight of the tomato-red flowers is unforgettable. During the rest of the season, ‘Texas Scarlet’ remains a wave of glossy green leaves that reaches 2 to 3 feet tall in the toughest of conditions.

Noteworthy CharacteristicsCompact and spreading. Many tomato-red flowers. Great plant for slopes. Green fruit, ripening to yellow, is edible when cooked.

Care‘Texas Scarlet’ is an easy plant to establish in full sun to partial shade. In warm and rainy years, however, the leaves may succumb to a fungus that spreads by splashing water and causes leaf spot and possible defoliation by late summer. Cleaning up the fallen leaves is the best way to alleviate future infestations.

PropagationIn autumn, sow seed in containers in an open frame or seedbed. Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer, or layer in autumn.

AVAILABLE

A spreading, yet compact, deciduous shrub excellent for mass plantings and borders. A beautiful early blooming white flower that can be use for cutting or to attract butterflies. Small quince fruit attracts birds. Deciduous.

AVAILABLE

Chaenomeles are deciduous, usually spiny shrubs with simple leaves and cup-shaped, 5-petalled flowers, solitary or clustered, in spring, followed by edible often fragrant green or yellow fruits

Details 'Pink Lady' is a small deciduous shrub of spreading habit, with glossy, obovate leaves to 5cm in length, and clear pink flowers 3.5cm across opening from darker buds. Fruit apple-like, yellow and fragrant when ripe

for zone 3b with dutch elm disease resistant

A small to medium, deciduous/semi deciduous tree with a wide spreading, vase-shaped to broadly rounded, canopy. The slender trunk has highly ornamental bark that, in older trees, will flake in irregular patches to reveal brownish-orange to green and grey mottled colouring. Leaves are small, dark green and have a shallowly serrated margin. Autumn colour is yellow to yellowish-green. Small green flowers are inconspicuous and fruit is a rounded samara. Grows best in full sun and is very adaptable to a wide range of urban situations and conditions such as compaction, wetness, dryness and air pollution. Not tolerant of water-logged soils though and requires a moist well-drained soil that is lightly acidic to alkaline. Widely planted in large parks and gardens as a shade or specimen tree.

Common buttonbush is a multi-stemmed shrub which grows 6-12 ft. or occasionally taller. Leaves in pairs or in threes, petiolate; blade up to 8 inches long, ovate to narrower, sometimes 1/3 or less as wide as long, with a pointed tip and rounded to tapered base, smooth margins and glossy upper surface, lower surface duller. Glossy, dark-green leaves lack significant fall color. Flowers small, borne in distinctive, dense, spherical clusters (heads) with a fringe of pistils protruded beyond the white corollas. Long-lasting, unusual blossoms are white or pale-pink, one-inch globes. Subsequent rounded masses of nutlets persist through the winter. Trunks are often twisted. Spreading, much-branched shrub or sometimes small tree with many branches (often crooked and leaning), irregular crown, balls of white flowers resembling pincushions, and buttonlike balls of fruit.

Buttonbush is a handsome ornamental suited to wet soils and is also a honey plant. Ducks and other water birds and shorebirds consume the seeds.

Zone 3b

An outstanding flowering tree with an upright form that becomes rounded with age. Reddish new foliage matures to a dark green. Lovely deep pink spring flowers produce persistent, small, dark red-purple fruit. A colorful accent for smaller landscapes. Deciduous.

Zone 3b

Crabapple 'Profusion', Crab Apple 'Profusion', Malus 'Profusion' Noted for its abundance of colorful flowers, Malus 'Profusion' is an upright deciduous tree of spreading, rounded habit that is very showy in bloom. Opening from red buds, masses of fragrant, deep rose-pink flowers appear in pretty clusters in mid-spring.

here are a few trees that could really be considered amazing spring bloomers - the kind that photographers search out for photoshoots and romantic comedies show lovers picnicking under. Robinson Crabapple Tree (Malus 'Robinson') sits at the top of that list. You'll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't love the exuberant flush of color that the Robinson flowering crabapple tree delivers each spring. The tree is covered in huge, baby-pink blossoms. The leaves provide dappled shade all summer and you get decorative fruit in the fall and textured bark in the winter. Four solid seasons of interest!

All of the Robinson Crabapple tree information on this new version tells us that it is pest and disease resistant far more than other crabapples. You won't be plagued by the weaknesses of older versions.

Robinson Crabapple is one of our most popular spring trees, so make sure to order yours before we sell out again!

Adirondack crabapple is a small, disease-resistant, flowering tree with upright branches outlined by dark green foliage ideal for zone 3a-3b and very cold resistant. 'Adirondack' is consistently rated high across the country as being a superior crabapple. In spring, red buds open to white blossoms tinged with pink followed by small, persistent red fruits. It is one of the most profusely flowered of all crabapple cultivars. Fruits are red to orange red and last well into December. Foliage is medium green and not terrible significant in autumn. The upright form makes this tree excellent in highly formal settings and where space is limited. This crabapple grows best and is most disease resistant in full sun. It will adapt to varying soils including sandy sites and clay as long as the location does not have standing water during the winter. Once established, it is drought tolerant.

The bright crimson buds open to single pale purple red flowers. Its striking, shiny purple foliage in the spring turns bronze-green in summer. Very tidy, well proportioned small tree well suited for small garden areas. Disease resistant. Hardy to zone 2b.

Zone 3

Beautiful densely branched and columnar tree habit with sharply ascending branches. Produce pink buds open to fragrant, single, pale pink flowers before the leaves emerge. Flowers are followed by small, red crabapples very decorative. Leaves are medium green in the summer, turning yellow in the fall
 

Zone 4

Crabapple featuring a very special purple foliage. Superior disease resistance plus heat and drought tolerance make this unique crabapple a crown jewel among trees Its red berries are persistent. Red rose blooming in the spring.

The Royalty Crabapple is an ornamental tree with brilliant color and fruit. One would look impressive as a shade or street tree in your yard.

This is one of the best small trees  ( 4.5 m or 15' at maturity) there is for outstanding color. It’s simply one of the most beautiful trees you’ll ever have. Just the leaves alone are a study in grandeur. Their emergence in spring will clothe your tree in a cacophony of purple hues unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

This will be augmented with deep pink flowers that will beckon pollinators with their lovely sweet fragrance. The effect upon your emerging spring landscape will be stunning. Fall will bring ripened ¾-inch purple-red fruit that will provide a beneficial food source for your wildlife. The fruit tends to hang on into winter for added seasonal interest.

Your Royalty Crabapple is disease resistant, generally low maintenance and can handle quite a bit of cold. Deer and bunnies don’t seem to bother it, and it’s even tolerant of pollution and urban conditions.

The Royalty Crabapple is a hardy, ornamental tree that will be a decorative accent to your yard for many years. Plant one or more today for their spectacular color and seasonal interest.

Culture

Best grown in medium moisture, well-drained, acidic loams in full sun. Adapts to a wide range of soils. Established trees have some drought tolerance. Although some flowers may be lost, it is best to prune this tree as needed in late winter. Spring pruning should be avoided as it produces fresh, open cuts where fireblight bacterium can enter.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Malus sargentii, commonly known as Sargent crabapple as a dense, spreading, horizontally-branched, deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub that may technically be grown as a dwarf tree. As a shrub, it typically grows 6-8' tall with no central leader and spreads to 15' wide. Pink buds open to a profuse, but brief, spring bloom of fragrant, white flowers (1" diameter). Profuse bloom often occurs only in alternate years. Flowers are followed by small, red crabapples (1/4" diameter) which mature in the fall. The pea-sized fruits are sweet-flavored like rose hips, but are not usually used in cooking. Fruits are long-lasting and attractive to birds, however. Ovate, lobed, dark green leaves turn yellow in autumn. The yellow fall color contrasts well with the red fruit.

Problems

Sargent crabapple generally has good disease resistance. Minor susceptibility to apple scab, leaf spot and fire blight. Potential insect pests are of lesser concern and include tent caterpillars, aphids, Japanese beetles, borers, spider mites and scale.

Garden Uses

A dwarf species which is effective when planted as a small specimen or in groups, near fences, in borders or as a screen or hedge. May not be an appropriate selection for smaller gardens because of its alternate year bloom.

For zone 3a- 3b

Attractive purple foliage, turning dark green later on, and finally scarlet and purple in the autumn. Rich pink blossoms and rich purple fruit.
Height: 3 m
Spread: 3 m
Foliage: Purple
Fall Colour: Copper
Flower: Colour Pink

Zone 2

Selkirk Flowering Crab is blanketed in stunning clusters of fragrant rose flowers along the branches in mid spring before the leaves. It has attractive red green foliage throughout the season. The pointy leaves are ornamentally significant and turn yellow in fall. The fruits are showy bright red pomes that turn purple with ages. They are carried in abundance from early to mid fall.

Zone 2

Rosthern Siberian Crab Apple is covered in stunning clusters of fragrant white flowers along the branches in mid spring before the leaves. The fruits are showy red pomes carried in abundance from early fall to early winter. It has dark green foliage throughout the season. The pointy leaves turn yellow in fall.

Culture

Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Tolerates significant amounts of shade. Also tolerates a wide range of soils and soil conditions, except for wet ones. Established plants tolerate some drought. Good tolerance for urban conditions. Stems may root where they touch the ground. May be propagated by rooted stem cuttings. Good tolerance for urban conditions. Trim annually after flowering to maintain attractive shape. Inconspicuous, greenish-white flowers may appear in June.
 

Noteworthy Characteristics

Euonymus fortunei, commonly called wintercreeper euonymus, is a dense, woody-stemmed, broadleaf evergreen to semi-evergreen plant that comes in a variety of forms. It may appear as a trailing ground cover, a mounding shrub or a climbing vine.

‘Emerald Gaiety’ is a variegated, shrubby form with a spreading habit that typically grows to 3-5’ tall over time. It is erect and densely branched, featuring rounded glossy deep emerald green leaves (to 1 3/4” diameter) with irregular but attractive creamy white margins. Leaf margins acquire pink tones as winter approaches. Flowers are sparse, and sometimes do not appear. If given support, ‘Emerald Gaiety’ can be trained to climb.

Culture

for zone 6 and over for flowers... but can be grown differently in zone 4 and 5 for leaves mass density

Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Prefers sandy humusy loams with good drainage. Tolerates a wide range of soils including poor, dry ones, but dislikes unamended heavy clay soils typical of the St. Louis area. Tolerates light shade, but is generally intolerant of shady conditions. Blooms on old wood (buds form in summer for the following spring bloom). Overwintering flower buds are ornamentally attractive, but may be damaged in very cold winters, particularly when temperatures dip below 0 degrees F. Best sited in locations protected from strong winds. In colder zone like zone 4 and 5, Paulownias may be grown as non-flowering foliage plants by administering annual hard dormant season prunings. Tree forms may be pollarded (annually prune branches back to the trunk) and shrub forms may be coppiced (annually prune stems to the ground). Such hard dormant season prunings encourage the development of much larger leaves (up to 24” long) at the expense of the spring flowers. Can also be grown in containers as a foliage plant.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Native to China, royal paulownia (empress tree or princess tree) is a fast-growing, deciduous tree that is primarily grown for its profuse spring bloom of foxglove-like flowers and its large catalpa-like green leaves. It was first introduced into the United States in the mid 1800s, and has since escaped cultivation and naturalized in many areas of the eastern U.S. It is an upright to spreading deciduous tree that typically grows to 40’ tall with a rounded crown. It is noted for its profuse bloom of fragrant, tubular, funnel-shaped, pinkish-lavender flowers (to 2” long) with interior dark purple spotting and creamy yellow striping. Flowers appear in spring in clusters (to 14” long) before the foliage. Flower aroma is reminiscent of vanilla. Flowers are edible and are sometimes added to salads. Flowers are followed by oval, woody, dehiscent seed capsules that emerge sticky green and ripen to brown in fall, at which point they split open releasing abundant winged seeds. Ovate, green leaves (to 5-12” long) are lightly hairy above and densely hairy beneath. No fall color. Paulownia is currently placed in its own family. Genus name honors Anna Paulowna (1795-1865), daugher of Tsar Paul I of Russia. Tomentosa from Latin means having soft woolly hairs. Wood is commercially valuable in Japan.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Flower buds may be killed by harsh winters.

Zone 3

Beautiful flowering tree with interesting twisted trunk. Fragrant double flower clusters open white and darken to pink with age. Small red fruit in fall. Glossy green lobed leaves turn yellow in fall. Developed by Agriculture Canada at the Morden Research station.

Culture

Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in part shade. Tolerates full sun only if grown with consistent moisture. Intolerant of drought, with foliage tending to decline considerably in dry conditions. Plants may die to the ground in harsh winters. Bloom occurs on new wood, so plants may be pruned back close to the ground in late winter to revitalize and to encourage vigorous stem growth and best form. If not pruned back, any weakened and/or damaged stems should be removed in early spring.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Hydrangea arborescens, commonly known as smooth hydrangea or wild hydrangea, is a loosely and widely branched deciduous shrub that typically grows to 3-6’ (less frequently to 10’) tall. It is native to moist or rocky wooded slopes, ravines, streambanks and bluff bases from New York to Florida west to Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Gray-brown stems are clad with opposite, broad egg-shaped to rounded, sharply toothed, dark green leaves (2-6” long) with pale green undersides. Leaves turn yellow in fall. Tiny white fertile flowers bloom in May-July in flattened hairy clusters (corymbs to 2-6”across). Scattered continuing flowering may occur throughout summer to September. A few large sterile flowers usually appear at the cluster margins (usually not enough for a quality lacecap effect). Flowers give way to dehiscent seed capsules which ripen in October-November.

'Annabelle' is a smooth hydrangea cultivar which features much larger flowers than the species. It is a deciduous shrub with a rounded habit which typically grows 3-5' tall. Clusters of sterile, white flowers appear in huge, symmetrical, rounded heads (corymbs) which typically grow 8-12" across. Blooms in June for up to two months, sometimes with a small repeat bloom in the fall. Dark green, serrate leaves (3-8" long). Species (Hydrangea arborescens) is native to southern Missouri. 'Annabelle' is a naturally occurring cultivar which was discovered in the wild near Anna, Illinois.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Many species of hydrangea, including this one, are susceptible to bud blight, bacterial wilt, leaf spots, mold, rust and powdery mildew. Watch for aphids, mites, scale and nematodes. Pruning stems back to the ground in late winter each year helps promote stem vigor.

Garden Uses

Mass or group in part shade areas of the mixed shrub border, woodland garden or as background for a perennial border. Naturalize in woodland or native plant gardens. Named cultivars often make showy specimens.

This red leaf Japanese maple has finely-divided, lacy leaves of a deep red in the spring but foliage color fades to light green in early summer. Leaves take on a beautiful golden, orange or red color in fall. A small, deciduous tree with delicate, upright branches, 'Atropurpureum' Japanese maple reaches a height and spread of about 20 feet, forming a vase shaped specimen tree. The multiple trunks are picturesque and show nicely when lit up at night from beneath the canopy. This cultivar of Japanese maple is grown for its colored leaves and interesting growth habit. Hardy to zone 5a.

Acer pseudosieboldianum, the Korean maple or purplebloom maple, is a specie of maple. It is native to northeastern China, Korea, and the Russian Far East. Acer pseudosieboldianum is a small tree or shrub. It is deciduous. It grows about 12 to 18 inches per year. The mature tree is 15 to 25 feet tall.

The leaves are 4 to 6 inches wide and have usually 9 to 11 lobes. The green leaves turn shades of red, yellow and orange in fall. This specie exhibits Marcescence (tends to hold on to a portion of its dried leaves through the winter). The flowers are white with purple bracts. New growth is coated in white, sticky hairs. This characteristic distinguishes the plant from the similar Acer sieboldianum, which lacks hairs.

The bark of the plant is thin and easily damaged by mechanical injury or in harsh weather. Tears in the bark make it vulnerable to insect and fungal infestation. The specie is susceptible to canker and Verticillium wilt when stressed. The Korean maple is cultivated as an ornamental plant. It withstands a cold climate better than the comparable Japanese maple. It has been grown in North Dakota, where it has done well in temperatures as low as -43°C. The specie has been hybridized with Japanese Maple at the University of Wisconsin to produce a cold hardy tree with intermediate characteristics between the two parents.

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Acer platanoides (Norway maple) is a specie of maple native to eastern and central Europe and western Asia, from France east to Russia, north to southern Scandinavia and southeast to northern Iran. It is a member of the sandalwood family.

Acer platanoides is a deciduous tree, growing to 20–30 m (66–98 ft) tall with a trunk up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) in diameter, and a broad, rounded crown. The bark is grey-brown and shallowly grooved; unlike many other maples, mature trees do not tend to develop a shaggy bark. The shoots are green at first, soon becoming pale brown; the winter buds are shiny red-brown. Under ideal conditions in its native range, Norway Maple may live up to 250 years, but often has a much shorter life expectancy in North America, sometimes only 60 years. Especially when used on streets, it can have insufficient space for its root network and is prone to the roots wrapping around themselves, girdling and killing the tree. Norway Maples often cause significant damage and cleanup costs for municipalities and homeowners when branches break off in storms as it is fast-growing and does not have strong wood. Norway Maple has been widely placed into cultivation in other areas, including western Europe northwest of its native range. Partial sun when young well drain sol needed.

Best grown in acidic, humusy, organically rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. Prefers a sun dappled shade. Foliage may scorch in full sun. Acidify soils prior to planting and thereafter as needed. Plant in a location protected from strong winter winds. Good soil drainage is essential (doesn’t like “wet feet”). Poor drainage inevitably leads to root rot, therefore raised beds/plantings should be considered in heavy clay soils such as those present in much of the St. Louis area. Shallow, fibrous root systems (do not cultivate around plants) will benefit greatly from a mulch (e.g., wood chips, bark or pine needles) to help retain moisture and stabilize soil temperatures. Roots must never be allowed to dry out. Clip off spent flower clusters immediately after bloom as practicable. PJM plants do not produce seed.

Noteworthy Characteristics

PJM Group is a series of rhododendron hybrids that resulted from crosses between R. carolinianum and R. dauricum var. sempervirens. These hybrids are compact, rounded, small-leaved, evergreen shrubs that generally grow to 3-6’ tall and are noted for having exceptional winter hardiness. Lavender, rose or pink flowers (color varies with cultivar) bloom in clusters (4-9 flowers per cluster) in April. Elliptic, hairless, leathery, dark green leaves (to 2.5” long). Foliage acquires purple tones in winter. These rhododendrons are noted for growing well in the upper Midwest and New England climates. The original hybridization work was started in the late 1930s to early 1940s by Massachusetts nurserymen Edmund Mezitt and his father, Peter J. Mezitt, whose initials became the name for the group.

Problems

Rhododendrons are susceptible to many insect and disease problems, including but not limited to canker, crown rot, root rot, leaf spot, rust, powdery mildew, aphids, borers, lacebugs, leafhoppers, mealybugs, mites, nematodes, scale, thrips and whitefly. A healthy plant in the proper environment with proper care should have limited problems, however.

Garden Uses

Mass, group or specimen. Shrub borders, mixed borders, woodland gardens and shade gardens. Informal hedge. Also effective in foundation plantings and as a specimen around the home.

information source: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/

Sorry, no plum tree can be shipped to the United States due to restrictions by Agriculture Canada and USDA.

Plum leaf sandcherry bush, also referred to as purple leaf sandcherry plants, is a medium sized ornamental shrub that when mature reaches a height of approximately 8 feet tall by 8 feet wide. This easy care plant makes a great addition to the landscape. About Plum Leaf Sandcherry Sandcherry bush (Prunus x cistena) is a member of the Rose family. Prunus is Latin for ‘plum’ while cistena is the Sioux word for ‘baby’ in reference to its smallish size. The “x” is indicative of the shrub’s hybridism. This Prunus hybrid is useful as an ornamental specimen due to its beautiful red, maroon, or purple foliage. The shrub grows at a moderate rate and is suitable in USDA zones 2-8. The parent plants of sandcherry bush hail from Western Asia (Prunus cerasifera) and the Northeastern United States (Prunus pumila). This purplish-red leafed plant has an oval growth habit gradually maturing into an arched form and opening out from the center of the shrub. The stunning 2-inch long, serrated foliage emerges crimson-purple and remains throughout the summer, gradually changing to a green-bronze hue in the fall. Around April, the plant’s pink buds open into whitish-pink flowers — the same time as the red foliage. The innocuous blooms become small black-purple fruit barely noticeable without contrast to the purple foliage in July. The multiple gray-brown trunks are prone to trunk fissuring and cankers, which ooze sap.

How to Grow a Purple Leaf Sandcherry

This specimen is urban tolerant and establishes rapidly to lend a brilliant pop of color to the landscape. Sandcherry is sensitive to being transplanted in the autumn, so extra care should be taken in amending the soil, fertilizing, mulching heavily and watering thoroughly. Ideally, you should plant the purple leaf sandcherry in full to partial sun exposure in moist, well-draining soil. However, the sandcherry bush is adaptable to lesser soils, drought, heat and over aggressive pruning. Sandcherry Plant Care Because, the sandcherry is a member of the Rose family, it is susceptible to several diseases, such as trunk canker, and pests, like borers and Japanese beetle assaults in mid-summer. It also has a short lifespan at between 10 to 15 years primarily due to assault by pests or diseases. Other than these issues, the sandcherry plant care is relatively fuss free and is tolerant of a variety of conditions — hardy in cold winters and hot summers. Prune the sandcherry bush to remove heavy branching that will weigh the plant down. It can even be pruned into a formal hedge or used in borders, at entranceways or in group plantings.

Rosa blanda, commonly known as the smooth rose,[1][2] meadow/wild rose, or prairie rose, is a species of rose native to North America. Among roses, it is closest to come to a "thornless" rose, with just a few thorns at the base. The meadow rose occurs as a colony-forming shrub growing to 1 m (3.3 ft) high, naturally in prairies and meadows

(R. rubrifolia) is a species of rose native to the mountains of central and southern Europe, from Spanish Pyrenees east to Bulgaria, and north to Germany and Poland. It is also found as an introduced species as far north as Scandinavia and Finland.

Description

Rosa glauca is a deciduous arching shrub of sparsely bristled and thorny cinnamon-coloured arching canes 1.5–3 m tall. The most distinctive feature is its leaves, which are glaucous blue-green to coppery or purplish, and covered with a waxy bloom; they are 5–10 cm long and have 5–9 leaflets. The fragile, clear pink flowers are 2.5–4 cm in diameter, and are produced in clusters of two to five. The fruit is a dark red globose hip 10–15 mm in diameter.

This lovely rose is much under-rated as a garden and landscape plant. Its spiny stems and large rough-textured leaves quickly form a dense barrier, making it a good informal hedge which only needs pruning once a year in early spring. The large, bowl-shaped flowers with their mass of golden stamens are heavily scented and the crab apple-sized dark red hips are highly ornamental. It is disease resistant and has excellent wildlife value.

This lovely rose is much under-rated as a garden and landscape plant. Its spiny stems and large rough-textured leaves quickly form a dense barrier, making it a good informal hedge which only needs pruning once a year in early spring. The large, bowl-shaped flowers with their mass of golden stamens are heavily scented and the crab apple-sized dark red hips are highly ornamental. It is disease resistant and has excellent wildlife value.

Site and soil: Does well on almost any soil, but especially poor sandy soils. Wind and salt tolerant; good in coastal sites.

Height and spread: Below are the approximate stages of growth, assuming sited in suitable conditions for this species; After 10 years: 1.5m x 1.5m

Prunus tenella is a deciduous Shrub growing to 80 cm (2ft 7in) by 1.5 m (5ft).
It is hardy to zone 2b in Canada an U.S. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen from Jul to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers dry or moist soil.

Fruit - raw or cooked. The fruit is quite variable in quality, the best forms are somewhat mealy with a fairly nice flavour. The fruit is about 25mm in diameter and contains one large seed. Seed - raw or cooked. Do not eat the seed if it is too bitter - see the notes above on toxicity. Oil from the seed is used as an almond flavouring, it is inferior to the bitter almond oil obtained from P. dulcis.

Caution: Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, it belongs to a genus where most, if not all members of the genus produce hydrogen cyanide, a poison that gives almonds their characteristic flavour. This toxin is found mainly in the leaves and seed and is readily detected by its bitter taste. It is usually present in too small a quantity to do any harm but any very bitter seed or fruit should not be eaten. In small quantities, hydrogen cyanide has been shown to stimulate respiration and improve digestion, it is also claimed to be of benefit in the treatment of cancer. In excess, however, it can cause respiratory failure and even death.

Thrives in a well-drained moisture-retentive loamy soil. Prefers some lime in the soil but is likely to become chlorotic if too much lime is present. Requires a sunny position. Dormant plants are hardy to about -25°c to -32°C. Most members of this genus are shallow-rooted and will produce suckers if the roots are damaged. This plant is a free-growing suckering shrub. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus

Elaeagnus angustifolia, commonly called Russian olive, silver berry,oleaster, Persian olive, or wild olive, is a species of Elaeagnus, native to western and central Asia, Afghanistan, from southern Russia and Kazakhstan to Turkey and Iran. It is now also widely established in North America as an introduced species.

Elaeagnus angustifolia is a usually thorny shrub or small tree growing to 5–7 metres (16–23 ft) in height. Its stems, buds, and leaves have a dense covering of silvery to rusty scales. The leaves are alternate, lanceolate, 4–9 cm (1 1⁄2–3 1⁄2 in) long and 1–2.5 cm (3⁄8–1 in) broad, with a smooth margin. The highly aromatic flowers, produced in clusters of one to three, and are 1 cm long with a four-lobed creamy yellow calyx; they appear in early summer and are followed by clusters of fruit, a small cherry-like drupe 1.0–1.7 cm long, orange-red covered in silvery scales. The fruits are edible and sweet, though with a dryish, mealy texture.

The shrub can fix nitrogen in its roots, enabling it to grow on bare mineral substrates.

The species was introduced into North America in the late 19th century, and subsequently escaped cultivation, because its fruits are relished by birds which disperse the seeds. Russian olive is considered to be an invasive species in many places in the United States because it thrives on poor soil, has low seedling mortality rates, matures in a few years, and outcompetes wild native vegetation. It often invades riparian habitats where overstory cottonwoods have died.

Yucca glauca (syn. Yucca angustifolia) is a species of perennial evergreen plant, adapted to xeric (dry) growth conditions. It is also known as small soapweed, soapweed yucca, Great Plains yucca and beargrass. Yucca glauca forms colonies of rosettes. Leaves are long and narrow, up to 60 cm long bur rarely more than 12 mm across. Inflorescence is up to 100 cm tall, sometimes branched sometimes not. Flowers are pendent (drooping, hanging downward), white to very pale green. Fruit is a dry capsule with shiny black seeds.Yucca glauca is native to central North America: occurring from the Canadian Prairies of Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada; south through the Great Plains to Texas and New Mexico in the United States. This variety of Yucca is hardy to zone 2b-3a. Soapweed yucca was a traditional Native American medical plant, used by the Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Lakota, and other tribes.

Fountain-like, deciduous shrub with fragrant, white, late spring or early summer flowers. An old fashioned favorite, at home in the shrub border. Allow ample room for arching branches. Remove oldest branches (back to ground) right after plant has finished flowering. ‘Bouquet Blanc’ has semi-double to double, fragrant white flowers, 1 inch wide, held singly, in pairs, or in racemes of 3 to 5. Bears in early or midsummer. 6 feet tall, 5 feet wide.
Plant Characteristics: low maintenance,  
Foliage Characteristics: deciduous,  
Flower Characteristics: double, fragrant, long lasting, showy,  
Flower Color: whites,  
Tolerances: deer, drought, pollution, seashore

Bloomtime Range: Early Summer to Mid Summer  
Hardiness Zone: 4b to 8  
Light Range: Part Shade to Full Sun  
pH Range: 4.5 to 6.5  
Soil Range: Mostly Sand to Some Clay  
Water Range: Dry to Moist  

Philadelphus coronarius (sweet mock-orange, English dogwood) is a species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangaceae, native to Southern Europe. It is a deciduous shrub growing to 3 m (10 ft) tall by 2.5 m (8 ft) wide, with toothed leaves and bowl-shaped white flowers with prominent stamens. In the species the blooms are abundant and very fragrant, but less so in the cultivars. It may resemble, but is not related to varieties of the similarly named dogwood, which is the common name for Cornus in the family Cornaceae

An old favorite of all junipers! Low spreading, symmetrically mounded growth habit. Excellent groundcover, border plant or mass planted to stabilize slopes. Attractive bluish-green foliage year round.

Water Needs: Moderate
Landscape Uses: Border, Barrier, Mass Planting, Specimen
Garden Styles: Modern, Traditional
Light Needs: Full Sun
Plant Types: Evergreens
Height: 12-24"
Spread: 5-10'
Special Features: Rabbit Resistant, Winter Interest
Growth Habits: Round
Cold Hardiness: Zone 3

Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best in part shade. Prefers moist, fertile soils. Avoid wet, poorly-drained soils. Shelter from strong winds. Pruning is rarely needed.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Chamaecyparis pisifera, commonly known as Sawara cypress, is a large, pyramidal, evergreen conifer that grows in the wild to 50-70’ (infrequently to 150') tall with a trunk diameter to 5'. In cultivation, it more typically matures to a much smaller 20-30' tall. It is native to the Japanese islands of Honshu and Kyushu. Fine-textured medium green needles are tinted white beneath. Cones are small (1/4" across) and ornamentally insignificant, appearing glaucous green during summer before turning black-brown when ripe. Reddish brown bark peels in strips. Species plants are rarely sold in commerce, but a large number of more compact cultivars including some dwarfs are available for purchase.

Three well known forms of C. pisifera are: (1) C. pisifera f. filifera (threadbranch sawara cypress featuring drooping, whip or cord-like branches covered primarily with scale-like adult leaves), (2) C. pisifera f. plumosa (plume sawara cypress featuring feathery, airy and ferny branches covered with part adult/part juvenile leaves) and (3) C. pisifera f. squarrosa (moss sawara cypress featuring branches with soft, needle-like juvenile leaves).

Genus name comes from Greek chamai meaning dwarf or to the ground and kyparissos meaning cypress tree.

Specific epithet comes from the Latin word pissum meaing pea and ferre meaing to bear in reference to the very small rounded cones.

‘Filifera Aurea’ is noted for its drooping yellow foliage. This is a dense, semi-dwarf, evergreen shrub that typically grows as a broad cone. It is slow growing, often reaching only 6-7’ tall in 20 years, but may eventually reach 15-20’ tall in optimum conditions. Features golden, weeping, thread-like foliage that provides excellent texture and color to foundation plantings. Foliage is usually quite attractive in winter. Small cones appear only on mature plants. Peeling, reddish-brown bark develops on mature branches. This cultivar, as well as other Filifera cultivars, is also often commonly called threadleaf false cypress in recognition of the thread-like foliage.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Some susceptibility to juniper blight, root rot and certain insect pests such as bagworms.

Garden Uses

Species and large growing cultivars for lawn specimen, shrub borders and screen.

Dwarf cultivars for rock gardens, foundation plantings or specimen.

A selection introduced by Synnestvedt Nursery of Illinois in 1967, originally found in the collections of the Morton Arboretum.  Foliage is a glossy, lustrous green, hence its name.  Matures at 10-12' tall and 8-10' wide.  Flowers and fruit of the species.  Authors note: the foliage on this dentatum has withstood the most brutal of heat and drought conditions without showing any signs of spotting or scorch and we have experienced such an abundance of fruit that the branches were literally weighted to the ground.  An extremely durable yet attractive plant but overlooked because of its ultimate size. 

Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Better drought tolerance than most other viburnums. Prune immediately after flowering since flower buds form in summer for the following year.

Noteworthy Characteristics

This wayfaring tree cultivar is a compact, dense, upright, rounded, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub which typically matures to 7-8' tall and 9-10' wide. Non-fragrant, creamy white flowers in flat-topped cymes (to 3-5" diameter) appear in spring. Flowers give way in July to orangish-red berry-like drupes which hold their showy color for approximately one month before ripening to black. Thick, ovate, dark green leaves (to 4.5" long). Variable fall color is most often a somewhat undistinguished reddish purple. Hardy to zone 2b and over.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Reportedly has good resistance to bacterial leaf spot.

Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Tolerates close to full shade, but usually at the expense of diminished fall color quality. This is an adaptable shrub that tolerates a wide range of soils except for wet, poorly-drained ones. Plants appreciate consistent moisture, particularly when grown in full sun locations.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Euonymus alatus, commonly called winged euonymus, burning bush, winged burning bush or winged spindle tree, is a dense, mounded, spreading, flat-topped, multi-stemmed shrub that is particularly noted for its fiery red fall foliage color. It is native to forests, woodlands and scrub areas in eastern Russia, Japan, China and Korea. It was introduced into the U.S. around 1860 as an ornamental, and over time has become an extremely popular shrub for homes, commercial properties and along highways. This shrub will mature over time to 15-20' tall, but is often pruned shorter. Elliptic to obovate, crenulate to serrulate, green leaves (to 3” long) turn bright red in fall. Fall color can be spectacular. Small, yellowish-green flowers appear in May but are not showy. Small fruits (1/3” red capsules) ripen in fall. Fruit capsules split open when ripe to reveal the tiny seeds (each encased in a fleshy orange-red aril). Seeds are attractive to certain birds who eat and distribute them. Greenish-brown stems have distinctive corky ridges ("wings" as used in the common name). Corky-winged stems are more noticeable in winter after leaf drop. Winged euonymus has escaped plantings and naturalized in at least 21 eastern and mid-western states. In some areas, it is now considered to be a threat to native plants because of its ability to establish itself in woodlands, forests, fields, roadsides and disturbed areas where, if conditions are favorable, it will out-compete native plants to form dense thickets.

'Compactus' is a popular burning bush cultivar. It is a deciduous shrub which is not all that "compact" since it typically grows in a mound to 10' tall with a slightly larger spread, though it can easily be kept shorter by pruning. The corky ridges are absent or very reduced in size on the stems of 'Compactus'. For a truly compact burning bush, see Euonymus alatus 'Rudy Haag' which typically grows from 3-5' tall.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Twig blight may occur, particularly in wet soil conditions. Watch for spider mites.

Information source: http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org