Ornamental shrubs and trees | New England

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.

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.

Decorative tree for zone 2, easy to maintain.

Or prunus maackii, cherry tree. This tree grows freely in the extreme north-east of China, where winters are milder but the climate is quite humid. Planted in parks and gardens for the undeniable golden hue of its aged trunk. Easy to cultivate, it supports the rigorous winters to -25°. In general it is preferred to be planted in isolation. Sometimes it measures up to 10 meters. Plant it in poor light to appreciate the blooms and to see in winter the sun which has fun to shade the trunk, magic! It can live up to 300 years.

Height : 7m

Width: 5m

Flowering: May-June

Color of flowers: white

Hardiness zones: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Soil type: rich, fresh and well drained soil

Uses: bed, isolated, alignment

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Suitable for protected zone 3a

Juniperus virginiana, its common names include red cedar, eastern red-cedar, eastern juniper, red juniper, aromatic cedar — is a species of juniper native to eastern North America from southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and east of the Great Plains. Further west it is replaced by the related Juniperus scopulorum (Rocky Mountain Juniper) and to the southwest by Juniperus ashei (Ashe Juniper). Juniperus virginiana is a dense slow-growing coniferous evergreen tree that may never become more than a bush on poor soil, but is ordinarily from 5–20 m or 16–66 ft (rarely to 27 m or 89 ft) tall, with a short trunk 30–100 cm or 12–39 in (rarely 170 cm or 67 in) diameter. The oldest tree reported, from West Virginia, was 940 years old.The bark is reddish-brown, fibrous, and peels off in narrow strips. The leaves are of two types; sharp, spreading needle-like juvenile leaves 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) long, and tightly adpressed scale-like adult leaves 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long; they are arranged in opposite decussate pairs or occasionally whorls of three. The juvenile leaves are found on young plants up to 3 years old, and as scattered shoots on adult trees, usually in shade. The seed cones are 3–7 mm (0.12–0.28 in) long, berry-like, dark purple-blue with a white wax cover giving an overall sky-blue color (though the wax often rubs off); they contain one to three (rarely up to four) seeds, and are mature in 6–8 months from pollination. The juniper berry is an important winter food for many birds, which disperse the wingless seeds. The pollen cones are 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long and 1.5 mm (0.059 in) broad, shedding pollen in late winter or early spring. The trees are usually dioecious, with pollen and seed cones on separate trees. It is a pioneer invader, which means that it is one of the first trees to repopulate cleared, eroded, or otherwise damaged land. It is unusually long lived among pioneer species, with the potential to live over 900 years. The tree is commonly found in prairies or oak barrens, old pastures, or limestone hills, often along highways and near recent construction sites.It is an alternate host for cedar-apple rust disease, an economically significant disease of apples, and some management strategies recommend the removal of J. virginiana near apple orchards.

In many areas the trees are considered an invasive species, even if native. The fire intolerant J. virginiana was previously controlled by periodic wildfires. Low branches near the ground burn and provide a ladder that allows fire to engulf the whole tree. Grasses recover quickly from low severity fires that are characteristic of prairies that kept the trees at bay. With the urbanization of prairies, the fires have been stopped with roads, plowed fields, and other fire breaks, allowing J. virginiana and other trees to invade.

The fine-grained, soft brittle pinkish- to brownish-red heartwood is fragrant, very light and very durable, even in contact with soil. Because of its rot resistance, the wood is used for fence posts. The aromatic wood is avoided by moths, so it is in demand as lining for clothes chests and closets, often referred to as cedar closets and cedar chests. If correctly prepared, it makes excellent English longbows, flatbows, and Native American sinew-backed bows. The wood is marketed as "eastern redcedar" or "aromatic cedar". The best portions of the heartwood are one of the few woods good for making pencils, but the supply had diminished sufficiently by the 1940s that it was largely replaced by incense-cedar. Juniper oil is distilled from the wood, twigs and leaves. The essential oil contains cedrol which has toxic and possibly carcinogenic properties. The cones are used to flavor gin.

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 5a

A somewhat smaller version of this rigidly upright shrub featuring very showy double magenta-pink flowers over a long period; ideal for the mixed garden border or in mass plantings

Ornamental Features

Lucy Rose Of Sharon features bold fuchsia round flowers with pink overtones along the branches from mid summer to early fall. It has green foliage throughout the season. The lobed leaves do not develop any appreciable fall colour. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.

Landscape Attributes

Lucy Rose Of Sharon is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. 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 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 is a good choice for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard,

The tree of small size seems to mature to the crabapple in term of size. It should be planted in zone 5a or 5b in a protected location. In spring, it has fragrant, semi-double pink flowers, which are sometimes followed by small black fruits that look like cherries. The young yellowish-green leaves turn green in summer and then orange-red in fall. A good choice for small gardens. Use in isolation. Plant in a location protected from strong winter winds. Protect the first few winters with a rolled up cloth. This is the famous cherry tree found in Washington in bloom in March. In our latitudes, they bloom in late May or June.

Height : 5 to 12 m

Exposure : Sunny

Soil : Ordinary, well drained

Flowering : February-April

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.

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/

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.

Grow in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerant of light shade. Prefers rich, moist loams. Adapts to both wet and dry sites. Generally tolerant of urban conditions. Less susceptible to Dutch elm disease. hardy to zone 3b

Noteworthy Characteristics

Slippery elm is a medium sized, coarse-textured, somewhat weedy, deciduous tree that typically grows to 40-60’ (less frequently to 100’) tall with a vase-shaped to broad-rounded crown. It is distinguished by its downy twigs, red-hairy buds (particularly noticable in winter) and slimy red inner bark (rubra meaning red). It is native to southern Ontario and to the eastern and central U. S. It generally reaches its greatest size in moist bottomland or floodplain soils. Insignificant small reddish-green flowers appear in spring before the foliage emerges. Flowers give way to single-seeded wafer-like samaras (each tiny seed is surrounded by a flattened circular papery wing). Seeds mature in April-May as the leaves reach full size. Broad oblong to obovate, dark green leaves (to 4-8” long) are sandpapery above and hairy beneath with serrate margins and asymetrical bases. Leaves often emerge with a red tinge. Leaves typically turn an undistinguished dull yellow in fall. Common name is in reference to the slippery-sweet, fibrous, red inner bark that Native Americans peeled from twigs and branches in spring for medicinal use to treat fevers, inflammations, wounds and sore throat. Strips of the moist bark were also chewed to quench thirst. Native Americans also used the bark for canoes, particularly when birches were unavailable. Synonymous with Ulmus fulva.

Problems

Dutch elm disease, a fatal fungal disease spread by airborne bark beetles, attacks the water-conducting tissue of the tree, resulting in wilting, defoliation and death. Phloem necrosis is a disease caused by a phytoplasma that attacks the food-conducting tissue of the tree, usually resulting in a loosening of the bark, wilting, defoliation and death. Wetwood is a bacterial disease that results in wilting and dieback. Various wilts, rots, cankers and leaf spots may also occur. Insect visitors include borers, leaf miner, beetles, mealy bugs, caterpillars and scale.

Garden Uses

This native elm is generally not used as a landscape tree because of its coarse texture and susceptibility to elm diseases. Though common in many parts of its native range, it is rarely available in commerce.

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

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.

Zone 5b

One of the most beautiful small trees for the landscape, Japanese stewartia has delightful, saucer-shaped, white flowers that sparkle on the branches in early summer. Its dark green leaves become a riot of saturated oranges and flaming brilliant reds in the autumn. As the tree matures, a beautiful patchwork of pink, red-brown and gray develop on the bark along its trunk and branches. No serious insect or disease problems bother this tree. Its striking branching pattern and decorative bark stand out best against an evergreen backdrop. This is a great tree for small spaces!

Plant in full sun or light to open shade. Provide a location with a rich well-drained or sandy soil. Water regularly during dry weather. Little pruning is needed and heavy pruning can ruin the form of this lovely tree. Consult an expert pruner or take a local class before attempting to prune.

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

Best grown in moist, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates some light shade. Best performance is in cold winter climates with cool summers. Site in areas with good air circulation to help rid the dense foliage of moisture. Somewhat intolerant of urban stresses such as air pollutants and salt spray. Plants will struggle in the high heat and humidity south of USDA Zone 6.

Noteworthy Characteristics

Picea glauca, commonly called white spruce, is an extremely hardy evergreen conifer that is native to upland areas and lake/stream margins stretching from Alaska across the boreal forest of Canada to Newfoundland, dipping south to Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and New York. This tree typically grows 60-80' tall (less frequently to 140' tall) with a cone-shaped crown. It diminishes in size to low, shrubby forms near tree line in northern Canada. Blue-green needles (to 3/4") on small woody pegs have sharp tips. Needles are pungently aromatic when crushed. Needles have a glaucous (white waxy coating) bloom, hence the specific epithet and common name. Branchlets do not droop. Cylindrical pale brown cones (to 2.5" long) have flexible scales.

Genus name is reportedly derived from the Latin word pix meaning pitch in reference to the sticky resin typically found in spruce bark.

Specific epithet both are in reference to the fact that mature needles of this tree become glaucous (acquire a waxy white bloom) with age.

Problems

No serious insect or disease problems. Susceptible to needle and stem rust, canker, trunk and root rot. Yellow-headed spruce sawfly, spruce budworm and eastern spruce beetle are problems in some areas. Spider mites are common.