Landscape Spotlight: American Wisteria

 

In my travels, I occasionally come across a particularly nice display of a native plant in a designed landscape. I usually take a photo of it, but I don’t always have a chance to work that into a blog. So this will be a new and occasional series for the blog to feature good landscape examples.

American wisteria (Wisteria frustescens) is an attractive native vine that blooms later than the invasive wisteria species we see on the roadside. It does very well on a structure in the garden, whether it be an arbor or pergola or just a chain link fence. It flowers after the leaves have already emerged, and the flowers are only lightly fragrant. It is not as aggressive as its cousins and maximum length is about 40 feet.

It is most often sold as the cultivar ‘Amethyst Falls’ which was a wild selection noted for good landscape qualities (deep color, early flowering). Unlike, the non-native species, American wisteria usually flowers in its second year, making it a better selection for that reason alone!

Read more about American wisteria on the Virginia Native Plant Society’s website where they profiled it as their 2021 Wildflower of the Year.

A Few of My Favorite Things

“What’s your favorite blog post that you did?” is actually a question I get fairly often. At almost 700 entries and 13 years in, it can be hard to remember them all, much less pick a favorite. Yet, I tried this month to pick some of the ones that I feel turned out pretty well or that I particularly enjoyed doing. Browse through them as you wait out the winter (and for this song to get out of your head).

The order in which I list these does not imply that the first is my favorite, but I was pretty happy with the post that included the Landscape pyramid – a visual for considering the magnitude of different plant categories. There are a number of posts that feature an assist from my husband with a graphic design that helps to illustrate my point and this was probably the first one.

Cues of Care – this is a post inspired by an article that I read by a wonderful Georgia conservation champion and I wanted to amplify and preserve the concept.

Cottage Garden – I helped with a friend’s project and created suggestions for others that want this look.

The Pollinator Gardening series is a collection of 3: post one, post two (with downloadable plant charts), and post three). As you can imagine, I put a lot into this 3-part series.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not the Native – this post highlights confusing similar plants that are exotic, featuring another great graphic by James.

Plants for Native Bees (plus this one) features a chart by James that is a counter to a graphic circulating on social media about plants for bees (their chart had mostly non-native plants to support honey bees).

Native Fruits – for those looking to have native fruit-bearing plants (at 45K views, this is my most-viewed post of all time, in case you wondered) plus a follow up post in 2023.

Native Plants in Containers – I like to encourage people with small yards to use native plants in containers.

Easing Into Using Native Plants – I try to include plenty of beginner topics to make the concept less intimidating; this is a post with ideas for getting starting with native plants in the landscape.

And the seasonally appropriate Christmas in Dixie.

I'm sure I forgot some really great ones; I've enjoyed hearing from some of you over the years when a particular post really spoke to you. If I ever do a compilation in book form, it's going to be really hard to choose just a few.

There are definitely some categories of blog entries over the years. I have done many individual plant profiles (like my very first one about mapleleaf viburnum) but there are also some plant groups (like evergreens). I have also done categories like these listed below (these links go to search results, read more about searching this blog here):

Native plants and birds

Native plants and pollinators

Native plants and fall color

Native Shrubs

Georgia State Parks

Book reviews

Posts on identification like winter twigs and leaves and how vines work (just to name a few)

Special Plants, Special Places

Landscape Spotlight

Gift Ideas for Naturalists

Appreciating Native Plants on Roadsides

Landscape Spotlight: Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica)

 

This month is bloom time for Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), a deciduous native shrub that naturally grows in moist areas. I always enjoy finding it in a natural areas and along streambanks where its modest green foliage allows it to hide in plain sight. It is native throughout Georgia and Florida (Hmm, I should get some for my daughter’s yard in the Florida panhandle).

Itea virginica

What has surprised me recently is the explosion of usage in designed landscapes near where I live in metro Atlanta. Driving around this past week – while it was blooming – made me realize how it can be and is being used in landscaping.

Virginia sweetspire can be a suckering shrub, a trait which is very beneficial in its natural habitat along streambanks. I am used to seeing it in stream restoration projects such as the one I profiled last week. It doesn’t always sucker – perhaps it is a response to damage or browsing – in fact, a group of 3 at the front of a neighborhood planted at least 5 years ago is still just that group of three.

It is usually described as a part-sun plant but I am seeing it used in full sun, even afternoon sun. These plants may have help in dealing with the extra sun by artificial irrigation (something to consider if you’re planning to use it in those conditions). It can have really nice fall color in addition to these spring blooms. Deer do browse on it some, so get some deer spray if that's an issue for you.

Here are some examples of landscape usage that I've seen over the years (and I've seen more but I just haven't photographed them). In the summer, the foliage is not particularly remarkable but it is handsome and can be dense enough for nesting birds. Fall color can be really nice on Virginia sweetspire and some cultivar names like 'Merlot' and 'Henry's Garnet' are indicators of that.

Consider this shrub for one of your landscape projects. It is usually available at larger nurseries and dwarf forms and reliable fall color cultivars are available. The cultivars have not impacted the pollinator benefits of the plant.

Landscape Spotlight: Roundabouts

 

Roundabouts are on the rise – sometimes I like to count how many roundabouts I have to go through to get where I’m going: four of them is not uncommon these days! Some of them are large and some are small, but they all have some plants in the middle and I’m always interested to see what was chosen for that spot. Since I live adjacent to the city of Milton, theirs get a lot of my attention and they have mostly chosen a good selection of native plants for them.

Roundabout with hawthorn and Yaupon holly

A triple row of Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria)

Hawthorn (Crataegus viridis)

These are photos from two of their recent installations. The first one I’m showing is a smaller version of another one that features the same plants and which has done well. The center has hawthorns (most likely Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’) which has gorgeous white spring flowers and abundant red fruits in the fall. These are handsome trees with a very pleasing shape. Around the trees is a solid ring of evergreen native shrubs that have been used for years: Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana’ (or similar dwarf). Once I got up close, I could see that the shrubs were in 3 concentric rings.

Blooming Viburnum with Fothergilla behind

Viburnum obovatum dwarf cultivar

The second roundabout is new and was completed last year; it features a mix of native and non-native plants. The center has 3 large trees that have not yet leafed out but hopefully they are native oaks. What caught my attention was an outer half-ring of a dwarf native viburnum: Viburnum obovatum ‘Mrs Schiller’s Delight’ (or other dwarf cultivar, there are several). Behind that is a half-ring of a native Fothergilla. The rest of the circle appeared to be non-native hydrangea and perhaps a dwarf gardenia. Native grasses – perhaps little bluestem and muhly – were also part of the design.

Most of these roundabouts are cared for (weeds removed, dead plants swapped out) and generally they are attractive accents to the landscape. I’m glad to see native plants be part of their selections and hopefully they catch the attention of folks looking for landscape ideas.

This is a post in an occasional series on good designed uses for native plants. You can find my previous posts in this series using this search criteria.

Landscape Spotlight: Garden Worthy Goldenrod

Who’s in the mood for goldenrod? How about almost every bee and migrating Monarch butterfly that you know! I love seeing it all over the side of the road (indeed it is almost the only native thing left) but the one on the side of the road (usually it is tall goldenrod, Solidago altissima) is probably not the right one for your garden because it spreads by roots.

I have posted before about garden worthy goldenrods, but I want to spotlight one that I have seen used to beautiful effect a number of times (including at my own mailbox). I'm including several photos from over the years.

This was a traffic circle in Big Canoe, GA.

This goldenrod is called wrinkleleaf goldenrod (Solidago rugosa) and it does have textured foliage. It naturally has a splayed inflorescence when it blooms at the top of the plant. It is harder to find the species than the very popular cultivar known as Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’ which is shorter, more compact, and more floriferous than the species. All these photos are of 'Fireworks.'

According to this link, the cultivar ‘Fireworks’ was a selection of the natural species that “was introduced in 1993 from the North Carolina Botanical Garden, originally having been selected from a coastal plain population of the species. It was the top-rated cultivar in the 5-year goldenrod trials at the Chicago Botanic Garden (completed in 2001) that included 22 species and cultivars. Hardy to zone 4, it doesn’t get mildew or rust, and the slowly expanding clump grows 3-4 feet tall.”

You can read about that Chicago trial here.

A note about cultivars: I don't recommend them for use in restoration areas. For large garden areas, it is ecologically beneficial to incorporate some straight species plants along with the cultivars to provide good genetic diversity.

Landscape Spotlight: Beebalm (Monarda)

In my travels, I occasionally come across a particularly nice display of a native plant in a designed landscape. I usually take a photo of it, but I don’t always have a chance to work that into a blog. This week a bright spot of red flowers caught my eye as I was out running errands. I was pleased to see that it was a robust planting of scarlet beebalm (Monarda didyma).

Two colors of Monarda and a Coreopsis cultivar

Beebalm is a native perennial that does best in full sun (6 hours or more) and good moisture. The flowers are popular with native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The foliage is pleasantly aromatic, a trait that has led to another common name of Oswego tea and its usage as an herbal tea.

I am not sure if the purple flower flanking the scarlet beebalm is a cultivar of the same plant (M. didyma) or one of the wild bergamot cultivars (Monarda fistulosa). When it comes to Monarda, all the cultivars I've seen affect flower color or height but still provide good support to native insects seeking pollen and nectar.

If you are in need of a bright perennial and can provide sun and moisture, consider adding beebalm to your list. Need other ideas? Have a look at my Native Summer Perennials post from earlier.

Landscape Spotlight: American Holly

Evergreen plants have great appeal in landscaping. They are heavily favored for screening, especially around the front of homes where they used to serve a useful purpose to cover the bare foundations of houses. This article from 1980 downplayed the need for foundation plants over 40 years ago yet still the practice continues. The article provides some useful context for the practice.

In the late 1800’s: large homes were built: custom-built houses with high foundations were in fashion about the same time houses were placed further back from the street and set in an open lawn. In those years, a foundation planting was deemed necessary to hide the foundation and otherwise soften the break between the house and lawn.  

Early front porches, popular for watching passersby and socializing, also reinforced the need for foundation plantings to hide the supporting posts for the porch: “The plants which once were used to hide the open porch railings and lattice work between the supporting posts of houses of that architectural style still exist. This type of ‘left-over’ foundation planting across the front of most residential houses today serves no real purpose.”

Today we find that buildings have beautiful fronts and there is no need to hide support structures. Yet the concept of evergreen trees and shrubs to beautify the area in front of a building persists and so in this post I want to highlight a pleasing arrangement of American holly (Ilex opaca) that I found in a relatively recent group of landscaping.

American holly with Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica)

This group of 5 American hollies is in front of Milton City Hall, and in the dead of winter they provide a pleasing display of green foliage with red fruit highlights. On the side of the building, there is a grouping of what appear to be Foster hollies (Ilex x attenuata ‘Fosteri’) – a hybrid between two native species: Ilex opaca and Ilex cassine.

The suite of native evergreen trees in the Piedmont area is not as robust as most would like and exotic plants are often used instead. If we can increase the demand for good native choices, perhaps growers will produce more. Ask for native plants when you shop, ask for them to be ordered if necessary, and be willing to wait for the next shipment to come in. They’re worth it.

American holly in front of Milton City Hall

Landscape Spotlight: Parking Lot Rain Garden

 

Last week I was driving with a friend when I spotted some cattails in a parking lot. About 1 second later I realized that next to the cattails were pink and white hibiscus, and I realized that someone had installed a rain garden there. The business currently located in this spot is Shake Shack, a burger/shake joint (this one is in Alpharetta).

Crimson-eyed rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)

I have seen a couple of other efforts in the area to create parking lot drainage areas, but this one is particularly colorful. I’m not sure that the cattails (Typha latifolia) were a good idea because they are filling up the area and even popping up into adjacent areas. Particularly colorful right now were pink and white hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos). I was surprised also to see what appears to be wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa); I had no idea it could handle the occasional heavy moisture that a rain garden can have. A blooming goldenrod (Solidago) was there as well but it might not have been planted deliberately.

Monarda 

Crimson-eyed rosemallow, different color form

Between the rain garden and the sidewalk, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) was growing. The cultivars of that species are certainly helping it to get used in designed landscapes. And there are plenty of non-native plants in the overall design, but you can’t help but do a little fist pump to see things like this.

Landscape Spotlight: Small Lot Native Plants

Perennial border from left side

I wrote last week about building back diversity into our residential landscapes. With increasingly smaller lots, some folks might think they don’t have room to do it. Or people think their HOA won’t allow using native plants. Well, let me introduce you to my friend, Lynn. Her yard is a showcase that proves both of those assumptions to be wrong.

Almost four years ago, Lynn and her husband Bob downsized from a large and mature garden filled with native plants to a home in a community with single, detached homes; a lot size of .21 acres; and an arrangement where lawns are mowed for everyone by a community-arranged service.

It wasn’t smooth sailing at first. 

Their house backs up to a sunny slope that runs down to a wooded, natural area. First ideas included seeding a native meadow on that slope. The HOA and the maintenance crew nixed that idea. After some negotiation, they now have a backyard composed of a gorgeous perennial border and a diverse collection of native trees and shrubs squeezed into just 50 feet (from patio to their property line). The maintenance crew still mows most of the slope, but the diversity she was able to artfully arrange is a tribute to her own design talents.

Perennial border from right side

Phlox carolina and Coreopsis major

Pussytoes, lyreleaf sage, sundrops, Georgia savory, and amsonia in the front

Natives are not limited to the back; the front garden consists of the two native oak trees that the community planted plus native shrubs and perennials (she replaced most of the shrubs provided by the builder). The 70-foot wide lot leaves just 10 feet on each side but those sides are put to good use. The shady side has an assortment of native ferns and perennials while the sunny side hosts native shrubs like beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) and summersweet (Clethra alnifolia ‘Hummingbird’).

Shady side of the house

Clethra on the sunny side

American lady on milkweed

American lady caterpillar

Her garden provides host plants and nectar plants for butterflies and moths and plenty of insects and fruits for birds. Native trees that she's added include black gum (Nyssa sylvatica 'Wildfire'), serviceberry (Amelanchier), redbud (Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'), and more. There was a bird's nest in the coral honeysuckle vine. She has bird boxes, bird feeders, and hummingbird nectar as well. The garden was full of life while we were visiting. A stone patio and a screened porch provide plenty of places to watch the wildlife.

Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'

Hydrangea quercifolia

Mixed in with the native plants are pots of herbs for cooking, favorite non-native perennials, and treasured plants from friends. And she's not done yet! Sheri and I brought her more plants, and we talked about things to add into the few spots still open. 

She is a passionate advocate for native plants in the garden. Neighbors have been recipients of her extras: scarlet beebalm and sundrops were blooming in their gardens too. Their patches of barren grass may one day bear more sprouts of her inspiration. I hope that some of you with small lots will be inspired too.

Dwarf iris, foamflower and herbs

What it could have looked like ...

Underused Native Shrubs

Way back in 2011, I wrote a blog post about underused native trees. It was my intention at the time to follow that up with underused shrubs. Well, six years later, here it is.

Shrubs are an important part of the landscape but they seem to be viewed as filler, something to go between the trees and the flowers.  They also seemed to be viewed as something used to hide a house’s foundation, a function which isn’t needed for today’s homes. As a result, you can often see the same shrubs used over and over again, many of them shaped into evergreen blobs. There are some native shrubs being used, and that’s a good thing.

Common shrubs that I see in the mainstream trade or larger native plant nurseries include: dwarf witchalder (Fothergilla spp.), oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), native azaleas and rhododendrons (Rhododendron spp.), summersweet (Clethra alnifolia), possumhaw (Viburnum nudum), garden blueberries (Vaccinium spp.), winterberry (Ilex verticillata and I. decidua), beautyberry (Callicarpa americana, be careful to get the native species), and St. John’s wort (Hypericum spp.). Some popular evergreens include doghobble (Leucothoe spp.), hobblebush (Agarista populifolia), Florida anise (Illicium floridanum), mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) and evergreen rhododendrons.

Chickasaw plum

I’d like to spotlight some of the native shrubs that aren’t used very much. Some of these might be familiar to you, yet still are not readily available in nurseries. I’m going to group them by landscape size and indicate in the descriptions what special talents they might have (such as sunny, shady, wet or dry).

Sometimes you want to fill up a big space but it’s not a good place for a tree. Some shrubs get quite large, they might even be considered small trees. Some of these have spreading habits – that’s how they get to be big – so research them carefully:

• Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) - part to full sun shrub that blooms in the summer to the delight of Eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies.
• Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) - part sun shrub that blooms early in April in time for returning hummingbirds to enjoy.
• Chokeberry (Aronia spp.) - part to full sun shrub with beautiful flowers in May and fruits that last through the winter for birds.
• Chickasaw plum (Prunus angustifolia) - part to full sun shrub that blooms in April and has small plums. Host plant for 456 moths and butterflies.
• Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis) - full sun shrub that can handle very moist soil, blooms in June and has small fruits that birds love.
• Shrub dogwoods (Cornus amomum or C. foemina) - part to full sun shrubs that can handle moist conditions and produce fruits that birds love.
• Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) - part to full sun shrub that is our earliest blooming shrub that can handle most conditions;  host plant for several butterflies and the birds love the fruits.
• Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) - full sun shrub that can handle wet conditions and has spectacular flowers in the summer that bees and butterflies love. Hard fruits are eaten by wood ducks.
• Sumac (Rhus ssp.) - full sun shrubs that bloom in the spring and summer; fruits are enjoyed by birds.
• Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana) - our latest shrub to bloom, often in November.
• Osmanthus (Cartrema americana) - small scented flowers appear in late spring, leaves are evergreen.
• Titi (Cyrilla racemiflora) - an evergreen Coastal Plain native that supports bees and can handle wet conditions.
• Rusty lyonia (Lyonia ferruginea) - an evergreen Coastal Plain native with fragrant flowers that can handle wet or dry conditions.
• Devil’s walking stick (Aralia spinosa) - tall and prickly, this shrub earns its name, but the flowers are adored by bees and butterflies and the birds relish the small fruits. This shrub has the largest leaves in North America.

Left: Aronia arbutifolia; Center: Aesculus pavia; Right: Lindera benzoin

Don't have room for such a big plant? Here are some smaller recommendations for smaller lots or tight spaces:

• Huckleberry (Gaylussacia spp.) - part to full sun shrub with bell-flowers and fruit similar to blueberry.
• Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum) - part to full sun shrub that can handle drier conditions and which slowly spreads to form a colony.
• Inkberry (Ilex glabra) - full sun, evergreen shrub with blue-black fruits from the Coastal Plain; need male and female plants for fruit.
• Dahoon holly (Ilex cassine) - part to full sun, evergreen shrub from the Coastal Plain; need male and female plants for fruit.
• Dwarf wax myrtle (Morella cerifera, dwarf forms) - part to full sun, evergreen shrub from the Coastal Plain; need male and female plants for fruit.
• Smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) - part sun shrub that can handle moist conditions.
• Hearts a bustin’ (Euonymus americanus) - part sun shrub that can handle drier conditions; has fruit that birds love in the fall.
• Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) - part sun shrub that can handle drier conditions; flowers can be fragrant.
• New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus) - part to full sun shrub that can handle drier conditions; blooms in the summer.
• Leatherwood (Dirca palustris) - part sun shrub that can handle moist conditions.
• Honeycup (Zenobia pulverulenta) - part to full sun shrub with unusual foliage and fragrant flowers.
• Amorpha (Amorpha fruticosa) - part to full sun shrub with gorgeous flowers; it is the host plant for several butterflies.
• Spiraea (Spiraea spp.) - full sun shrubs that bloom in summer and attract a diverse group of insects as pollinators.
• Staggerbush (Lyonia lucida) - an evergreen suckering Coastal Plain shrub of swamplands; good-looking with pinkish flowers and shiny leaves.
• Alabama snow wreath (Neviusia alabamensis) - part to full shrub with suckering habit so it grows wide; rare in the wild but happy in gardens.
• Viburnum obovatum and other Viburnums - viburnums largely do best in full sun but there are some that tolerate shade. I have blog post about them that provides more detail.
• Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal minor) - evergreen trunkless palm with fragrant flowers.

Left: Spiraea latifolia; Center: Calycanthus floridus; Right: Amorpha fruticosa

Need something for a difficult place? I have written about shrubs for difficult places before and you can find that here. I’ve also tried to indicate in the descriptions above which plants can be used in places with shade, dry or wet soils. A comprehensive Piedmont shrub post that I did can be found here; it has links to many others inside it.

So if you have occasion to need a new shrub - or maybe you’d just like to be a little different - think about these.  You'll have something out of the ordinary, you’ll increase market demand in the nursery trade, add to biodiversity in your area, and you just might inspire one of your neighbors to think differently as well.

Where can you find these plants?  First ASK your local nursery.  Nurseries need to hear from their customers about plants that they want.  Even if they don’t have them, your question will alert them to consider ordering them in the future.  Or they may be able to order them for you right then.

Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana)

Mail order sources may be an alternative for you if you don't live near any sources.  Always search using the scientific name to make sure you are searching for the right plant.  

For mail order companies, do check ratings and customer reviews on Garden Watchdog. If the company is not listed on Garden Watchdog - beware!  At least one disreputable company in Georgia sued to have Garden Watchdog remove their poor rating and bad customer reviews.

Underused Native Trees

I’d like to spotlight some trees that don’t get used enough in the Georgia Piedmont area.  I was helping someone recently put together a list of native trees that developers could use when choosing trees for a project that would require new trees - either for restoration or for landscaping a new area.  I wanted to include trees that were generally available because it does no good to recommend something that is hard to obtain, yet I know that in practice many of the same plants get used over and over again.  How about some trees that are still sold in nurseries but are not used over and over again?

Lily of the Valley tree or Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum)

Large trees are an important component of the landscape – they provide shade and structure in the landscape as well as support for a large amount of wildlife.  Here are five large trees that I think could be used more in residential plantings:

• Scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea) is a fast growing tree with great fall color; it supports wildlife as a host for many species of Lepidoptera as well as by providing acorns for turkeys, deer and small mammals.  Height is up to 80 feet.

• American beech (Fagus grandifolia) grows throughout Georgia except the southeastern area.   While not a very fast growing tree, if you’d like to leave a legacy, grow a beech - they can live up to 300 years.  Mature height is up to 80 feet tall.  The leaves transition through the year from a deep green to yellow to brown to light tan that can persist all winter long.

• Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) is an adaptable tree that grows well in average soil or in wet conditions; it has good fall color (especially some of the cultivars) and produces berries that birds enjoy.  Height is up to 60 feet.

• Sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) is a semi-evergreen to evergreen (especially M. virginiana var. australis) tree that is native to the Coastal Plain and southern areas of the Piedmont.  Flowers are especially fragrant and the leaves are very attractive, showing silvery backsides when the wind is blowing.  It naturally grows in moist areas. Height is up to 60 feet in the more southern areas of its range.

• Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) is also widely distributed throughout Georgia.  The vibrant fall color is familiar to many people as is the distinctive “mitten” shape of some of the leaves.  It is a dioecious plant so only the flowers on the female trees produce blue drupes that the birds enjoy. In optimal conditions, it grows up to 60 feet but is usually smaller.

Sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)

Don't want something so big?  Well, here are five medium trees that should be considered more often:

• American smoketree (Cotinus obovatus) is not nearly as well-known as its European cousin which comes in shades of purple.  Although the natural range in Georgia is limited, this tree does well in gardens as a specimen plant; the feathery flowers are the reason for the common name.  The foliage is handsome and fall color is good.  It grows up to 25 feet. 

• Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) is a summer blooming tree with excellent fall color and is adaptable to sun or shade.  The flower sprays resemble lily of the valley blooms.  It is naturally found in the Piedmont and upper Coastal Plain.  Although it can grow up to 50 feet, it is normally up to 30.

• Southern sugar maple (Acer barbatum) has a leaf that resembles Northern sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and also Chalk maple (see below).  Fall color is clear yellow with usually little hint of orange. A smaller tree than Northern sugar maple, it grows to about 25 feet or more. Unlike the more common red maple (Acer rubrum), the fruits mature in the fall.  

• Chalk maple (Acer leucoderme) is a smaller tree than A. barbatum (above) with more fall color variation in my experience – you’ll see some red/orange hues.  Chalk maple may be multi-stemmed in form and usually is less than 25 feet.  The common name is derived from the pale color of the bark. Fruits mature in the fall.  

• Musclewood (Carpinus caroliniana) is also called Ironwood because the wood is so hard, but most people recognize it by its sinewy trunk.  Hornbeam is another common name.  The flowers are not showy, but the tree has an attractive shape and the fall color can be nice.  Height can be up to 35 feet.

Chalk maple (Acer leucoderme)

When you’re looking for a small tree, often you can find what you need in a large shrub.  Therefore, the last five “trees” might also be considered shrubs.  But does it matter what you call them?  They fit the bill when you need something small and tree-like:

• Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) is a beautiful small tree with outstanding form.  The leaves are good-looking, the flowers are nice, and the blue fruit is popular with birds.  For those of you used to seeing Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), this is a lot different, but the birds will love you for it. Height is up to 25 feet.

• Blackhaw viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium) is more upright than most viburnums, allowing it to have a tree-like form.  Rusty blackhaw viburnum (V. rudfidulum) is very similar. The fall color is superb and the birds relish the fruit. Height is up to 15-20 feet.

• Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) is getting more use these days, but be careful you don’t accidentally buy the Chinese species.  The spring bloom on this small tree warrants usage as a specimen tree where people can appreciate the unique flower show.  This dioecious plant only produces fruit if female, but supposedly the male has showier flowers. Another common name is Grancy greybeard.  Height is up to 20 feet. 

• Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia) is a great plant for hummingbirds in the spring and squirrels in the fall.  This shrubby buckeye is a surprise to those familiar with the Ohio and yellow buckeyes that grow so large.  Painted buckeye (A. sylvatica) is similar to red buckeye and the two can hybridize in the wild. Growing in part-shade, these shrubby buckeyes can grow to 20 feet. 

• Parsley hawthorn (Crataegus marshallii) is one of the prettiest hawthorns, especially the foliage.  Hawthorns in general are good host plants for many Lepidoptera, and their fruit is popular with birds and small mammals.  Height is up to 20 feet and this species is tolerant of occasional wet conditions.

Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus)

Parsley hawthorn (Crataegus marshallii)

So if you have occasion to need a new tree, think about these.  You'll have something out of the ordinary, you’ll increase market demand in the nursery trade, and you just might inspire one of your neighbors to think differently as well.

Where can you find these plants?  First ASK your local nursery.  Nurseries need to hear from their customers about plants that they want.  Even if they don’t have them, your question will alert them to consider ordering them in the future.  Or they may be able to order them for you right then.

Mail order sources may be an alternative for you if you don't live near any sources.  Always search using the scientific name to make sure you are searching for the right plant.  For mail order companies, do check ratings and customer reviews on Garden Watchdog. If the company is not listed on Garden Watchdog - beware!  At least one disreputable company in Georgia sued to have Garden Watchdog remove their poor rating and bad customer reviews.