The hardy and adaptable Blackhaw Viburnum is a great addition to any landscape or naturalized area. This shrub or small tree is native to eastern North America and is considered a high-value wildlife plant. It features glossy, dark green leaves that turn shades of red and purple in the fall. In the spring, it displays clusters of creamy white flowers, while in the late summer, it will produce dark purplish-black berries – edible to humans and wildlife.
Spectacular flowers in shades of lilac, light purple, or lavender make this old-time lilac a garden favorite. The long-lasting flower clusters bloom in April or May and are framed with lush green foliage. Their nostalgic fragrance adds to the "coming of spring." The lilac is an extremely hardy shrub and can be used as an individual specimen plant, informal hedge, shrub border, windbreak, or screen.
The redosier dogwood is loved by gardeners, landscapers, and homeowners for its hardiness and versatility. It can grow in a myriad of conditions, including wet soil. Its thicket-forming habit makes it a great hedge option. And the fibrous root sytem provides effective errosion control on banks and slopes.
This compact landscape tree is a spring star, with abundant clusters of fragrant white flowers making their appearance in May. Its dense, spreading crown and zigzagging branches add to the appeal, often making the tree wider than it is tall. Because of its size, the Sargent crabapple is useful for planting under utility lines, in confined yards, as privacy screens and hedges and on sloping ground. It is also a popular choice for bonsai.
The Spicebush is an aromatic beauty great for shrub borders, native gardens, and woodlands. When the leaves and twigs of a Spicebush are crushed, they release a spicy, citrus-like scent. Its oval leaves turn to a stunning golden yellow in the fall. Beginning in early spring, clusters of small, yellow flowers emerge. On female plants, bright red berries appear later in the spring season – an important food source for birds and other wildlife.
The American sweetgum — with its star-shaped leaves, neatly compact crown, interesting fruit, and twigs with unique corky growths called wings — is an attractive shade tree. It has become a prized specimen in parks, campuses, and large yards across the country.
The Baldcypress is the classic tree of southern swamps. To the surprise of many, it also does quite well when planted in the right soil in yards or along streets and is a beautiful specimen tree. It has been grown successfully in cities as far north as Milwaukee and on dry Texas hills.
The Black Hills spruce is a variety of the more widespread white spruce found naturally only in southwest South Dakota and a small portion of northeast Wyoming. While not as widely known as other spruces, this ornamental spruce can be planted just about anywhere that the more common Colorado spruce will grow.
Called “one of the best and most consistent native trees for fall color” by tree expert Michael Dirr, the black tupelo is a terrific landscaping choice. Displaying various hues of yellow, orange, bright red and purple—often on the same branch—its foliage is a stand-out of the autumn season. Even the distinctive bark, which resembles alligator hide, adds visual and textural interest.
The blue hydrangea is the image most of us conjure up in our heads when we think of hydrangeas in general. It is a timeless landscape plant beloved by many, including Martha Stewart. Giant, long-lasting, mophead blooms appear in the summer, adding lovely color to the landscape. These shrubs work well as stand-alone specimens or as a hedge.
The bur oak is a mighty sight to behold. A coarsely textured crown, wild and wooly acorns and a massive trunk with rough and deeply furrowed bark combine to make one impressive tree. Those characteristics helped this oak survive the elements of its wide-reaching natural range. In fact, the natural bur oak range is the northern- and western- most of all the eastern oak species.
One of our most popular ornamental conifers, the Colorado Blue Spruce is a truly magnificent sight. Its silvery blue-green coloring and perfect Christmas tree shape make this tree a great landscaping focal point on commercial and residential properties. It is also widely used for privacy or a windbreak.
Often referred to as the "lilac of the South,” the crapemyrtle is a favorite for landscapes. It can be grown as either a shrub or small tree and is often used in groupings, containers, hedges, and screens. You can even find the common crapemyrtle used as small street trees in urban settings.
The Downy Serviceberry is an elegant deciduous shrub that belongs to the Rosaceae family and is native to North America. In the springtime, its branches become adorned with small, oval-shaped leaves that display a bronze hue. As the seasons progress, the leaves turn to a vibrant green, and eventually take on shades of yellow, orange, and red in the fall.
The eastern white pine has played a very important role throughout the history of America. In colonial days, the best of the trees were set apart by the king for masts on British ships. Today it is still a valuable commercial tree but also favored in parks and spacious yards—both for its beauty and its fast growth. It has also been named the state tree of both Maine and Michigan.
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