Heucherella or foamy bells is a hybrid derived from crossing U.S. native foamflower, (Tiarella spp.), with coral bell (Heuchera villosa), another U.S. native. Terra Nova Nurseries, a wholesale grower in Oregon, has introduced several of these hybrids. Heucherellas bring out the best traits of both parents. Their small creamy white, bell-shaped flowers open in late […]
Archive for the ‘Summer heat tolerant’ Category
‘Sweet Tea’ Heucherella Offers Year-round Foliage Color Splash
‘Morgan’ Oriental Arborvitae
When dwarf conifer hobbiests visit one another’s gardens, they discover new plants, some which later show up in their own landscape. Morgan oriental arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis ‘Morgan’) has become very popular among collectors living in the southeast and mid-Atlantic regions. Morgan arb is a fairly slow-growing, typically 5 inches or less per year. It provides […]
Promising New American Chestnuts Arriving
Chestnut blight (Diaporthe parasitica Murrill) was first discovered in the Bronx Zoo in 1904. By 1911 the headline in The New York Times read – “All Chestnut Trees Here Are Doomed”. Over the next half century, the pandemic eliminated four billion trees. Today, the airborne bark fungus still persists in the soil and on diseased […]
Autumn Best Planting Time For Spring-blooming Dogwoods
“Autumn is the season to plant dogwoods”, according to the University of Tennessee Dogwood Research Team. Newly planted dogwoods (Cornus spp.) can establish their roots in the still warm soil and be ready to handle next spring and summer’s heat and dry spells. Over the past 20 years the UT Dogwood Team has released six […]
Sugar Maple Is A Four Star Autumn Attraction
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is a native deciduous tree often planted as a large shade or street tree. It commonly grows 60 to 75 feet (and taller) with a dense rounded foliage canopy. Native to central and eastern North America regions, sugar maple grows best in fertile, mildly acidic, moist well-drained soils and in full […]
Fall Blooming ‘Little Suzy’ American witchhazel
Little Suzy American witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana ‘Little Suzy’) was hybridized and introduced by Harald Neubauer, owner of Hidden Hollow Nursery in Belvidere, TN. This medium sized shrub grows 8-10 feet tall and 10-15 feet wide. It is particularly suited to small urban gardens where standard American witchhazels (20-25 feet in height and width) are […]
Blue Mist (Caryopteris) Sparkles in Late Summer Garden
Blue mist spirea or bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandodensis) is not commonly planted in U.S. landscapes. In mid- to late- summer, pale blue flowers open above the gray-green foliage. Leaves and stems are mildly aromatic to the touch. There are now several good hybrid forms, thanks to plant breeders’ efforts to improve garden performance. Caryopteris (I prefer this name) grows in average soil, […]
‘Autumnalis’ Is Good Flowering Cherry, Perhaps Over-hyped
Autumnalis cherry (Prunus x subhirtella ‘Autumnalis’) is a long-lived, fast growing flowering cherry. This variety of higan cherry grows to medium size, 20-40 feet in height and 15-30 feet in spread. Autumnalis produces a heavy bloom of semi-double pink flowers in spring and again, in sparse numbers in autumn (mid-October) in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA hardiness zones 6 and […]
Pignut Hickory: What’s In A Name
Pignut hickory (Carya glabra) is a medium to large tree that you may fortunately inherit when purchasing property. Pignut deserves a better name like “smooth bark hickory”. The species is commonly found in upland forests. Pignut hickory prefers fertile well-drained soil and in full sun to partial shade. A young seedling trees start off slowly from a large […]
Seven-Son Flower Is Flowering Again
Back in bloom for a second time in two months! This is my way of describing seven-son flower (Heptacodium miconioides), a small 15-20 foot tree or large shrub from China. Seven-son’s creamy white petals open in late August and finish up in early September. By late September, the petals have fallen, and the small green sepals (calyces) have […]

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