Pomegranate trees (Punica granatum) cherished for their delicious fruits and easy maintenance in warm climates. These trees, native to the Middle East (Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India), take about 3-6 years to begin producing their unique edible red fruits, which are filled with sweet, edible seeds. Juice from the fruits is sweetly delicious […]
Archive for the ‘Trees & Shrubs’ Category
Growing Pomegranates
Posted by Hugh on October 9th, 2026
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Container garden, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flower Arranging, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Pomegranate (Punica), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs 
No Comments »Winter Berries For Birds
Posted by Hugh on September 12th, 2026
Spring-summer flowers lead to an attractive & bountiful harvest of berries in your landscape. In the cool autumn and snowy frigid winter months, our feathered wildlife feast on colorful berries that range from purple, red, pink, white, or blue. Listed here are 12 berry-licious plants. 1. Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is a deciduous holly native to […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Beautyberry (Callicarpa spp.), Bees and other pollinators, Chokeberry (Aronia), Coralberry (Symphoricarpus), Cornus sericea, Crabapple, Deciduous, Deciduous holly, Dogwood (Cornus), Dogwood shrubs (Cornus), Drought tolerant, Foster Holly (Ilex), Hawthorn (Crataegus), Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Non-native, Ornamental fruit, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Serviceberry (Amelanchier), Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Viburnums, watering tips, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness, Winterberry holly Comments Off on Winter Berries For BirdsAdd Chinese Pistache To Your Landscape
Posted by Hugh on September 3rd, 2026
Chinese pistache tree (Pistachia chinensis) is a 25–40-foot small to medium landscape tree in the Botanical family known as Anacardiaceae. Branching habit is slightly upright that creates a narrow tree profile that is ideal for a small patio or a curb-side street tree. The bark of a young tree is silvery gray with a more rugged […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, Chinese pistache (Pistacia), Deciduous, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Non-native, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Propagation(grafting), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Street tree, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Add Chinese Pistache To Your LandscapeLate Blooming Swamp Azalea
Posted by Hugh on August 28th, 2026
Native to the southern and eastern U.S., swamp azalea (Rhododendron viscosum) is a deciduous shrub in the Ericaceae (blueberry) family. This shrub generally grows 3 – 8 feet tall and nearly as wide. It is a spreading shrub that spreads slowly via underground stolons and is most at home in a moist humus-rich soil that […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Azalea (deciduous), Bees and other pollinators, Cercopora leaf spot, compost, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Fragrant, Hummingbird, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Phytophthora ramorum, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Swamp Azalea (R. viscosum), Trees & Shrubs, watering tips Comments Off on Late Blooming Swamp AzaleaButtonbush
Posted by Hugh on August 11th, 2026
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), aka honeybells, pond dogwood, and swampwood, is a highly prized native shrub. Yes, in small landscapes, buttonbush tend to grow big @ 6-12 feet tall and wide. Their fragrant white orbital blooms are uniquely out of this world. Botanical member of the Rubiaceae (USDA hardiness zones 5-9), flowers appear from spring to […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Buttonbush (Cephalanthus), compact shrub, Deciduous, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flower Arranging, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Planting tips, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on ButtonbushDwarf Vitex Cultivars
Posted by Hugh on July 22nd, 2026
Chastetree (Vitex agnus-castus) is an 8–10-20-foot deciduous shrub or tree form. Branching habit is dense and vase-shaped (upright). Without question, ‘Shoal Creek’ is a very popular Vitex variety that measures around 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide (USDA hardiness zone 6 – 8). So… so many varieties that grow large and should not be […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Attracting Butterflies, Bees and other pollinators, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Flowering shrub, Fragrant, Landscape ideas, mulching, Non-native, Planting tips, Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Small landscape tree, Street tree, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Vitex (Chaste tree), winter hardiness Comments Off on Dwarf Vitex CultivarsChalkbark Maple
Posted by Hugh on July 16th, 2026
Chalkbark Maple (Acer leucoderme), formerly A. saccharum ssp. leucoderme), is classified as a subspecies of the Sugar Maple (USDA zones 5b – 8). Also called whitebark maple and chalk maple, it grows in full sun to light shade, 20-30 feet height and 15-25 feet wide. It is classified as a large shrub or small tree, […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Bees and other pollinators, Chalkbark maple (A. leucoderme), Deciduous, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fall Garden Interest, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, Winter bark, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Chalkbark MapleAmerica’s Happy 250th Tree- Franklinia
Posted by Hugh on July 2nd, 2026
Franklinia (Franklinia altamaha) is a uniquely different large shrub or small tree. Although rated hardy in USDA hardiness zones 5-8, I’ve never seen a landscape quality specimen in zone 5 and find that the tree performs best in zones 7. Success with growing franklinia hinges on purchasing a quality nursery plant, proper siting, and annual care, […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bees and other pollinators, compost, Deciduous, Fertilizing plants, Franklinia, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Native Plant, Native Plant, Phytophthora ramorum, Planting tips, Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Small landscape tree, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on America’s Happy 250th Tree- FrankliniaDiscovering Native Swamp Titi Tree
Posted by Hugh on June 29th, 2026
Black Titi (Cyrilla racemiflora), aka Swamp cyrilla is an evergreen, semi-evergreen or tardily deciduous tree that is native to Southeastern U.S. and indigenous in coastal areas from Virginia south into Texas. (USDA hardiness zones 5-11). Young plants are shrubby but eventually develop into a small tree with contorted stems, smooth, cinnamon-colored young bark and flaky mature […]
Posted in acidic soil, Black Titi (Cyrilla), Butterflies, Disease resistant, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, mulching, Native Plant, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, winter hardiness Comments Off on Discovering Native Swamp Titi TreeAlternative Choices For Bradford Pears
Posted by Hugh on June 24th, 2026
A number of U.S. states have designated the Bradford Pear (Pyrus calleryana) as an invasive tree species. This once popular small to medium-sized tree blooms in mid- to late-March. Introduced by the USDA in the 1960’s, following extensive 40+ year breeding trials, it became extremely popular across the country. Note that Callery pear is actually […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bees and other pollinators, Bradford Pear, Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), Deciduous, Fall Garden Interest, Flowering, Heat Tolerance, Landscape ideas, Medium sized Tree, mulching, Non-native, Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Alternative Choices For Bradford Pears
