Shopping for mountain laurels is like sampling sweets at a candy shoppe or ice cream parlour. There are so many great choices. Most plants grow 4-5 feet tall and wide. Most have plant foliage which is lustrous, dark green and leaf spot resistant. All cultivars need minimal pruning and fertilizing once a year. In great […]
Archive for the ‘Trees & Shrubs’ Category
Favorite Mountain Laurel Cultivars
Posted by Hugh on May 17th, 2012
Posted in acidic soil, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Mountain laurel (Kalmia), Native Plant, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs 
Comments Off on Favorite Mountain Laurel CultivarsGrowing Mountain Laurels in Your Landscape
Posted by Hugh on May 14th, 2012
Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is a U.S. native evergreen broadleaf shrub (USDA hardiness zone 5). Mature sizes range from 5 feet (dwarf cultivars) to 12 feet in height and with equal spread. Over the past 30 years, mountain laurels have so improved, thanks to breeding efforts of Dr. Richard Jaynes*. He has released several dozen […]
Posted in acidic soil, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreens, Mountain laurel (Kalmia), Native Plant, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Growing Mountain Laurels in Your LandscapeEvaluating Weeping Bald Cypress Cultivars
Posted by Hugh on May 9th, 2012
Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is a large 75 -80 foot deciduous conifer tree. They are long-lived, often 100 years or more. Bald cypress is incredibly hardy from the warm humid Florida swamps to the cold winter temperatures and loamy soils of central Michigan. Bald cypress is tolerant of a wide range of soil and moisture […]
Posted in acidic soil, Bald cypress (Taxodium), compact shrub, compact tree, container shrub, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, DWARF CONIFERS, Heat Tolerance, Native Plant, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Staking, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering evergreens, winter hardiness Comments Off on Evaluating Weeping Bald Cypress CultivarsFirethorns Make Good Utility Shrubs
Posted by Hugh on May 6th, 2012
Firethorn (Pyracantha spp.) is an old- fashion shrub that is making a comeback. Its white flowers makes a lovely presence in spring, followed by dark green leaves in summer, and bright orange or red fruits (berry clusters) in fall and winter. Firethorn tolerates close clipping and is often utilized as a short 6-8 foot tall privacy screen. White clusters […]
Posted in Aggressive grower, Evergreen, Firethorn (Pyracantha), Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Staking, Trees & Shrubs, Uncategorized, Winter Garden Interest Comments Off on Firethorns Make Good Utility ShrubsPinxterbloom Azalea
Posted by Hugh on May 1st, 2012
Pinxterbloom (Rhododendron periclymenoides), formerly R. nudiflorum, is a hardy deciduous azalea native to a large geographic area of the eastern United States. Pinxterbloom naturally grows nearby streams in a light woodland setting, but appears to tolerate dry rocky sites equally well after 2 years established. Shrub heights vary from 4-8 feet. Pinxterbloom spreads by underground stolons and shrubs may become […]
Posted in acidic soil, Azalea (deciduous), compost, Heat Tolerance, Hummingbird, Native Plant, Pinxterbloom azalea, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant Comments Off on Pinxterbloom AzaleaSapsucker Feeding May Blacken Maple Trunks
Posted by Hugh on April 29th, 2012
You see or hear a sapsucker tapping in a yard tree and pay little attention to it. The bird perforates the tree or shrub trunk and main branches with numerous shallow holes, similar to a riveter working with sheet metal. A sapsucker feeds on the cambium sap and on insects under the bark. The holes are deep […]
Posted in Dogwood (Cornus), Elms (Ulmus), Maples (Acer), river birch, Sapsucker, Southern Appalachian Region, Yellowwood Comments Off on Sapsucker Feeding May Blacken Maple TrunksPest Alert- Boxwood Blight
Posted by Hugh on April 27th, 2012
Boxwood blight is a disease caused by a fungus (Cylindrocladium pseudonaviculatum) which is a serious threat to most boxwood (Buxus) and related species such as sweetbox (Sarcococca spp.). To date there is no evidence of resistance to boxwood blight in any Buxus species. Plant pathologists in England first identified the disease in the mid-1990’s. It […]
Posted in Boxwood (Buxus), Disease prone, Disease resistant, Planting tips, Pruning, Sweetbox (Sarcococca) Comments Off on Pest Alert- Boxwood BlightBloomerang™ Lilac For Non-Stop Flowering
Posted by Hugh on April 8th, 2012
In most Northeast and Midwestern states, lilacs (Syringa spp.) are the classic spring-flowering shrub, treasured for their beautiful and fragrant flowers. Lilacs are vigorously growing shrubs and are utilized in the landscape as single specimens or as multiple hedging shrubs for privacy. Further south, in the warmer Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6 and […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, deadheading, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Green Privacy Screen, Lilac (Syringa), Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant Comments Off on Bloomerang™ Lilac For Non-Stop FloweringKatsura Tree Comes Home To America
Posted by Hugh on April 1st, 2012
Katsura tree (Cercidophyllum japonicum) is a large 50-60 feet tall tree from Japan and China. Katsura became extinct in North America during the Pleistocene Age and was re-introduced in 1862 by botanist Thomas Hogg. It is truly a beautiful tree, yet is still rarely planted. Katsura is hardy in zones 4-8. It prefers a moist well-drained, compost-rich soil […]
Posted in acidic soil, Disease resistant, Heat Tolerance, Katsura tree (Cercidophyllum), Large Shade trees, Purchasing Plants, Southern Appalachian Region, watering tips, Weeping habit, winter hardiness Comments Off on Katsura Tree Comes Home To AmericaPiedmont Azalea
Posted by Hugh on March 30th, 2012
Piedmont Azalea (R. canescens) at Callaway Gardens Early flowering Piedmont azalea (Rhododendron canescens) is one of the most common native deciduous azaleas in the southeastern U.S. It is frequently confused for pinxterbloom azalea (R. periclymenoides) which blooms 3-4 weeks later. Piedmont azalea is hardy in USDA hardiness zones 6 to 9. Piedmont azalea reaches a mature height between […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Azalea (deciduous), Bee Favorite, Butterflies, compost, Insect (Pest) Problems, mulching, Native Plant, Piedmont azalea, Pruning, Root suckering, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Piedmont Azalea
