Monthly Archives: November 2015

Abelia ‘Edward Goucher’

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Abelia ‘Edward Goucher’

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Common name: Edward Goucher abelia

Family name: Caprifoliaceae

USDA Hardiness Zone:  7

Mature height and spread:  7ft; 6ft

Form: semi-evergreen, multi-stemmed shrub

Water use: regular watering

Soil requirements: rich well-drained soil, full sun or light shade

Leaf arrangement: glossy, paired or whorled, opposite leaves

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): pink flower (Abelia grandiflora is white flower), axillary or terminal clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers

Limitations: drought tolerant when established; tolerant poor compacted soils and clay

Suitable uses:  wall-side borders; flower borders; beds city; courtyard gardens

Quick ID description:  trumpet-shaped flowers, opposite

Photographs: 

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resource review for lists 7 and 8

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Print-based:

[1] Trees in Canada,John Laird Farrar.

This book focus on the trees in Canada. It is really helpful if you want to find native plants to use in your design. Besides the habit, identification, and other basic information like this. The book also includes the maps of the trees ranges.

What is more, it divides the plants into different groups by the similar distinguished features. In this way, one can easily compare the trees with similar features.

Digital

[1] http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/detail.php?pid=141

This website is really clean and simple. No lengthy narration. Just shows all the information that are most important. So you can easily find what you want.

Besides, the selection of the photos are good. Fully shows the feature of the plant.

[2] http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Salix+scouleriana

On this website you can find most on the information you want. But what I like most about this website is that it will introduce other uses of a plant. Not only the ornamental value but also he edible uses and medicinal uses.

What is more you can download the information as a pdf. It is so convenient.

Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium

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Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium

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Scientific name: Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium

Common name: pond cypress

Family name: Cupressaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:  ‘Nutans’

USDA Hardiness Zone:  5 to 9

Mature height and spread:  Height: 30.00 to 70.00 feet; Spread: 15.00 to 20.00 feet

Form: deciduous conifer, Young trees have cylindrical crowns, but older trees develop more flattened irregular crowns.

Water use: Medium to wet

Soil requirements: Best grown in average, medium to wet, moisture-retentive soils in full sun

Leaf arrangement:  Awl-like, appressed, deciduous leaves are spirally arranged

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): Non-flowering

Limitations:  Healthy, well-maintained trees in the proper growing conditions usually have few problems.

Fall colour:  Foliage turns orange-brown in fall.

Suitable uses:  Good specimen for growing in wet soils either in low spots or near water.

Quick ID description:  awl-like appressed leaves

Photographs:

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Taxodium distichum var. distichum

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Taxodium distichum var. distichum

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Scientific name: Taxodium distichum var. distichum

Common name: bald cypress

Family name: Cupressaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:  ‘Cascade Falls’ ‘Mickelson’ SHAWNEE BRAVE

USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 to 9

Mature height and spread:  Height: 50.00 to 70.00 feet Spread: 20.00 to 45.00 feet

Form: Young trees have cylindrical crowns, but older trees develop more flattened irregular crowns

Water use: Medium to wet

Soil requirements:   average, medium to wet, moisture retentive but reasonably well-drained soils in full sun

Leaf arrangement:  Alternate, soft, feathery, yellowish-green foliage

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): Rounded, wrinkled, 1 inch diameter, purplish-green cones mature to brown

Limitations:  tolerate deer, clay soil, wet soil, air pollution

Fall colour:  Orange-brown

Suitable uses:  rain garden

Quick ID description:  leaves are smaller than Matasequoia glyptostroboides

Photographs:

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Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis

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Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis

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Scientific name: Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis

Common name: sweet box

Family name: Buxaceae

USDA Hardiness Zone:  6 to 8

Mature height and spread:  Height: 1.00 to 2.00 feet; Spread: 2.00 to 4.00 feet

Form: Broadleaf evergreen

Water use: Medium

Soil requirements: organically rich, acidic, moist, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade

Leaf arrangement:  lanceolate, leathery, dark green leaves

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): Tiny, apetulous, unisexual, tubular, fragrant, white flowers; globose, shiny, black fruits

Limitations:  Established plants have some drought tolerance.

Suitable uses:  Evergreen ground cover for woodland gardens with fragrant flowers and quality foliage. Shrub borders. Low hedge. Shady parts of cottage gardens. Shady slopes.

Quick ID description:   lanceolate, leathery

Photographs:

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Rubus rolfei ‘Formosan Carpet’

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Rubus rolfei ‘Formosan Carpet’

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Scientific name: Rubus rolfei ‘Formosan Carpet’

Common name: creeping Taiwan bramble

Family name: Rosaceae

USDA Hardiness Zone:  7

Mature height and spread:  Height: 0.2-0.4m; Spread: 5-7m

Form: evergreen shrub

Water use: medium

Soil requirements: Acidic, well-drained

Leaf arrangement:  Simple, alternate, lobed, strong texture

Leathery

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): edible berry

Suitable uses:  Suited as cemetery plant and as plant providing shelter for birds.

Quick ID description:  simple, alternate, lobed, berry

Photographs:

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Rosmarinus officinalis

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Rosmarinus officinalis

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Scientific name: Rosmarinus officinalis

Common name: rosemary

Family name: Lamiaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:  ‘Salem’

USDA Hardiness Zone:  8 to 10

Mature height and spread:  Height: 2.00 to 6.00 feet; Spread: 2.00 to 4.00 feet

Form: erect, rounded, evergreen shrub

Water use: Dry to medium

Soil requirements: light, slightly acidic, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun

Leaf arrangement:  aromatic, needle-like, gray-green leaves

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): tiny, two-lipped, pale blue to white flowers

Limitations:  Tolerates light shade

Suitable uses:  Ornamental specimen or low hedge. Container plants are attractive additions to patios, decks and other sunny areas around the home.

Quick ID description:  rounded; needle-like leaves; tiny flowers

Photographs:

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Metasequoia glyptostroboides

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Metasequoia glyptostroboides

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Scientific name: Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Common name: dawn redwood

Family name: Cupressaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:  ‘Gold Rush’ ‘Raven’ SHAW’S LEGACY

USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 to 8

Mature height and spread:  Height: 70.00 to 100.00 feet; Spread: 15.00 to 25.00 feet

Form: deciduous, coniferous tree

Water use: Medium to wet

Soil requirements: moist, humusy, well-drained soils in full sun. May be grown from seed. Fast growing

Leaf arrangement:  linear, feathery, fern-like foliage

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): oval, light brown female cones (3/4” long) and pendant globose male cones (1/2” long)

Limitations:  Tolerate deer, clay soil, wet soil, air pollution

Suitable uses:  Excellent landscape specimen or street tree

Quick ID description:  coniferous, linear, feathery, fern-like, cones

Photographs:

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Magnolia virginiana

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Magnolia virginiana

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Scientific name: Magnolia virginiana

Common name: sweet bay magnolia

Family name: Magnoliaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:  ‘Jim Wilson’ MOONGLOW

USDA Hardiness Zone:  5 to 10

Mature height and spread:  Height: 10.00 to 35.00 feet; Spread: 10.00 to 35.00 feet

Form: spreading, rounded crown or as a shorter, suckering, open, multi-stemmed shrub.

Water use: Medium to wet

Soil requirements: acidic, medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade

Leaf arrangement:  Oblong-lanceolate shiny green foliage

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): cup-shaped, sweetly fragrant (lemony), 9-12 petaled, creamy white, waxy flowers

Limitations:  Susceptible to chlorosis in alkaline soils.

Suitable uses:  Excellent specimen tree for lawns or tall multi-stemmed shrub for shrub borders.

Quick ID description:  oblong-lanceolate foliage; cup-shaped, fragrant flower

Photographs:

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Lavandula angustifolia

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Lavandula angustifolia

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Scientific name: Lavandula angustifolia

Common name: English lavender

Family name: Lamiaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:  ‘Hidcote’ ‘Hidcote Superior’

USDA Hardiness Zone:  5-8

Mature height and spread:  Height: 1.00 to 1.50 feet; Spread: 1.00 to 1.50 feet

Form: evergreen shrub

Water use: Dry to medium

Soil requirements: average, dry to medium, well-drained, alkaline soil in full sun

Leaf arrangement:  Narrow, gray-green leaves (to 2 1/2” long) on square stems

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): Purple flowers appear in terminal spikes in late spring to early summer.

Limitations:  Tolerate rabbit, deer, drought, dry Soil, shallow-rocky soil, air pollution

Suitable uses:  Lavender flowers and gray-green leaves provide mid-summer color and contrast to the perennial border front, rock garden, herb garden or scented garden.

Quick ID description:  narrow gray-green leave, purple leaves, fragrant

Photographs:

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