Monthly Archives: November 2015

Brachyglottis ‘Sunshine’

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Brachyglottis ‘Sunshine’

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Scientific name: Brachyglottis ‘Sunshine’

Common name: Sunshine daisy

Family name: Asteraceae

USDA Hardiness Zone:  8-10

Mature height and spread:  Height: 1-1.5m/ Spread:1-1.5m

Form: evergreen shrub

Water use: medium

Soil requirements: well-drained soil in full sun

Leaf arrangement:  oval, hairy, grey leaves, simple leaves, wax on the leave, white margin

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): bright yellow, daisy-like flowers

Limitations:  tolerate dry soil

Suitable uses:  Flower borders and beds City & Courtyard Gardens Coastal Cottage & Informal Garden Gravel Garden Mediterranean Climate Plants

Quick ID description:  ovate; wax; white margin

Photographs:

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Berberis thunbergii ‘Rose Glow’

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Berberis thunbergii ‘Rose Glow’

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Scientific name: Berberis thunbergii ‘Rose Glow’

Common name: Japanese barberry

Family name: Berberidaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:  ‘Kobold’ ‘Aurea’

USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 to 8

Mature height and spread:  Height: 3.00 to 6.00 feet; Spread: 4.00 to 7.00 feet

Form: spiny, broad-rounded, deciduous shrub

Water use: Dry to medium

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

Leaf arrangement:  obovate green leaves

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): red fruit

Limitations:  Tolerates part shade, but performs best with full sun.

Fall colour:  attractive shades of orange, yellow and red in fall

Suitable uses:  Accent for small areas in the landscape. Foundations. Shrub border. Hedge or edger. Spiny barrier plant.

Quick ID description:  broad-round; obovate

Photographs:

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Zelkova serrata

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Zelkova serrata

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Scientific name: Zelkova serrata

Common name: Japanese zelkova

Family name: Ulmaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:  ‘Green Vase’ ‘Village Green’

USDA Hardiness Zone:  5 to 8

Mature height and spread:  Height: 50.00 to 80.00 feet; Spread: 50.00 to 80.00 feet

Form: medium to large deciduous tree

Water use: medium

Soil requirements: average, medium wet, well-drained soils in full sun

Leaf arrangement:  Oblong-elliptic medium green leaves (to 3” long) with coarse, ciliate marginal teeth and acuminate tips.

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): Insignificant small green flowers appear in spring as the foliage emerges. Flowers give way to small, non-showy, ovate, wingless drupes that ripen in autumn.

Limitations:  Highly resistant to Dutch elm disease. Phloem necrosis, wilts and cankers may occur. Insect visitors include leaf miner, beetles and scale. Spider mites can be a problem in hot, dry summers.

Fall colour:  Fall color is variable, ranging from undistinguished yellow to attractive shades of yellow-orange to red-brown.

Suitable uses:  Shade Tree, Street Tree

Quick ID description:  oblong-elliptic; ciliate marginal teeth; acuminate tips

Photographs:

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Vaccinium corymbosum

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Vaccinium corymbosum

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Scientific name: Vaccinium corymbosum

Common name: highbush blueberry

Family name: Ericaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:  ‘Patriot’ ‘Jersey’ ‘Jubilee’ ‘Blue Moon’

USDA Hardiness Zone:  5 to 8

Mature height and spread:  Height: 5.00 to 8.00 feet; Spread: 5.00 to 8.00 feet

Form: upright, deciduous shrub

Water use: Medium to wet

Soil requirements: organically rich, medium to wet, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade

Leaf arrangement:  simple, small leaves, narrowly ovate

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): sprays of small bell or urn shape, white pink; juicy, edible blueberries

Limitations:  tolerate clay soils

Fall colour:  showy, red or purple

Suitable uses:  excellent ornamental value

Quick ID description:  small leaves, narrowly ovate; simple; blueberry fruits

Photographs:

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Salix scouleriana

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Salix scouleriana

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Scientific name: Salix scouleriana

Common name: Scouler’s willow

Family name: Salicaceae

USDA Hardiness Zone:  5-9

Mature height and spread:

Form: Deciduous shrub or small tree

Water use: medium

Soil requirements: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils

Leaf arrangement:  Leaves with smooth margins that are usually widest above the middle, alternate, stalked; The lower leaf surface texture varies from sparse- to densely-covered in short, stiff, rust-colored or white hairs to smooth, pale and waxy.

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): Silky, female catkins with dark brown bracts

Suitable uses:  The stems are very flexible and are used in basket making

Quick ID description:  alternate, stalked leaves

Photographs:

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Source: https://www.mpgnorth.com/field-guide/salicaceae/scouler-willow

Rhododendron ‘PJM’

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Rhododendron ‘PJM’

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Scientific name: Rhododendron ‘PJM’

Common name: rhododendron

Family name: Ericaceae

USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 to 8

Mature height and spread:  Height: 3.00 to 6.00 feet; Spread: 3.00 to 7.00 feet

Form: evergreen shrub

Water use: Medium

Soil requirements: acidic, humusy, organically rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soils in part shade to full shade.

Leaf arrangement:  alternate

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): Lavender-pink flowers bloom in clusters of 4-9 flowers in late spring.

Limitations:  does very well in cold climates and is one of the hardier rhododendrons for the Chicago region. It is able to tolerate near neutral soils.

Fall colour:  wine-red to reddish-purple

Suitable uses:  Specimen, Massing, Foundation, Mixed border, Patio/sidewalk

Quick ID description:  mahogany-brown winter foliage; showy flowers in spring

Photographs:

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Source:

Quercus rubra

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Quercus rubra

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Scientific name: Quercus rubra

Common name: Northern Red Oak

Family name: Fagaceae

USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 to 8

Mature height and spread:  Height: 28 – 43 m; spread: 50 – 100 m

Form: Narrow round-topp headed deciduous tree

Water use: medium

Soil requirements: Tolerant various soil

Leaf arrangement:  oblong-ovate to oblong; has long bristle-pointed teeth; shape varies; Alternate; 7 – 9 lobes

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): Acron: rounded

Limitations:  Susceptible to breakage; pruning is needed

Fall colour:  red

Suitable uses:  Ornamental use as specimen tree; as shade tree; when fast growing is needed; for magnificent fall colour

Quick ID description:  7-9 lobes; reddish brown bark

Photographs:

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Source: https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org/species/quercus/rubra/

Quercus frainetto

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Quercus frainetto

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Scientific name: Quercus frainetto

Common name: Hungarian oak

Family name: Fagaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:  ‘Schmidt’

USDA Hardiness Zone:  6-8

Mature height and spread:  Height: 50.00 to 80.00 feet; Spread: 35.00 to 60.00 feet

Form: a large deciduous oak with a broad-rounded crown

Water use: Medium

Soil requirements: rich, moist, well-drained loams in full sun. Grows well in sandy loams.

Leaf arrangement:  symmetrical shape and large ovate to obovate lobed leaves, Each leaf has about 7-10 lobes per side

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): Insignificant monoecious flowers; Female flowers are followed by small acorns

Limitations:  Tolerates arid environment once established. Oaks in general are susceptible to a large number of diseases, including oak wilt, chestnut blight, shoestring root rot, anthracnose, oak leaf blister, cankers, leaf spots and powdery mildew. Potential insect pests include scale, oak skeletonizer, leaf miner, galls, oak lace bugs, borers, caterpillars and nut weevils.

Fall colour:  yellow to orange

Suitable uses:  Shade Tree, Street Tree

Quick ID description:  ovate to obovate lobed, small acorns

Photographs:

 

Credit: Photo by Franco Caldararo

Credit: Photo by Franco Caldararo

Source: http://luirig.altervista.org/flora/taxa/index2.php?scientific-name=quercus+frainetto

 

Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’

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Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’

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Scientific name: Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’

Common name: black cherry plum

Family name: Rosaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:  Prunus cerasifera ‘Krauter Vesuvius’; Prunus cerasifera ‘Thundercloud’

USDA Hardiness Zone:  5-8

Mature height and spread:  Height:5m; Width:4 m

Form: Small, vase to round shaped, moderately fast growing, deciduous, exotic tree, 5-6m in

height by 4-5m in width, and short to moderately-long lived.

Water use: medium

Soil requirements: average, medium moisture, well-drained loams in full sun to part shade

Leaf arrangement: Dull dark blackish-purple summer foliage, ruby red in colour when new and reddish-purple in autumn.

Flower/cone/fruit description(s): Abundant pink flowers, single or in groups of two to three in dense clusters in late winter to early spring.

Limitations:  Tolerates a range of soil types, is highly tolerant of frost and moderately tolerant of

drought.

Fall colour:  purple

Suitable uses:  Often used as a striking small foliage contrast tree for smaller gardens or as a street tree.

Quick ID description:  dark-brown bark; purple leaves

Photographs:

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Source: http://www.plantes-shopping.fr/articles/prunus-cerasifera-nigra-pissardii-536.html