Scientific name: Trochodendron aralioides

Common name:  wheel tree

Family name: Trochodendraceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone:

Mature height and spread: 2-6m tall and 2-4m wide.

Form: very filled out.

Water use: Moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained

Leaf arrangement: Simple. Whorled

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: Fruit in clusters on tips. Spokes on each fruit leftover from flowers; star shaped flowers.

Limitations: not good in small spaces.

Suitable uses: large residential tree. Very adaptable.

Quick ID: Evergreen. Tree. Japan. Clustered arrangement (leaves for rosettes). Simple. Whorled branches. Horizontal branches. Every leaf a different size. Serrated only on tip. Smooth leaves (no hair).

Scientific name: Trachycarpus fortunei

Common name:  Chinese fan palm

Family name: Arecaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 7

Mature height and spread: 5-10m tall, 2-3m wide

Form: vase, upright

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained

Leaf arrangement: simple. Spiralled (compound)

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: berry fruit; green to yellow to black and clustered. Panicle flowers; showy and yellow

Limitations: If cut off top, wont re-grow.

Suitable uses: Near ocean and in mild places. Tropical look.

Quick ID: evergreen. Tree. Asia. Simple. Spiraled. Fan-shaped leaves. Leaflets radiate around single point.

Scientific name: Salvia officinalis

Common name:  common sage

Family name: Lamiaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 5

Mature height and spread: 0.7-1.3m tall and 0.6-1m wide

Form: Oval, upright

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained

Leaf arrangement: simple. Opposite.

Fall colour: green

Flower/cone/fruit description: blue flower clusters. Brown nut.

Limitations: not good ground cover. Dries out in patches.

Suitable uses: medicinal properties. Good small shrub.

Quick ID: Dec. Shrub. Perennial. Opposite. Simple. Unique smelling leaves. Africa/Europe. Grey looking leaves. Corrugated leaf texture.

Scientific name: Berberis julianae

Common name:  wintergreen barberry

Family name: Bereridaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 5

Mature height and spread: 3-5m tall and 2-3m wide

Form: oval, dense

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained, acidic

Leaf arrangement: simple. Alternate.

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: clustered flowers; yellow and showy. Berry fruit; blue/black.

Limitations: Sharp spines. Vigorous. Needs precise pruning. Weird smelling flowers (musty)

Suitable uses: hedge, border, screening. Great barrier plant

Quick ID: Evergreen. Shrub. China. Lanceolate with pointy edges. Three spines in clusters. Simple. Alternate. Long spines (1cm long) and very sharp). Underside of leaves light green. Leaves come in 3-4 bunches (rosettes).

Scientific name: Viburnum rhytidophyllum

Common name:  leatherleaf viburnum

Family name: Adoxaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 6

Mature height and spread: 3-5m tall and wide

Form: upright, round

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: acidic, well-drained

Leaf arrangement: simple. Opposite.

Fall colour: none.

Flower/cone/fruit description: cyme flowers; perfect, white and showy. Drupe; red/black.

Limitations: weird looking. Hairs on back of leaf can become air born and be a lung irritant.

Suitable uses: group plantings, border. Grows quick, has mass. Very hardy. Industrial landscape only.

Quick ID: evergreen. Shrub. Asia. Simple. Opposite. Lanceolate. Wavy margins. Fuzzy stems and hairy leaves (hairs on back of leaf rub off)(unique). Smooth margins. Leathery leaves.

Scientific name: Viburnum davidii

Common name:  David viburnum

Family name: Adoxaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 6

Mature height and spread: 1.3-2m tall and wide

Form: spreading, mounding

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained

Leaf arrangement: simple. Opposite.

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: cyme flowers; showy and white. Drupe; blue

Limitations: viburnum beetle.

Suitable uses: mass plantings, dry areas. Slow growing. Good for parks/residential. Shade and drought tolerant.

Quick ID: evergreen. Shrub. Simple. Opposite. Strong veins. Ovate. Toothed on tip. Shorter, smaller leaves, narrower leaves and larger fruits than cinnamomifolium. Smaller intermodal region. Red petioles. 3 veins on leaves.

Scientific name: Viburnum cinnamomifolium

Common name:  cinnamon-leaved viburnum

Family name: Adoxaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 5

Mature height and spread: 2.5-4m tall and wide

Form: bushy

Water use: medium

Soil requirements: well-drained, acidic

Leaf arrangement: Simple. Opposite.

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: blue/black berries.

Limitations: Needs space; viburnum beetles.

Suitable uses: Large plant; shade and drought tolerant. Good for parks.

Quick ID: evergreen. Shrub. Narrow leaves. Blue/black berries. 3 veins on leaves. Taller, larger leaves, broader leaves and smaller fruits than davidii. Larger intermodal region than davidii. Red petioles.

Scientific name: Skimmia japonica

Common name:  Japanese skimmia

Family name: Rutaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 7

Mature height and spread: 1-1.5m tall and wide

Form: spreading, round

Water use: high

Soil requirements: acidic, well-drained

Leaf arrangement: simple. Alternate.

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: red drupe. Panicle flowers; showy and white. Male flowers; conical at tip. Female flowers more rounded and compact.

Limitations: Variable species (different leaf sizes). Nice form in sun but more likely to get mite infestations (leafs look stippled); therefore location very important (shade, cool, with moisture)

Suitable uses: ground cover, hedge, border. Male flowers smell great (lemon)

Quick ID: evergreen. Shrub. Simple. Alternate. Obovate/elliptic leaves. Spicy smell. Red drupe; persistent. Japan. Scented leaves (lemon) on male. Requires cross-pollination (diescious)

Scientific name: Sasa veitchii

Common name:  kuma bamboo

Family name: Poaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 6

Mature height and spread: 1.5-2.5m tall and 2.5-4m wide

Form: arching, ground cover

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: well-drained

Leaf arrangement: simple. Alternate.

Fall colour: none.

Flower/cone/fruit description: insignificant.

Limitations: vigorous; rhizomes. Needs to be constrained. Prune down every 3 years to get rid of mites and variegated colour.

Suitable uses: ground cover. Will tolerate drought.

Quick ID: evergreen. Shrub. Japan. Bamboo. Simple. Alternate. Lanceolate. New leaves green; old ones have edges that start to die and turn yellow (natural variegation). Wide and lanceolate leaves.

Scientific name: Sarcococca confusa

Common name:  confused sweet box

Family name: Buxaceae

Useful cultivars and selections:

USDA hardiness zone: 6

Mature height and spread: 1.5-2.5m tall and 1-1.5m wide

Form: bushy, fountain

Water use: moderate

Soil requirements: Well-drained

Leaf arrangement: simple. Alternate.

Fall colour: none

Flower/cone/fruit description: white flowers; spiky in clusters along stem. Drupe.

Limitations: looks bad when pruned. Needs room to grow.

Suitable uses: shrub border. Good smelling.

Quick ID: Evergreen. Shrub. Simple. Alternate. Ovate. Arching stems. Undulated margins. Fruits red and turn black with age.