Featured Plants

The Golden-yellow 'Gold Cot' Apricot

barb-nhn — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:28:00 GMT

Resembling a small, yellow peach, ‘Gold Cot’ Apricot is a large freestone fruit that will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. It can be used for preserves, drying, desserts, and canning. Apricots contain carotenoids which are antioxidants that help prevent heart disease, reduce "bad cholesterol" levels, and protect against cancer.

This Apricot tree is a semi-dwarf that reaches a height of 15 to 18 feet. It does not require a pollinator, thrives in zones 4-8, and is one of the earliest ripening fruits; ready for harvest in June. It is best to thin fruit early in the season to maximize size and quality.

The ‘Gold Cot’ requires well-drained, moderately fertile soil in full sun. Apricot trees, once established, are somewhat drought-tolerant. The trees are gorgeous in spring with white or pink blossoms, and ornamental in summer with their furrowed bark and heart-shaped, glossy leaves. The leaves are red when new and dark green when mature.

Willow Scarlet Curls is a popular accent tree

barb-nhn — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:16:00 GMT

This vigorous growing Willow Scarlet Curls deserves a prominent place in the yard, and it is superb for creating winter interest! Growing 25-30 feet in height, Scarlet Curls is an upright ornamental tree with gnarled, twisted red winter shoots; the older shoots turn a golden brown. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 4 feet from the ground.

The leaves are bright green, lance-shaped, and somewhat curled and bears yellow-green catkins. (The shoots of this tree are often used in dried arrangements.) The Willow Scarlet Curls is a round-shaped tree with wavy branches, twisted twigs, and even wavy-edged leaves.

It is a form of the Corkscrew Willow and can be used as a specimen, beside a pond or stream, or at the back of the property. It prefers full sun and moist, average soil. Scarlet Curls Willow requires frequent maintenance and upkeep. It is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Be aware that it can be invasive and messy.

The Popular and Flavorful Black Tartarian Cherry

barb-nhn — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:34:00 GMT

The Black Tartarian Cherry has a heavy fruit production, is easy to grow, and you get fresh sweet cherries in half the time! The cherries are firm, sweet, dark purplish-black fruits, and inside the thin skin the flesh is sweet, juicy and extremely flavorful. The Black Tartarian Cherry is smaller than Bing Cherries, but just as flavorful, and matures to a black color with a firm semi-acid pulp.

Being a vigorous grower and requiring little pruning or maintenance, Black Tartarian is an early bearer, with an early-to-mid-season June harvest. This makes it an excellent choice for the home orchard.

This cherry tree can be used as a specimen or shade tree on larger properties since it grows to a height of 30-35 feet. The Black Tartarian Cherry tree is very hardy and disease resistant; highly recommended for the South. This cherry tree needs to be pollinated with any other sweet cherry, such as the Bing; cross-pollination is a must for a reliable harvest. Plant Black Tartarian in full sun and in well-drained soil; thrives in zones 5-7.

The Early Blooming 'Pink Spires' Crabapple

barb-nhn — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:51:00 GMT

The Pink Spires Crabapple is ideal for a confined screen or border planting and is one of the earliest to bloom. In the spring, this excellent rosy bloom crabapple is covered with single pink flowers with red-purple foliage. It turns to green-bronze in summer, and then copper in fall. It bears persistent purplish-red fruit that is about 1.5 inches; slightly larger than a cherry.

Growing to a height of 15 to 20 feet, it is upright in form and only has a 12’ spread so fits where space is limited. Pink Spires is a small, hardy, deciduous ornamental tree with a narrow, upright form. Train to central leader when young and as the tree matures, keep the middle open. It has fair resistance to scab and fireblight, shows good resistance to mildew, and a strong resistance to rust.

Pretty Pink is an ornamental flowering crabapple that offers a distinct landscape feature for every single season, is easy to grow, and generally requires little maintenance. Pink Spires does well in most soil, but will be more attractive if fed peat and compost. This crabapple has great hardiness, being rated for zones 2-7.

What is a Chocolate Persimmon?

barb-nhn — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:41:00 GMT

The Chocolate Persimmon was named 'Chocolate' because of its chocolaty-brown flesh that is a sweet and tasty. This persimmon is also spicy, firm, juicy, dark flecked, and late maturing.

The Chocolate Persimmon is a small to medium, oblong cylindrical fruit with a rounded apex and bright red skin. It has superb flavor and is often the choice of connoisseurs; astringent until ripe. It requires 200 hours of chilling.

Reaching a height of 12 to 16 feet, Chocolate Persimmon does best in areas that have moderate winters and relatively mild summer. Persimmons grown in cooler areas should have full sun with protection from cooling breezes. It is self-fruitful, very productive, and the fruit ripens in November. It grows as a multi-trunked or single-stemmed deciduous tree, and is a lovely ornamental tree with drooping glossy green leaves and branches that give it a flowing, rather tropical look.

The leaves offer fall colors with a wonderful display, turning dramatic shades of yellow, orange, and red. Chocolate is hardy up to zone 8-10. As an attractive ornamental, the Chocolate Persimmon tree fits well in any landscape.

The Oklahoma Redbud Tree Commands Attention!

barb-nhn — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:22:00 GMT

The Oklahoma Redbud tree will be one of the first trees to flower in early spring; a true harbinger of spring! This redbud tree will treat you to a blizzard of bright blooms of petite purple-red flowers in large clusters. These flowers arrive before the green foliage appears. The heart-shaped leaves open soft pink but gradually mature to a glossy rich green.

This ornamental tree works well in tight places or on small lots. The Oklahoma Redbud is a small, deciduous understory tree which typically grows to 12-18' tall. Pendulous, flat, bean-like, 2-4" long seed pods, resembling snow peas, appear after flowering. This is a strong tree with deep root systems and quite resistant to storm, ice, and wind damage.

Having variable fall colors, it often includes attractive shades of reddish-purple and orange. It is easily grown in average, medium wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade; part shade is best in hot climates. It is effective when planted as an accent in gardens since it is so compact.

The Famous Bing Cherry

barb-nhn — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The Bing Cherry is one of the most famous sweet cherry varieties, and it grows well in any garden or landscape that has full sun and well-drained soil. This cherry tree produces a very large, delicious cherry that ranges in color from a deep garnet to almost black. The skin is smooth and glossy and the flesh is firm, juicy, and sweet.

This fruit tree will grow to a height of twenty feet tall, and has a mature spread of about fifteen feet. What a wonderful addition to any garden or landscape! The deciduous leaves will a provide wonderful green color during the growing season, and its bright red fruit will make an excellent contrast to the foliage.

Place unwashed Bing cherries in a plastic bag and store in a refrigerator. Before eating, wash them and let them set out and come to room temperature. This will bring out their full flavor! Bing cherries are great for cooking as well as out-of-hand eating.

The Bing Cherry tree is pollinated by Black Tart, Van, Rainier, and Lapins. Stella can be use as a pollinator in cooler climates.

Early Flowering Okame Cherry Tree

barb-nhn — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:14:00 GMT

The Okame Cherry tree is one of the earliest of the flowering cherries. Before the leaves appear, its carmine-pink petals, with rose-red calyx and reddish flower stalks, open fully and last 2 to 3 weeks. What a wonderful and consistent year-to-year blooming habit! The fruits of this tree are small, and not ornamentally important.

The Okame grows to a height of 20-30' with a similar spread. When young, the tree displays a broad-columnar habit, and as it ages, it develops a more rounded habit. It does best in moist, well-drained soil, but will adapt to a variety of soils, as long as they are not wet. It makes a fine specimen tree and should be sited where it can be easily seen in late winter/early spring. The Okame requires full sun or light shade and has an excellent heat and cold tolerance.

This deciduous ornamental tree has an attractive dark red-orange fall color, and the shiny reddish brown bark provides some winter interest. Flowering is its main feature, yet the Okame can be considered an all seasons plant with its attractive bark and fall color. Okame's growth is medium-fast, especially when young, so it will grow 1 to 2 feet or more per year; thrives in zones 6-9.

The Heavy Bearer - Cortland Apple Tree

barb-nhn — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:15:00 GMT

The Cortland Apple is an all purpose apple that is rated as an excellent dessert and processing apple. It is sweet with a hint of tartness and has a tender snow white flesh.

It is best to use the Cortland apple for kabobs, fruit plates and garishes because it doesn't turn brown quickly when cut. It is attractive, large, red-striped and juicy. In order to keep this apple fresh, keep it in the refrigertor as cold as possible.

This productive spring flowering tree is known for being a heavy annual bearer of fruit and is a sight to behold every spring! It is completely covered with its delecate blooms. Cortland is a cross between a Mcintosh and Ben Davis and has inherited the good qualities of both parents.

Apple trees have long been considered for northern states only, but Cortland thrives in zones 4-7. This dwarf reaches a height of 14 to 20 feet and does not require a pollinator.

The Juicy Cresthaven Peach

barb-nhn — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:36:00 GMT

The Cresthaven Peach Tree produces a very firm, juicy, highly colored red fruit that is great for freezing and canning. The clear, firm flesh is resistant to browning, and the skin is smooth but tough. Cresthaven peach is yellow fleshed and shows considerable red around the pit.

This peach is a mid to late season variety, blooms late, and the fruit lasts well on the tree. This dwarf tree grows 8 to 14 feet in height; it is very productive and is also a freestone. Peach trees are best planted when dormant, in the winter or very early spring months. Each tree needs to be spaced far enough apart to allow a spread of 20 to 25 feet. At 3 or 4 years of age they begin to bear large crops and reach peak productivity at 8 to 12 years. No pollinator is needed and thrives in zones 5-9.

Peaches require lots of sun and a sandy, well drained soil, along with a regular fertilizing program. They also need heavier pruning than any other fruit trees to maintain size and encourage new growth. Peach trees add character to any landscape, and they're a hardy variety of fruit tree that can be grown successfully in many climates.

The Dwarf Sargents Crab Tree

barb-nhn — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:19:00 GMT

Reaching a height of 10-15 feet, this dwarf tree flowers profusely in early spring with pink to white scented blossoms; it is well known for its stunning flowers. The Sargents Crab tree is excellent for wildlife because of its edible dark red berries that persist on the tree into winter. Its dense summer foliage is a dark green color and provides shelter for wildlife.

Sargents Crab tree has the smallest leaves of all the crabs. Being a flowering, compact, landscape tree, it is often used as a specimen or patio tree; can be pruned to a single trunk.

This deciduous ornamental tree has moderate water requirements and a moderate tolerance to salt and alkali. Sargents crab prefers a sunny location with moist, well drained soil but will grow on sites with heavier and drier soils. One of the smallest crabapples, it is a mounded, wide spreading tree, (wider than high), with disordered branching and frequent cross branching.

The Zesty Kaffir Lime

barb-nhn — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:30:00 GMT

The Kaffir Lime Tree produces a lime that is a dark green, warty/bumpy fruit with leaves, zest (peel), and juice that's mainly used in Thai cooking; also used in Cambodian, and Indonesian cooking. The green limes grow on a very thorny bush with aromatic and distinctively shaped "double" leaves. These leaves are an essential ingredient for flavoring in many Asian dishes such as soups, curries and fish. Sizes vary, but the average individual leaf is approx 2" long. Lime leaves freeze well.

Being well suited to container growing, this citrus tree, reaching up to 5 feet tall, can be grown outdoors year round in zones 9-10. The Kaffir Lime tree thrives in potted environments and does well when grown on the patio or deck; in colder climates it needs to be brought indoors during winter; very cold sensitive. Its container needs adequate drainage, and this dwarf tree prefers full sun in moist soil. This tree is prone to root rot if kept too wet, so it is best to allow the soil to dry out some between waterings. Fertilize at the beginning of the growing season. No pollinator needed.

If grown indoors, keep near a sunny window. Trees are mildly frost hardy and grow best in areas that receive only short, mild frosts. In most parts of Thailand, the Kaffir Lime is so beloved that almost every person's home in the countryside has at least one tree growing in their yard.

The Jane Magnolia x Jane Tree

barb-nhn — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:12:00 GMT

The Jane Magnolia tree, Magnolia x Jane, displays impressive reddish purple flowers outside, with a white inside that opens late in the spring to avoid frost damage. These flowers, appearing just before the foliage, are a gorgeous tulip-shape with a lightly scented fragrance. This tree needs to be planted so that it has full morning sun and partially shaded afternoons. Although it does prefer rich, moist, and well-drained soils, it can grow in any soil no matter if its acidic, loamy, moist, rich, or sandy. It grows well in zones 3-7.

Magnolia Jane makes an excellent choice for any accent, specimen, or border use since it is a strong, vigorous, and an upright grower. This ornamental tree is distinguished by its beautifully shaped, extremely fragrant large flowers that open in early May.

This Magnolia needs regular watering until established, especially during dry spells. For optimum performance, fertilize in early spring with an acid-type fertilizer. Pruning it after the flowering is complete will help it maintain a desired shape and height.

The Eureka Lemon, a Large Producer

barb-nhn — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:10:00 GMT

The Eureka Lemon produces large crops of lemons annually. Bearing fruit all year, this lemon fruit tree produces somewhat knobby, thick-skinned lemons, and each lemon has a short neck at the stem end.

Watering this fruit tree systematically, like once a week is very important, but containerized citrus trees should be allowed to dry between waterings. Fertilizing it 3 times a year with a well balanced citrus fertilizer will benefit the health of Eureka as well. It is easy to espalier, grows vigorously with a spreading and open form, and has fewer thorns than other traditional lemon trees; needs full sun, well-drained soil, and no pollinator is required. This dwarf citrus will average 8-10' tall, and it will get taller unless pruned.

Eureka lemon trees bear multiple crops per year, but the main season is late winter, spring, and early summer. This tree can grow in zones 9-11, but for northern gardeners it needs to be in a pot and brought indoors for the winter. It should be pruned every year or two to keep the tree within bounds and the fruit easily reachable. Can be shaped as a small tree.

The fruits are borne on the outside of the canopy and are frequently held in clusters. The Eureka lemon contains a moderate amount of juice, and is grown primarily for this acidic juice, which can be used to flavor both sweet and savory dishes.

Lemons are very rich in vitamin C and also provide potassium and folic acid. The Eureka Lemon can be kept in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Lemons stored at room temperature will keep for about 1 week. The juice and zest of lemons can be frozen.

The Popular Kwanzan Flowering Cherry Tree

barb-nhn — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:28:00 GMT

Of all the flowering cherry trees, Kwanzan Flowering Cherry tree is one of the most popular and is a beautiful vase-shaped ornamental tree. This hardy deciduous tree is a moderate grower with an upright and spreading form; grows to a height of 20 to 30 feet. The bundles of large double pink blossoms last for three weeks. The flowers are a not only a clear pink, but “double pink", meaning you get twice as many blooms as found on other trees. Multiple petals are similar to a carnation flower. Kwanzan Flowering Cherry has light green foliage with a red tinge.

The Kwanzan Flowering Cherry tree is also known as a Japanese Flowering Cherry tree. The leaves turn to a reddish-copper fall color. It is one of the easiest flowering trees to grow and thrives in almost any soil and climate. Easily grown in zones 5-8 and is considered a tree for many seasons!

This flowering cherry prefers a site with full sun, loose, well drained soil with plenty of moisture. It is somewhat tolerant of alkaline soil and drought but is sensitive to pollution and stresses in general.