Featured Plants : ornamental

The Graceful and Arching Weeping Cherry Tree

barb-nhn — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:00 GMT

Have you ever thought of planting the heavy blooming Weeping Cherry Tree that is so famous in the springtime in Washington D.C.? This gorgeous, rapid growing ornamental tree displays its profuse flowering of delicate pink blossoms during each spring in zones 5-8. These showy pink flowers arrive on pendulous branches before the green foliage emerges.

In the fall, this tree will treat you to a mixture of green, chartreuse, and yellow colors. The bronzy-brown bark is smooth and attractive so will provide a winter interest. Each season will certainly add a new focus to this Weeping Cherry Tree.

Maturing to a height of 30-40 feet, Weeping Cherry is an accent or specimen tree with a single trunk. This tree will end up with a circumference of anywhere between 20 to 40 feet, so plan accordingly. It is also recommended that a layer of mulch be added to the ground, matching the tree circumference. This helps with maintaining the moisture that this tree needs.

Weeping Cherry tree prefers moist, well-drained soils of average fertility in full sun, but is adaptable to poor soils, compacted soils, dry soils, and heat. Since you do not see this tree in many yards, you will probably have your friends and neighbors asking about this new addition to your landscape!

Tatarian Maple is a highly ornamental tree

barb-nhn — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:11:00 GMT

Growing 15--20 feet tall, the Tatarian Maple is a beautiful addition to the landscape, and makes a wonderful tree for planters, patios, or small areas. It has an excellent small tree form and possesses an attractive foliage quality.

Have you noticed that everything about this small oriental-looking tree is highly ornamental -- its flowers, bark, foliage, and even the seeds themselves? The fragrant greenish to yellow flowers appear in spring and literally cover the tree. The flowers are followed by attractive bright pink to red winged fruit. The dense medium green summer leaves change to yellow, red, and reddish brown in the fall.

Tatarian Maple is tolerant of many soil conditions and should be planted in partial shade to full sun. This Maple tree is a low maintenance tree, and very hardy from zones 3 to 8. If you are looking for that perfect tree for your small yard, this tree is the one to seriously consider!

A Spectacular Flowering Crabapple -- Sugar Tyme®

barb-nhn — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:14:00 GMT

Showing off its masses of gorgeous, sugar-white fragrant flowers, Sugar Tyme® Crabapple puts on quite the show in May! After its spectacular flowering, you can enjoy this Crabapple's colorful, crisp and lustrous green foliage that emerges.

This lovely ornamental tree produces large, brilliant red berries, with total sweetness, that attract birds. These berries ripen in the fall and persist through winter. Vigorous and very disease-resistant, this Crabapple forms an upright, oval shape and is a bit smaller than some other flowering crabs. So, if an oval form patio tree with fragrant white blooms is what you desire, Sugar Tyme® would be a nice selection. Growing to a height of 16 to 18 feet, it is great for the smaller yard too.

Sugar Tyme® is spectacular in the landscape since the rich red fruits remain on the tree all year. This tree requires full sun and does well in most soil, but will be more attractive if fed peat and compost.

The Handsome and Ornamental 'Showy Mountain Ash'

barb-nhn — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:23:00 GMT

Showy Mountain Ash is a handsome and showy tree for the border of your property. It is a hardy tree that can tolerate heat or cold, strong winds and low humidity. Showy Mountain Ash is a smaller, rounded ornamental tree with white flowers, handsome foliage, and showy red fruit. A profuse flowering tree, it shows off its blooms from June until July!

This landscape ash tree has branches that spread to form a narrow, open, and round topped crown. Being the hardiest of the species in this country, it is slow growing and resistant to disease. It is a main source of food for birds, who will scatter the seeds and the fruits are not edible for humans. This plant is attractive to bees and butterflies.

Showy Mountain Ash needs good drainage; water regularly; do not overwater. It should be mulched to maintain a cool, moist, acidic soil. The mulch should spread out beyond the trunk at least twice as far as the edge of its canopy. This will shelter its extensive root system.

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.

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 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 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.

The Handsome Japanese Tree Lilac

barb-nhn — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:08:00 GMT

The Japanese Tree Lilac is a small, specimen tree or large shrub that has stiff spreading branches with a somewhat oval-rounded to vase shaped crown. This handsome landscape tree grows upright, to about 30 feet, and has a wide trunk. It produces very showy, cream-white flowers in large panicles in June and July. Clumps will have three or more stems.

This ornamental tree displays reddish-brown, cherry-like bark that is sometimes smooth and lustruous. The leaves are clean and dark green and enhance seasonal interest. Lawn fertilizer contains nitrogen, so avoid using it around the base of this Lilac tree. When pruning, it is important not to remove too much since this will reduce the flower output the following year. Prune immediately after flowering to avoid removing flower buds.

Regular watering will maintain a healthy and beautiful plant. This Tree Lilac prefers full sun and moist, well drained, slightly acid soil. Tree lilacs are dependable urban trees. They can be used for parking lot or boulevard plantings, which tolerate a wide range of conditions. Use as farm windbreaks or highway beautification too.

The Showy Japanese Red Maple Tree

barb-nhn — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:18:00 GMT

It is fall, and I see the brilliant red colors of the Japanese Red Maple trees that break up the green monotony of many lawns and gardens. What a beautiful specimen! It is by far one of the most popular ornamental plants in the plant kingdom. This small deciduous tree is a very showy, versatile species. Japanese Red Maple trees are used as a single specimen or in borders or groupings. This stunning tree is the perfect tree for fall and winter planting.

Growing to a height of 20 feet, this tree can be a single-stemmed small tree or multi-stemmed shrub. In the spring the leaves are a reddish-purple, and then they turn a brilliant red in the fall. The Japanese Red Maple tree is used to create a unique bonsai tree. This ornamental tree requires full sun and moist well drained soils, and survives in a variety of climates in zones 5-8.

The Heavy Producing Chinese Apricot

barb-nhn — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:15:00 GMT

The Chinese Apricot is an early bearing, heavy producing variety of apricot tree that is recommended for difficult climates prone to late spring frosts. This apricot is cold hardy, frost hardy, and sets heavy crops of small to medium size sweet fruit. It blooms very early and needs well-drained, moderately fertile soil. It is best to thin fruit early in season to maximize size and quality. Thin the fruits enough so each individual fruit has about 3 to 5 inches of room.

The fruit is of good quality with a yellow to medium-orange skin and flesh. Chinese Apricot is generally freestone quality which makes the fruits easy to prepare for canning, drying, or use in baked goods. For canning, use fruits that are firm and use fully ripe fruits for fresh eating or drying. Apricots contain carotenoids which are antioxidants that help prevent heart disease, reduce "bad cholesterol" levels, and protect against cancer.

The Chinese Apricot trees are gorgeous in the 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. This Chinese Apricot is sem-dwarf like the Gold Cot Apricot. It reaches anywhere from 15-20 feet in height and is quite handsome in the summer, displaying its furrowed bark and heart shaped glossy leaves. It thrives in full sun in zones 4-7 and does not require a pollinator.

The Profuse Blooming Cleveland Select Flowering Pear Tree

barb-nhn — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 22:03:00 GMT

There’s nothing more beautiful in spring than a flowering pear tree covered in snowy white blooms. The Cleveland Select Flowering Pear Tree will provide you with this multitudinous display of white blooms. It is a beautiful tree with dark, glossy green leaves and displays its defining feature of white flowers in spring. It is a brilliant orange color in fall. This tree will draw attention to the landscape in all of these seasons. Cleveland Select Flowering Pear Tree is an excellent street tree with beautiful purplish-red fall color. It has an attractive upright oval form, and Cleveland Select Pear reaches a height of 30 feet and width of 15 feet and requires full sun. This ornamental tree has a superior branch structure that withstands ice and wind damage better than the Bradford Pear. It is fruitless, has few pest problems, tolerates urban conditions, and heavy clay soils.

The Beautiful Aristocrat Flowering Pear

barb-nhn — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:59:00 GMT

The Aristocrat Flowering Pear Tree is a large, beautiful tree that is attractive in all four seasons. It produces masses of early spring flowers that are a lovely white, then followed in the summer by bright, glossy green, disease resistant foliage. These wavy leaves turn a deep to reddish-purple in mid to late fall to provide a spectacular fall color. Its clean winter outline is upright to pyramidal when young and becomes broadly oval at maturity.

The fast and vigorous growth of this handsome ornamental tree has superior introduction and forms horizontal branches that produce a strong pyramidal shape. With a more dominant trunk and open form, it is less susceptible to wind damage.

These trees are often placed in a prominent location by homeowners and landscapers so the year-round beauty can be enjoyed. This ornamental requires full sun and is heat and drought tolerant. It reaches a height of 25-40 feet and thrives in zones 5-9. What a display the Aristocrat Flowering Pear puts on when it is covered with multitudinous white flowers in early spring!

Double Flowering Plum

barb-nhn — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:51:00 GMT

The Double Flowering Plum is a showstopper across the northern areas in May! It is a handsome, hardy tree or large shrub, and it is noted for its double pink flowers produced in profusion in April-May. These fully double hot pink flowers completely smother the branches in early spring, long before the leaves emerge. This flowering tree also goes by the name of Rose Tree of China.

At maturity, Double Flowering Plum forms a rounded shape with medium green foliage, and it matures 10-12 feet in both height and width. It is hardy to zones 3-6, which means that it will reliably leaf out every year in the coldest parts of the Northscaping region.

This ornamental tree needs lots of sun and space to look its best. It will tolerate a wide range of soils and is adaptable to most soils and pH; intolerant to poorly drained, compacted soil.

Being a moderate growing tall shrub, it can be used as a specimen, bonsai, or buffer strip. Double Flowering Plum develops a yellow-bronze fall color. Anyone who has seen a mature specimen in full bloom will certainly remember its glorious pink color. You will want to find a space in your landscape for this stunning small tree!