Eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis

The Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a popular ornamental tree known for its striking spring blooms and heart-shaped leaves.

Here are some key facts about Eastern redbud:

Native Range: The Eastern redbud is native to eastern North America, from southern Ontario, Canada down to northern Florida and west to Texas and Nebraska.

Size: It is a small to medium-sized tree, typically growing to 20-30 feet (6-9 meters) in height with a similar spread, making it suitable for smaller landscapes.

Flowers: One of the most distinctive features of the Eastern redbud is its profusion of small, pink or magenta flowers that bloom directly on the branches and trunk in early spring, before the leaves appear. This creates a striking visual effect.

Leaves: After flowering, heart-shaped leaves emerge, which are initially reddish in color, turning to a deep green as they mature, and then to yellow in the fall, providing seasonal interest.

Growth Conditions: Eastern redbud prefers well-drained soil but is adaptable to a range of soil types and pH levels. It can thrive in full sun to partial shade.

Wildlife Value: The tree provides food for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators with its nectar-rich flowers. Its seed pods, which appear after the flowers, are also a food source for birds and small mammals.

Landscape Use: Due to its moderate size and attractive features, Eastern redbud is a popular choice for residential landscapes, parks, and along streets. It is often used as a specimen tree or planted in groups.

Varieties: There are several cultivars of Eastern redbud with variations in flower color (from white to deep purple), leaf color (including variegated forms), and growth habit (including weeping forms).

Maintenance: Eastern redbud is relatively low maintenance but can be susceptible to diseases such as canker and verticillium wilt, as well as pests like tree borers. Proper planting and care can help minimize these issues.

Symbolism: The tree is often associated with spring and renewal because of its early blooming and is used in many cultural and gardening contexts to symbolize new beginnings. It is also the state tree of Oklahoma.

Appearance: Eastern redbuds typically grow to 20-30 feet (6-9 meters) in height with a similar spread. They have a rounded, vase-shaped crown.

Fruit: Eastern redbud trees produce small, pea-like seed pods that mature in the fall and can persist through the winter.

Habitat: It is commonly found in woodlands, forest margins, and along streams and rivers. It prefers well-drained soils but can adapt to a variety of soil types.

Cultivation: Eastern redbud is a popular ornamental tree in landscapes and gardens due to its compact size, attractive flowers, and heart-shaped leaves. It is used in a variety of settings, including residential landscapes, parks, and along streets.

Care: The tree is relatively low-maintenance, requiring minimal pruning. It is also drought-tolerant once established but benefits from occasional watering during prolonged dry spells.

Eastern redbud's early spring blossoms and attractive foliage make it a cherished addition to many landscapes, offering multiple seasons of interest. Its adaptability to different environments and conditions also contributes to its popularity among gardeners and landscapers.

Chinese wisteria, Wisteria sinensis

Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) is a popular climbing vine known for its beautiful and fragrant flowers.

Here are some key facts about it:

Origin: Chinese wisteria is native to China and was introduced to the Western world in the early 19th century.

Growth Habit: It is a vigorous and fast-growing vine that can reach up to 30 feet (9 meters) or more in length. It twines around structures and other plants, sometimes becoming invasive if not properly managed.

Flowers: The plant is best known for its stunning, cascading clusters of flowers that are typically a deep lavender or violet color, although there are varieties with white and pink flowers. These flower clusters can be up to a foot in length.

Fragrance: The flowers emit a sweet, pleasant fragrance that is often described as intoxicating, attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

Blooming Season: Chinese wisteria blooms in late spring to early summer, usually around May, depending on the climate.

Leaves: The plant has pinnately compound leaves, meaning each leaf is made up of multiple smaller leaflets arranged on both sides of a common axis.

Growth Conditions: It prefers full sun to partial shade and can grow in a variety of soil types, though it thrives best in moist, well-drained soil.

Uses: Chinese wisteria is often used in gardens and landscapes for pergolas, trellises, and arbors due to its climbing nature and attractive flowers. It can also be trained to grow into a tree-like form.

Maintenance: Pruning is important to control growth and encourage flowering. Without proper pruning, the vine can become a tangled mass and may not produce as many flowers.

Invasiveness: In some areas, particularly in parts of the United States, Chinese wisteria is considered invasive. It can choke out native plants and trees by girdling them, and its heavy vines can cause structural damage.

When planting Chinese wisteria, it's important to consider its potential size and invasiveness. Proper site selection and regular maintenance can help manage its growth and ensure that it adds beauty to the landscape without becoming a problem.

Chinese Witch Hazel, Hamamelis mollis

Chinese witch hazel (Hamamelis mollis) is a captivating species of flowering plant belonging to the Hamamelidaceae family, native to central and eastern China, including regions like Anhui, Guangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, and Zhejiang. It can grow as a large shrub or a small tree, reaching up to 26 feet tall. The leaves are oval, ranging from 8 to 15 cm in length and 6 to 10 cm in width, featuring a wavy-toothed or shallowly lobed margin and turning yellow in the autumn. The plant is noted for its yellow, ribbon-shaped petals that are often 15 mm long, and its flowers bloom in clusters during late winter to early spring, emitting a strong fragrance​​.

Culturally, Chinese witch hazel is greatly valued for its ornamental appeal, particularly due to its vibrant and fragrant flowers that appear in the winter when not much else is in bloom. It has been the subject of various cultivations to produce different flower colors and sizes, as well as variations in the shrub's size and form. Additionally, it's one of the parent plants of the popular garden hybrid H. × intermedia, alongside H. japonica. Some cultivars like ‘Jermyns Gold’ and ‘Wisley Supreme’ have even been recognized with the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, highlighting their exceptional qualities​​.

In terms of care, Chinese witch hazel thrives in average to medium moisture, well-drained soils, and can adapt to full sun or part shade environments. It prefers moist, acidic, organically rich soils but has some tolerance for clay soils as long as drainage is good. The plant requires minimal maintenance, with pruning recommended in spring after flowering to maintain its shape and size. It's generally winter hardy to USDA Zone 5, though it's advisable to plant it in protected locations within this zone to shield it from extreme cold​​.

For garden use, Chinese witch hazel serves well as a border shrub or as part of a woodland garden. It's valued for its fragrant, late winter flowers and appealing fall foliage, making it an excellent specimen plant. It also offers good resistance to deer and erosion, and can tolerate clay soil​​.

Double Blooming Gardenia, Gardenia jasminoides

The Double Blooming Gardenia Tree, known scientifically as Gardenia jasminoides, is a popular choice for those looking to add a touch of elegance and fragrance to their outdoor spaces.

Here are some key facts about this beautiful plant:

Size and Growth:This evergreen tree reaches a manageable height of 5 to 7 feet, making it suitable for both small and larger gardens. Its attractive, symmetrical form allows it to serve as a stunning focal point, particularly when used to frame a front doorway or gate.

Flowers: The tree is celebrated for its heavily fragrant, long-lasting white flowers that bloom profusely throughout the summer. The flowers are double-bloomed, with each reaching around 3 inches in diameter, covering the tree in a blanket of white.

Care: Despite its sophisticated appearance, the Double Blooming Gardenia Tree is not difficult to grow. It requires at least four hours of direct sunlight daily, but can thrive in up to eight hours of sunlight. The soil should be well-draining and acidic. Weekly watering is recommended, or more frequently during hot weather, ensuring the soil remains moist but not waterlogged.

Fertilization: To support its growth, the tree benefits from fertilization throughout the growing season with a high-nitrogen fertilizer, for instance, a 30-10-10 formula. If yellow leaves appear, a solution of Epsom salt and water can help.

Pollination: Insects, particularly moths drawn by the tree's strong scent, are responsible for pollinating the gardenia trees.

The Double Blooming Gardenia Tree is ideal for container gardening, especially in northern regions, allowing it to be moved indoors during colder months. Its lush, glossy dark green leaves remain vibrant year-round, adding to its appeal.

Milk Thistle, Silybum marianum

Milk Thistle, scientifically known as Silybum marianum, is a plant that has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties.

Here are some key facts about Milk Thistle:

Origin and Habitat: Milk Thistle is native to Mediterranean countries, but it can now be found worldwide. It thrives in dry, rocky soils and is often found in waste places and by roadsides.

Physical Characteristics: It is a thistle-like plant that can grow to be over 2 meters tall, with spiny leaves and a distinctive white marbling. The plant produces a purple to pink thistle flower and has a large, bristly seed head.

Historical Use: Historically, Milk Thistle has been used for various ailments, particularly liver problems. The Greek physician and botanist Dioscorides was one of the first to describe its use for liver conditions in the 1st century AD.

Active Components: The active ingredients in Milk Thistle are a group of compounds collectively called silymarin. Silymarin is extracted from the seeds of the plant and is considered to be the primary component responsible for Milk Thistle's medicinal properties.

Liver Health: Milk Thistle is best known for its potential to support liver health. It is thought to protect the liver from toxins, promote liver cell regeneration, and have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Other Uses: Besides liver health, Milk Thistle is also explored for its potential benefits in managing diabetes, promoting breast milk production, reducing cholesterol levels, and providing support for cancer treatment, although more research is needed in these areas.

Supplementation: Milk Thistle is available in various forms, including capsules, tablets, powders, and teas. The dosage and form depend on the specific health condition being addressed.

Safety and Side Effects: Milk Thistle is generally considered safe when taken in recommended doses. However, it can interact with certain medications and may cause mild gastrointestinal side effects in some individuals.

Cultivation: Milk Thistle is also cultivated as an ornamental plant due to its striking appearance and is sometimes grown for its edible parts, such as the leaves, which can be used similarly to those of artichokes.

Conservation Status: While Milk Thistle is widespread and not considered endangered, its habitat is threatened by urbanization and intensive agriculture in some areas, leading to a decline in wild populations.

These facts highlight the importance of Milk Thistle in traditional and modern herbal medicine, as well as its ecological and cultural significance.

Prairie Fire Crabapple, Malus Prairifire

The Prairie Fire Crabapple, Malus 'Prairifire', is a highly regarded ornamental tree celebrated for its year-round appeal, particularly noted for its disease resistance and vibrant floral display. Typically, this tree reaches a height and spread of 15 to 20 feet, making it a compact choice suitable for various landscape settings. It blooms in April and May, showcasing deep pinkish-red flowers that are both showy and fragrant. The foliage undergoes a captivating transition from purplish in spring to dark green with reddish-tinged veins in summer, culminating in an orangish hue in autumn. The small, purplish-red crabapples that follow the flowers are persistent and appealing to birds, adding to the tree's ornamental value​​.

The Prairie Fire Crabapple is best grown in medium moisture, well-drained, acidic loams under full sun but is adaptable to a wide range of soils. Once established, it demonstrates some drought tolerance. It's important to note that pruning, if necessary, should be done in late winter to avoid spring pruning, which can make the tree vulnerable to fireblight bacterium through fresh cuts​​.

This tree is celebrated not only for its aesthetic qualities but also for its robust health, showing high resistance to common crabapple diseases such as scab, fire blight, rusts, leaf spot, and powdery mildew. Its rounded crown makes it an ideal choice for planting under utility lines or in mass plantings, enhancing its utility and appeal in urban and residential settings​​​​.

The introduction of Malus 'Prairifire' to the horticultural world in 1982 marked a significant advancement in crabapple breeding, thanks to its exceptional floral and fruit display, outstanding disease resistance, and unique foliage coloration. It has even earned accolades such as the 'Tree of the Year' award from the Iowa Nursery and Landscape Association in 1996 for these very reasons​​.

For more detailed information, you can explore the resources provided by the Missouri Botanical Garden​​, Oklahoma State University​​, and the Arbor Day Blog​​.

Downy serviceberry, Amelanchier arborea

Downy serviceberry, or Amelanchier arborea, is a versatile and attractive deciduous tree native to Eastern North America. Typically, it reaches heights of 5-12 meters (16-39 feet), but it can occasionally grow as tall as 20 meters (66 feet). The tree is characterized by its smooth, gray bark and slender buds with pointed tips. Its leaves are ovate or elliptical, emerging downy on the underside, which is a key identification feature. The tree is renowned for its beautiful, slightly fragrant white flowers that bloom in early spring, even before the leaves fully emerge. These flowers, arranged in pendulous racemes, are followed by reddish-purple pomes resembling small apples, which ripen in summer and are favored by over 40 species of birds and various mammals including squirrels and deer.

Amelanchier arborea thrives in full sun but can tolerate varying light levels, requiring good drainage and air circulation. It's often confused with other species in nurseries, and propagation can be achieved through seeds, divisions, or grafting. The fruit, which is drier than that of some other serviceberry species, is locally harvested for pies, jams, and even wine. Interestingly, the sweetened juice of the fruit is said to taste similar to Dr. Pepper, earning it the nickname "The Dr. Pepper Tree" in some circles, though it's not used in the soft drink itself.

In the landscape, downy serviceberry offers year-round interest with its graceful form, white spring flowers, and excellent fall foliage that varies from yellow to orange to red. It's often used as a screening plant, in shrub borders, or in naturalized settings like woodland edges. The tree prefers moist, well-drained soils with a pH range between 5.5 and 7.0, and while it is somewhat drought-tolerant once established, it's not recommended for high-stress conditions. Maintenance is generally low as it rarely requires pruning to maintain its shape.

However, like other members of the rose family, it is susceptible to diseases such as rust, leaf spot, and powdery mildew, as well as pests like borers and scale. Proper selection of resistant cultivars and good cultural practices are essential to prevent these issues from becoming serious.