Calycanthus floridus “common sweetshrub” SIZE: Medium shrub HABIT: Upright-rounded

FOL: Glossy dark green in summer; yellowish in fall

FL. & FR.: Flowers = 2” dark reddish-brown- maroon in May-June-July; Fruit = 2” brown capsule in September and persists through winter

CULTURE: Easily transplanted; very adaptable; pH adaptable; sun or shade; prune after flowering PESTS: None USE: Mixed shrub border; specimen; naturalizing MISC.: Flowers are sweetly scented with a banana-strawberry-pineapple scent. An excellent plant that is underutilized; native Virginia to Florida; marginally hardy here

Calycanthus floridus ‘Athens’

Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’ “dwarf winged euonymus” SIZE: Medium shrub HABIT: Rounded to horizontal spreading

FOL: Dull dark green in summer; brilliant red in fall

FL. & FR.: Flowers = not showy; Fruit = 1/3” red, dehiscent capsule containing 3 orange seeds (somewhat showy

CULTURE: Easily transplanted; very adaptable; pH adaptable; tolerates heavy pruning; tolerates drought; will develop fall color even in shade PESTS: None USE: Hedges, groupings, mass, specimen, foundation, etc... overused!

MISC.: This shrub, although the compact form of the species still does get large, it just takes a longer time!

Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’ “variegated dogwood” SIZE: Small to medium shrub HABIT: Upright and slightly arching with age; suckers

FOL: Green leaf with a creamy-white margin in summer; can develop a good reddish- purple color in fall

FL. & FR.: Flowers = creamy yellow in 2” flat-topped cymes in June (ok); Fruits = 3/8” bluish-white drupe in July (ok)

CULTURE: Prefers MWDS; partial sun best; tolerates severe pruning (in early spring) PESTS: Canker, leaf spots, powdery mildew, etc. USE: Shrub border

MISC.: Bright red stems that are showy in winter! Also C. alba ‘Aureo-marginata’

Cornus alba ‘Spaethii’

Cornus racemosa “gray dogwood” SIZE: Medium shrub HABIT: Multistemmed; upright mounding; suckers freely mounding; suckers freely

FOL: Dull dark green in summer; purple-red in fall

FL. & FR.: Flowers = white in 2” diameter cymose- panicles that cover every terminal stem; Fruit = white, 1/4” drupe in September (infructescence = red!)

CULTURE: Transplants readily; tolerates both wet and dry soils; sun of full shade PESTS: None serious USE: Shrub border, hedge, mass, naturalizing MISC.: The stems and infructescence are red in fall and winter; native plant

Cornus sericea (C. stolonifera) “red osier dogwood” SIZE: Small to medium shrub HABIT: Multistemmed; loose and spreading; suckers readily

FOL: dark green in summer; reddish-purple in fall

FL. & FR.: Flowers = Dull white in 2” flat-topped cymes in June (ok); Fruit = 1/3” white drupe in September (ok)

CULTURE: Easily transplanted; extremely adaptable; tolerates wet sites; full sun to partial shade PESTS: Canker USE: Massing; along streams and ponds

MISC.: Excellent red stems in winter; Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’ = “golden twig dogwood”

Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’

Enkianthus campanulatus “redvein enkianthus” SIZE: Small to medium shrub HABIT: Upright shrub with horizontal (tiered) branching

FOL: Bright blue-green in summer; brilliant yellow-orange-red fall color

FL. & FR.: Flowers = 1/3” creamy yellow “bells” with red-veins in pendulous umbel-like racemes in June; Fruit = upcurved capsule (not showy)

CULTURE: Prefers MWDS, requires acidic soils; full sun to partial shade PESTS: None serious USE: Mixed shrub border; specimen MISC.: Marginally hardy here

Enkianthus campanulatus ‘Sikokianus’

Rhododendron calendulaceum “flame azalea” SIZE: Small to medium shrub HABIT: Upright and open

FOL: medium green in summer; dull yellow to dull red in fall (deciduous!)

FL. & FR.: Flowers = 2” funnel-shaped orange in June; Fruit = capsule (not showy)

CULTURE: Prefers MWDS; requires acidic soil conditions; does not tolerate wet sites, salt, winter winds; full sun to partial shade PESTS: Pythium, Phytophthora and other root rot fungi; leaf spots USE: Mixed shrub border; naturalizing MISC.: Spectacular in flower; slightly scented in flower

Rhododendron ‘Exbury hybrids’ “Exbury azaleas” SIZE: Medium shrub HABIT: Upright

FOL: Medium green in summer; yellow- orange-red in fall

FL. & FR.: Flowers = Mostly whites, yellows, orange, and red funnel-shaped in trusses in May

Fruit = capsule (not showy)

CULTURE: Prefers MWDS; requires acidic soil conditions; does not tolerate wet sites, salt, winter winds; full sun to partial shade PESTS: Pythium, Phytophthora and other root rot fungi; leaf spots USE: Mixed shrub border; massing MISC.: Spectacular in flower, almost overwhelming! These are interspecific hybrids... MANY cultivars!

Rhododendron mucronulatum “Korean rhododendron” SIZE: Small to medium shrub HABIT: Upright - oval

FOL: Medium green in summer; yellow to bronzy-red in fall (deciduous!)

FL. & FR.: Flowers = 2” rosy-purple, funnel-shaped in April (clustered), flowers before foliage; Fruit = capsule (not showy)

CULTURE: Prefers MWDS; requires acidic soil conditions; does not tolerate wet sites, salt, winter winds; full sun to partial shade PESTS: Pythium, Phytophthora and other root rot fungi; leaf spots USE: Mixed shrub border; massing MISC.: Spectacular in flower; flowers often frozen out with a late freeze (protect plants from exposure to southwest sun in winter)

Rhododendron schlippenbachii “royal azalea” SIZE: Small to medium shrub HABIT: Upright mounded

FOL: Dark green in summer; yellow, orange, scarlet in fall; (deciduous)

FL. & FR.: Flowers = 2” pale pink clustered in open trusses in May as leaves emerge; Fruit = capsule (not showy)

CULTURE: Prefers MWDS; does NOT need as acidic a soil as other ericaceous plants! full sun to partial shade PESTS: Pythium, Phytophthora and other root rot fungi; leaf scorch if dry USE: Mixed shrub border MISC.: Spectacular in flower; lightly scented flowers; Dirr describes it as, “one of the finest azaleas with no adequate way to do justice to the beauty of this plant by the written word”

Fothergilla major ‘Mt. Airy’ “Mt. Airy fothergilla” SIZE: Small to medium shrub HABIT: Multistemmed, dense and rounded; tends to sucker

FOL: Blue-green in summer; yellow-orange- red in fall (reliably spectacular!)

FL. & FR.: Flowers = apetalous! Stamens are showy; on 1-2” spikes in May. Fruit = capsule (not showy)

CULTURE: Prefers acidic, peaty, sandy loam; best in well-drained soil; full sun; tolerates clay soil and basic pH PESTS: None ! USE: Massing, mixed shrub border, foundation planting, naturalizing MISC.: Flowers are honey-scented and emerge before leaves. An outstanding native worthy of greater landscape use!

Hamamelis vernalis “vernal witchhazel” SIZE: Small to medium shrub HABIT: Multistemmed, dense and rounded and rounded

FOL: Light to medium green in summer; golden yellow in fall

FL. & FR.: Flowers = 1/2” yellow to red, four strap-like petals; pungent in late winter! Fruit = capsule (not showy)

CULTURE: Somewhat difficult to transplant; best in moist situations; full sun; tolerates high pH PESTS: None serious USE: Massing, border, mixed shrub border

MISC.: Can hold leaves in winter that hide flowers; not as hardy as H. virginiana

Hydrangea quercifolia “oakleaf hydrangea” SIZE: Small to medium shrub HABIT: Multistemmed, loose and rounded, few side-branches

FOL: Dark green in summer; copper, red, purple in fall

FL. & FR.: Flowers = showy, sterile, 1” fragrant flowers in upright panicles in June-July; Fruit = capsule (not showy)

CULTURE: Young plants are tender and need winter protection in Zone 5; prefers a cool, moist, organic soil PESTS: None serious USE: Massing, border, mixed shrub border; coarse winter texture MISC.: Can hold inflorescence into winter

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snowflake’

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Pee-wee’

Hibiscus syriacus “Rose-of-Sharon” SIZE: Small to medium shrub HABIT: Multistemmed shrub or small tree; upright

FOL: Medium green in summer; poor yellow in fall (not showy)

FL. & FR.: Flowers = showy, white, pink, red or “blue”, 2-4” across, July - Sept.; Fruit = dehiscent capsule (not showy)

CULTURE: Tolerates most soils except very wet or very dry; prefers soils with high organic matter; full sun to partial shade; prefers summer heat; tolerates heavy pruning PESTS: None serious USE: Massing, border, mixed shrub border; screen or hedge MISC.: A Victorian plant that is a hot item again! Flowers come in singles or doubles

Hibiscus syriacus ‘Variegata’

Myrica pensylvanica “northern bayberry” SIZE: Small to medium semi-evergreen shrub HABIT: Upright-rounded, dense

FOL: Light green in spring; lustrous dark green in summer and fall; yellowing in winter

FL. & FR.: Flower = monoecious or dioecious (not showy); Fruit = 1/6” drupe with gray waxy coating, in fall

CULTURE: Extremely adaptable; tolerates poor, sterile, sandy or clay soils; full sun to partial shade; tolerates salt PESTS: None serious USE: Massing, border, mixed shrub border, naturalizing MISC.: The wax is boiled off the fruit to produce bayberry candles; native

Forsythia x intermedia “border forsythia” SIZE: Small to medium shrub HABIT: Upright - arching

FOL: Dark green in summer; yellow or purple fall color (not consistent); holds its foliage late into fall

FL. & FR.: Flowers = 1” yellow (4 -lobed) in April before foliage (borne on old wood); Fruit = capsule (not showy,rare)

CULTURE: Transplants readily; soil adaptable; pH adaptable; tolerates urban conditions; prune after flowering; remove oldest “canes” PESTS: None serious USE: Shrub border, massing, groups, on banks MISC.: Effective in flower; can force cut stems to flower indoors; roots in water

Forsythia suspensa var. sieboldii “weeping forsythia” SIZE: Small to medium shrub HABIT: Arching to weeping

FOL: Dark green in summer; yellowish fall color but generally not ornamental

FL. & FR.: Flowers = 1” golden yellow in April (sparse); Fruit = capsule (rare)

CULTURE: Transplants readily; soil adaptable; prune after flowering PESTS: None serious USE: Shrub border, massing, groups, on banks and areas where it can hang over MISC.: Moderately effective in flower; can make a yellow waterfall effect if sited properly