Cornus alternifolia “pagoda dogwood” SIZE: Small tree HABIT: Horizontal branching; pyramidal

FOL: Dark green in summer; reddish-purple in fall (not showy)

BARK: Variable, first and second year stems are often brown to purple in color. Older bark is gray brown

FL. & FR. : Yellowish-white in June in 2” flat-topped cymes (fragrant FL. & FR.: Yellowish-white in June in 2” flat-topped cymes (fragrant!); Fruit = black drupe in summer (not showy)

CULTURE: Transplant when young; requires a moist, cool, acidic soil and partial shade (fastidious) PESTS: Leaf spot, twig blight and canker!! USE: Naturalizing; gives horizontal lines MISC.: Best left in and along woods...

Cornus florida “flowering dogwood” SIZE: Small to medium tree HABIT: Low-branched with horizontal lines, flat-topped crown at maturity

FOL: Dark green in summer; red-purple in fall

BARK: Reminiscent of an alligator’s back BARK: Reminiscent of an alligator’s back. Broken into small square and rectangular blocks.

FL. & FR.: Flowers not showy, clustered in an umbel; bracts are emarginate and white, 3-4” across in May; Fruit = glossy red 1/3” ovoid drupe, clustered, persist

CULTURE: Difficult to transplant (B & B best); requires soil amended with organic matter; roots must remain cool and moist; partial shade best; does NOT tolerate pollution or full sun! PESTS: MANY! anthracnose (Discula), powdery mildew USE: Specimen; accent, naturalizing, attracts wildlife MISC.: A 4-season plant! Marginally hardy

Cornus florida var. rubra

Cornus florida ‘Golden Nugget’

Cornus florida ‘Welchii’

Cornus kousa “kousa dogwood” SIZE: Small to medium tree HABIT: Vase-shaped when young; rounded with horizontal branching when mature

FOL: Dark green in summer; red-purple in fall (sometimes scarlet)

BARK: Exfoliating with age to form a mix of gray, tan, and rich brown

FL. & FR.: Flowers not showy; bracts 4” across, white, pointed in June; Fruit = drupe clustered into a globose syncarp on a 2” pendulous stalk

CULTURE: Difficult to transplant (B & B best); requires moist, acidic, well-drained soils; full sun is best PESTS: None serious, some leaf spot USE: Foundation; specimen MISC.: Exfoliating bark; beautiful 4-season plant; more cold-hardy than C. florida; fruit is edible and sweet but mealy

Cornus kousa ‘Beni Fugi’

Cornus kousa ‘Snowboy’

Cornus kousa ‘Limon Ripple’

Cornus kousa ‘Gold Star’

Cornus mas “corneliancherry dogwood” SIZE: Medium shrub or small tree HABIT: Typically multistemmed and oval-rounded; branches to the ground

FOL: Glossy dark green in summer; red-purple in fall possible but not likely

BARK: Scaly and flaky, often gray-brown in color

FL. & FR.: Yellow 3/4” umbels in March-April before leaves (showy); Fruit = 1/2” oblong red drupe in July (hidden by foliage)

CULTURE: Transplant when young (B & B); soil and pH adaptable; sun to partial shade PESTS: None serious USE: Shrub border, hedge, screen, foundation plant MISC.: Fruit is edible and is made into preserves or syrup

Cornus mas ‘Aurea’

Hippophae rhamnoides “seabuckthorn” SIZE: Medium to large shrub HABIT: spreading and irregularly mounded/arching

FOL: Silver-green in spring, summer and fall FOL: Silver-green in spring, summer and fall. Drop off without any change

STEM: Stellately pubescent with silvery or brownish scales

FL. & FR. : Dioecious. Flowers not showy FL. & FR.: Dioecious. Flowers not showy. Female plant has EXCELLENT 1/3” axillary, globose, orange fruits that persist into winter.

CULTURE: Difficult to establish. Prefers infertile, sandy soils CULTURE: Difficult to establish. Prefers infertile, sandy soils. Full sun. Tolerates salt spray PESTS: None serious USE: Outstanding plant for winter fruit effect. Good for coastal areas and poor sites. MISC.: Fixes nitrogen. Difficult to propagate.

Caragana arborescens “Siberian peashrub” SIZE: Medium shrub HABIT: Upright, yet mounding

FOL: Light, bright green in summer; yellow-green in fall (not showy)

STEM: Young stems are green in color with pale lenticels STEM: Young stems are green in color with pale lenticels. Mature stems become more brownish

FL. & FR.: Bright yellow 1” long, often clustered, axillary, in May as leaves open; Fruit = 2” long brown pod in August

CULTURE: Easy; tolerates poor, dry, basic soils; tolerates drought and salt; tolerates wind and cold PESTS: None serious USE: Hedge, screen MISC.: Fixes nitrogen; ‘Pendula’= a grafted weeping form

Caragana arborescens ‘Pendula’

Cercis canadensis “Eastern redbud” SIZE: Small tree HABIT: Rounded crown at maturity

FOL: New leaves are reddish-purple in spring; dark green in summer; usually a poor yellow in fall

BARK: Mature bark is brownish with patches of orange inner bark

FL. & FR.: 1/2” pink-red in clusters in April on old wood before leaves; Fruit = 2-3” brown pod (persistent)

CULTURE: Tolerates most soils except wet sites; pH adaptable; full sun to partial shade; marginally hardy here PESTS: Canker USE: Specimen; naturalizing MISC.: Only select plants grown in cold areas or seed collected from these areas. ‘Forest Pansy’ is a purple-leaf cultivar but not hardy here

Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’

Cercis canadensis ‘Silver Cloud’

Magnolia x soulangiana “saucer magnolia” SIZE: Small tree or large shrub HABIT: Pyramidal to upright elliptic at maturity

FOL: Medium green in summer; fall color is a poor yellow-brown

FL. & FR.: Campanulate, upright, 5 - 10” in diameter, white to pink - purple, 9 tepals, before leaves in April; Fruit = aggregate of follicles (not showy)

CULTURE: Fleshy roots therefore transplant B & B; require moist, organic sl. acidic soils; full sun; protect from direct southern light exposure; protect from wind PESTS: Mildew, leaf spots USE: Specimen, accent

MISC.: Freeze/frost often damages flowers. Many cultivars...

Magnolia stellata “star magnolia” SIZE: Medium to large shrub HABIT: Dense oval to rounded

FOL: Dark green in summer; yellow-bronze in fall (not showy)

BARK: Smooth and gray, similar to other magnolias

FL. & FR.: 4” diameter, 12-18 white strap-like tepals, before leaves in April; Fruit = aggregate of follicles (not showy)

CULTURE: Fleshy roots therefore transplant B & B; require moist, organic sl. acidic soils; full sun; protect from direct southern light exposure; protect from wind; tolerates city dirt PESTS: None serious USE: Specimen, accent MISC.: Many cultivars available...

Chionanthus virginicus “white fringetree” SIZE: Large shrub or small tree HABIT: Open and irregular (scraggly)

FOL: Medium olive-green in summer; yellow-green in fall (variable)

BARK: Gray, smooth on young branches, becoming slightly ridged with age

FL. & FR.: Dioecious; 1” long & 1/16” wide, white, strap-like petals, clustered in hanging panicles, with the leaves in May; Fruit = 1/2” bluish drupe (on female)

CULTURE: B & B in spring best; requires deep, moist, organic, acidic soils; full sun; somewhat difficult to transplant PESTS: None serious USE: Specimen, accent, groups, naturalizing MISC.: Male plants are showier than female

Chionanthus retusus

Ligustrum vulgare “common privet” SIZE: Medium shrub HABIT: Rounded

FOL: DARK green in summer; no fall color (turns a lighter green)

BARK: Smooth, gray to gray-brown in color

FL. & FR.: Terminal, 1-3” panicles of white, pungent flowers, in June; Fruit = shiny black drupe in September and persists through winter

CULTURE: Transplants easily; soil and pH adaptable; full sun to partial shade; tolerates city dirt; tolerates dry soils but will NOT tolerate wet sites; tolerates severe pruning PESTS: Anthracnose twig blight (canker) USE: Hedges (flowers often pruned off) MISC.: Overused! Many cultivars (including variegated); less cold-hardy than L. amurense

Syringa reticulata “Japanese tree lilac” SIZE: Small tree or large shrub HABIT: Oval to rounded crown

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

BARK: Cherry-like with a reddish brown color and prominent lenticels

FL. & FR.: Terminal, 6-12” creamy-white, fragrant panicles, in June; Fruit = warty, dehiscent, valvate capsules (not showy)

CULTURE: Prefers moist, organic, sl CULTURE: Prefers moist, organic, sl. acidic soils; full sun; prune off spent flower panicles PESTS: None serious USE: Specimen; street tree; mass; foundation MISC.: Flowers in alternate years. ‘Ivory Silk’ is a single-trunked tree form.

Syringa vulgaris “common lilac” SIZE: Medium shrub HABIT: Upright, irregular, leggy when mature

FOL: Dark green in summer; no fall color

BARK: Grayish-brown in color, becoming slightly shaggy with age

FL. & FR.: Lilac (and many variations), extremely fragrant in May in 4-8” pairs of panicles from “terminal” buds; Fruit = smooth, dehiscent, valvate capsules

CULTURE: Prefers organic soils with a neutral pH; prune off spent inflorescence PESTS: Powdery mildew

USE: Mass, accent, foundation, cut-flower; nostalgia MISC USE: Mass, accent, foundation, cut-flower; nostalgia MISC.: Traditional plant. MANY cultivars!!

Syringa vulgaris ‘Primrose’

Syringa vulgaris ‘Sensation’

Rhamnus cathartica “common buckthorn” SIZE: Large shrub or small tree HABIT: Upright, rounded crown

FOL: Glossy dark green in summer; yellowish-green in fall (not showy)

BARK: Brownish-black in color.

FL. & FR.: Dioecious; yellowish 1” umbels in May (not showy); Fruit = 1/4” black drupe in fall (not showy)

CULTURE: Easily transplanted; tolerates tough condtions such as urban environments; PESTS: Alternate host for oat rust (Puccinia coronata) USE: Screen or hedge; will grow where other plants will not! Attracts wildlife MISC.: Weedy! Birds love the fruit!

Rhamnus frangula “glossy buckthorn” SIZE: Large shrub, sometimes a small tree HABIT: Upright, open crown; gangly

FOL: Glossy dark green; poor yellow-green fall color

FL. & FR.: Not showy; Fruit = 1/4” red-black drupe in August (not showy from a distance)

CULTURE: Transplants easily; full sun or partial shade; tolerates most conditions PESTS: Few; stem canker may be a problem USE: Hedge; attracts wildlife MISC.: ‘Asplenifolia’ = fine textured foliage; ‘Columnaris’ = narrow, upright form with wavy branches (used in the midwest). Also weedy!

Rhamnus frangula ‘Asplenifolia’

Rhamnus frangula ‘Columnaris’

Rhamnus frangula ‘Ron Williams’