trees – Page 2

Pruning Apple Trees in Spring

Well-pruned apple trees look better and produce fruit more reliably in fall.

An unpruned apple tree is a snarly-branched, puny-fruited thing. One of the best ways to keep that from happening to your apple trees is to give them an annual late-winter pruning.

Fortunately, backyard apple trees don’t need the complicated pruning regimens followed by commercial orchards. A couple of hours of pruning per year can keep your trees looking good and producing reliably – even if some of their fruits are not as big or blemish-free as the ones at the supermarket.

Your task will be especially easy if your apple tree has received some pruning in the past, and has a balanced “framework” of several main, spreading branches.

Pruning Apple Trees

Man pruning older branches — Selective pruning of older or crowded side-branches in late winter will keep trees productive.

Apple trees bear their fruits on stubby shoots (called spurs). These are produced most heavily on relatively young, vigorous, unshaded side-branches. Selective pruning of older or crowded side-branches in late winter will leave your trees with a relatively large proportion of fruit-bearing wood, which is a good thing if you want a bumper crop of apples. Late-winter pruning also exposes your apple trees to relatively few pests and diseases, compared to pruning done in summer.

Start your tree’s winter pruning tune-up by removing dead, diseased, and broken branches. Cut well below any wood that is cankered, oozing, or otherwise showing signs of disease. Remove all cuttings from the area to prevent disease transmission.

Pruning vertical water sprouts — Prune vertical water sprouts – the vigorous shoots that often originate near old pruning cuts.

In most cases, prune the entire side-branch, cutting just above the collar that surrounds its base.

Next, prune out water sprouts – the vigorous, vertical shoots that often originate near old pruning cuts or at the base of the trunk. Unlike “normal” growth, these can be pruned flush with their parent branch, as close as possible without damaging the bark. (If possible, check again in late spring for new water sprouts, and pluck them out by hand while they’re still young, small, and supple.)

Pruned large branch — Prune large branches just above the collar that surround the base.

Continue by pruning out crowded growth. Choose between competing branches by comparing their positioning and potential fruitfulness. For example, branches that grow horizontally (rather than at an angle), that balance well with their neighboring branches, or that have numerous fruiting spurs should remain, if possible. Wayward growth – such as branches that impinge on paths – is also fair game for removal.
Finally, look for any remaining side-branches that have little or no spur growth, indicating low productivity. These can go, as long as their removal does not mar the look or balance of the tree.

Renewal Pruning Older Apple Trees

Path of well-pruned apple trees — Well-pruned apple trees look tidy and are better able to set good fruit.

Apple trees that have returned to their natural, snarly state require more extensive pruning, which may include the main framework as well as side branches. Start as above, by removing dead, diseased, and broken side-branches, congested growth, and water sprouts. Then prune larger branches as necessary to balance the tree’s framework and reduce its size (if desired). This extensive pruning will trigger a major outbreak of water sprouts, which should be removed in late spring (by the hand-pulling method) or summer.

Whatever the amount of renovation required, try not to remove more than a third of the tree’s growth at a time. Especially snarly trees may require a multi-year restoration effort.
To help your freshly pruned apple tree’s growing season get off to a good start, mulch around its base with an inch of Fafard@ Premium Topsoil in spring, after the surface of the soil has warmed. Fertilizer is not necessary, particularly for heavily pruned trees, which will respond to their feeding by producing an even greater abundance of water sprouts.

10 City Trees for Urban Landscapes and Street Sides

Littleleaf lindens (*Tilia cordata*) are common street trees for urban areas.

It’s not easy being a tree. This goes doubly for trees in urban landscapes. Air pollution, compacted soil, and road salt are just a few of the extra challenges that come with an in-town lifestyle. Worse still, much of that tainted soil and air is occupied by buildings, streets, sidewalks, power lines, and other structures that leave little space for branches and roots.

Amazingly, quite a few tree species are tough and compact enough to cope with these special challenges. Perhaps as remarkably, many of the best of these trees are still relatively rare in urban landscapes. If you’re looking to grow a tree in Brooklyn (or any other city), the choices range far beyond the ubiquitous littleleaf linden (Tilia cordata) and Norway maple (Acer plantanoides).

Outstanding Trees for Urban Landscapes

Chinese fringe-tree (*Chionanthus retusus*)

In place of Tilia cordata, you could try its smaller, more refined cousin, Kyushu linden (Tilia kiusiana). Rather new to American horticulture, this slow-growing 20-footer boasts a dense, teardrop-shaped habit; dainty, heart-shape leaves; and handsome, flaking bark. Kyushu linden prospers in sun to light shade in USDA Hardiness zones 5b to 8.

Shantung maple (Acer truncatum) is a well-behaved relative of Norway maple with lobed leaves that become flushed purple in spring, mature to rich green in summer, and turn sunset tints in fall. Its attractive gray bark provides winter interest. Height and width is 25 feet; favored conditions are full to part sun in zones 5 to 9.

American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) has another common name – musclewood – which references its rippled blue-gray bark. Under whatever name, it’s one of the most picturesque eastern North American trees, with its muscled trunk, sinuously branched crown (to 30 feet tall and wide), and finely serrated leaves that go yellow in fall.

European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) is a long-time (and larger) urban stalwart, usually seen as the upright-growing ‘Fastigiata’. It’s less hardy than American hornbeam’s USDA zones 3 to 9. Full to part sun; salt intolerant.

Chinese fringe-tree (Chionanthus retusus) is much underused. How can something this beautiful be this tough? Spectacular in late spring when covered with fleecy white flowers, Chinese fringe-tree carries its ornamental weight at other seasons with its shredding, cherry-like bark, bold oval leaves, and blue olive-shaped fall fruits. The yellow to rust-red fall color isn’t bad either. 20 to 30 feet tall. Full sun to light shade; USDA zones 5 to 8.

Corenlian cherry fruit — Cornelian cherry (*Cornus mas*) fruit

Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) is actually a dogwood, despite its common name. A must for the urban edible garden, this multi-stemmed small tree is also essential for winter display, thanks to its clusters of acid-yellow flowers that precede those of forsythia. The cranberry-like fruits ripen in summer, and make for excellent preserves (they’re also good right off the tree).
Look also for the closely related but rarely offered Japanese Cornel dogwood (Cornus officinalis), which tends to bloom slightly earlier and often has pleasingly mottled bark. Both species are native to East Asia. 15 to 20 feet tall. Full sun to light shade; USDA zones 5 to 8; somewhat salt-tolerant.

American smoke tree, (Cotinus obovatus) has hazy, summer-borne seedheads that are not as showy as those of the much more common European smoke tree. But, the Southeast US native amply compensates with its smoldering fall color and scaly, silvery bark. Typically multi-stemmed and round-headed, it’s sometimes sold as a single-trunked specimen. The widely available cultivar ‘Grace’ – a hybrid with European smoke tree – offers equally spectacular fall color but a rather unruly habit. 25 feet tall. Full sun to light shade; USDA zones 5 to 9.

Osage orange fruit — Osage orange (*Maclura pomifera*) fruits do not exist on new all-male varieties.

Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) is literally as tough as nails (just try hammering a nail into its rock-hard, close-grained wood), but it has never found a place in cultivated landscapes because of its spiny branches and large, messy, knobbly fruits. Thankfully, that’s all changing with the recent introduction of several lightly armed male cultivars (including ‘White Shield’ and ‘Wichita’). Now you can have Osage orange’s gleaming dark-green foliage and ironclad constitution without subjecting passersby to concussive fruits and clothes-rending spines. These cultivars grow quite rapidly to 30 feet or so. Sun to light shade; USDA zones 5 to 9; relatively salt-tolerant.

Peking lilac (Syringa pekinensis) is a close relative of the much more widely planted Japanese tree lilac (Syringa reticulata). Peking lilac surpasses it in its exceptional cold hardiness and its bronze, silver-flecked, often shaggy bark. Feathery clusters of white flowers deck its oval crown in late spring, and amber-yellow fall color occurs on some forms of this fine multi-stemmed or single-trunked tree lilac. Sun; USDA zones 3 to 7; relatively salt-tolerant.

Urban Tree Care

City trees appreciate a bit of extra coddling. Where soil is compacted or otherwise compromised, work several inches of topsoil (such as Fafard Premium Topsoil) into as much of the tree’s future root zone as possible. Although it’s tempting to plant a large balled-and-burlapped specimen with a several-inch-caliper trunk, smaller container-grown plants will establish more readily, and likely attain similar (or greater) stature in 4 or 5 years. Dig the planting hole to the same depth as the root ball (or shallower in heavy clay soil), and three (or more) times as wide. Spread a layer of compost in a wide circle around the newly planted tree, top with 2 to 3 inches of bark mulch, and water well, repeating when necessary (one or two times a week).

With good care, your new tree will repay your efforts by settling in quickly to its new urban home. Any one of these beautiful options will benefit your city landscape or street side, adding diversity and charm as well as welcome greening.

Summer Tree Care

Tree with houses in the background — Summer tree care helps landscape trees look great all season.

Trees are the ultimate givers, offering summer shade, protection from wind, and cleaner air. They also beautify our landscapes, often providing food and serving as habitats for wildlife. But, even in the face of all that generosity, we often ignore them. Our trees deserve better, and summer is a good time to turn over a new leaf and focus on tree care.

Summer weather stresses trees. Drought is hardest on very young or old specimens but ultimately affects them all. Storms threaten stability and bring weak or diseased limbs crashing to the ground. Lawn and garden equipment damages tree bark, while untreated pests and diseases can decimate entire communities of once-healthy trees. Fortunately, it takes only a little observation and a bit of care to help trees withstand those stresses, enabling them to continue giving for decades to come.

Inspect Your Summer Trees

Tree with white blossoms — Healthy trees will have vibrant foliage, growth, flowers, and fruit.

Start by taking a good look at all the trees on your property, using binoculars, if necessary, for large trees. Check for limbs that are dead, cracked or otherwise compromised. If damaged trees are large or need anything more than minor pruning, call a tree expert to perform the work. This may seem expensive, but corrective pruning helps trees withstand summer windstorms and prevents potential property damage and personal injury caused by falling limbs.

Check Trees for Pests and Diseases

Tent caterpillars on the upper branches of a black cherry tree.

If you seek expert advice or help with pruning, ask an arborist or tree surgeon to check for pests and diseases. Pernicious pests like the emerald ash borer and the Asian long horned beetle can wreak wide-scale havoc, killing scores of trees in a single area, if infestations aren’t promptly controlled. Bag worms, fall webworms, and early season tent caterpillars can cause significant damage to foliage, which stresses trees. Wasting diseases, like verticillium wilt in maples, can sometimes be arrested, if affected trees are treated in time.

If you don’t have expert help, check with your local cooperative extension agent to find out which pests and diseases are most prevalent in your area. Some municipalities employ professional arborists who can also provide this information. Take a good look at tree bark and foliage for telltale problem signs. Follow the expert’s advice on treatment or prevention of pest or disease outbreaks.

Water Summer Trees Wisely

Silver watering can — Summer tree irrigation is especially important for newly planted trees.

All trees need regular water, though mature specimens, with broad, healthy root systems are best able to tolerate extended droughts. Young trees are a different story and need water every few days if rainfall is sparse or nonexistent. The best way to water tree roots is low and slow irrigation, positioning the water source close to the ground. This means soaker hoses circling trees’ bases. For newly planted and very young trees, property owners can also buy “tree bags”, water-holding, heavy-duty plastic bags constructed to wrap around the trunk. Small holes in the bottoms of the bags allow water to seep slowly to the roots, a process that takes several hours, depending on the size of the bag. Refilled every day or two during drought spells, the bags can be lifesavers for immature trees.

Protect Trees from Mechanical Injury

Tree rings with wheelbarrow — Tree rings protect trunks from mechanical injury, but beware “mulch volcanos”!

Power string trimmers are great garden time savers, allowing landscapers and homeowners to keep bed edges neat and tidy. But repeated blows to trees from trimmers can penetrate tree bark to the point where young trees may die. Trimmer injuries may not kill older specimens outright, but create entry points for damaging pests and diseases.

The best way to separate trimmers and tree trunks are to mulch tree rings around trees, a technique that also conserves soil moisture and keeps weeds under control. Spread high-quality mulch in a circle with a radius of at least 2 feet around the base of the tree. Keep the depth at about two to three inches and do not let the mulch touch the trunk. So-called “mulch volcanos”, where large amounts of mulch are hilled up around tree trunks, contributes to the spread of bacterial and fungal diseases. Always aim to create a moderately deep “mulch doughnut”, rather than a mountainous mulch “volcano”.

Tree Planting and Fertilization

Tree planting is also best done in spring or fall, when weather conditions are less likely to stress young saplings. However, if you must plant in summer’s heat, “water in” the tree by filling the planting hole part way with water before installation. If the surrounding soil is poor, thin or compacted, fill in around the tree’s root ball with a mix of the removed soil and an equal amount of high-quality, fertile planting material, like Fafard® Premium Topsoil. Once the tree is planted, remember to water well, especially in hot, dry weather.

It is best to fertilize trees in the spring, just before the first flush of growth. This growth slows down in summer, so the season is not optimal for fertilization.

Sitting under a tall shade tree with friends, family or just a good book is one of the best ways to spend a summer afternoon. Timely summer tree care is the best way to ensure that you will continue to enjoy that experience for many years.

Planting a new tree with a child — Plant new trees in spring or fall. Spring planted trees need extra care through summer.

Elegant, Evergreen Magnolias

1-DSC_0054 — Southern magnolia (*Magnolia grandiflora*) is graced with outstanding evergreen foliage and glorious bowl-shaped spring flowers. (image by Pam Beck)

Gardening in eastern North America has many challenges. But it also has many glories. Among the latter are the two evergreen magnolia species that call the region home. Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) and evergreen forms of sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana var. australis) have it all: handsome gray bark; large, sweet-scented, creamy-white flowers in late spring (and sporadically until fall); and evergreen leaves that take center stage in winter.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Southern magnolias add evergreen beauty to dull winter landscapes. (Photo by Jessie Keith)

These native beauties are also more cold-tolerant than most gardeners know. Although they hail from the Southeast United States, they succeed in cultivation into USDA Zone 5b. Centerpieces of many a Mid-Atlantic and Southeast garden, they’re also capable of making a statement in parts of New England, New York, and the Midwest.

Southern magnolia is one of those big, bold, primordial plants that looks like it just dropped in from the Cretaceous. Indeed, its ancestors dominated much of Earth’s vegetation some 70- to 90-million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the planet. But this magnificent magnolia also works just fine as a visually dominant specimen tree for twenty-first-century landscapes.

In its boldest forms, Magnolia grandiflora takes the primordial look to awe-inspiring lengths (and breadths). The aptly named ‘Goliath’ (and the somewhat similar ‘Gloriosa’) produces enormous cupped flowers of ivory that open to a foot or more across, displayed against large, polished, relatively broad leaves. The flowers of ‘Samuel Sommer’ are even larger (to 14 inches across), and its leaves have striking rust-brown felting on their undersides. Selected for its abundance of bloom, ‘Majestic Beauty’ also features immense deep green leaves and a symmetrical, broadly conical growth habit. Cultivars ‘Angustifolia’ and ‘Lanceolata’ have narrower leaves, felted brown underneath.

Magnolia grandiflora 'Edith Bogue' — The more delicate ‘Edith Bogue’ is best espaliered against a sturdy, protective wall.

Although typically forming a slow-growing, 40- to 60-foot tree, Southern magnolia sometimes assumes more compact forms, as in the narrowly conical, 30-foot-tall ‘Little Gem’. Its 4-inch-wide flowers are relatively precocious (most Southern magnolias varieties take several years to a decade to come to bloom), and as with most varieties, they recur sparingly after the main flush in late spring.

Two other compact Magnolia grandiflora cultivars are of particular interest to Northern gardeners. Both ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ and ‘Edith Bogue’ have a good chance of succeeding into USDA Zone 5b in sites protected from winter sun and harsh northwest winds. For sheer hardiness and sturdiness, ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ can’t be beat, although even this toughest of Southern magnolias will go brownish-tan in cold, Zone-6 winters. The slightly more delicate ‘Edith Bogue’ is notorious for losing limbs to heavy winter snow, and functions best in North gardens as an espalier, with her branches fixed to a stout frame (a shaded east-facing wall is ideal).

Whatever the climatic zone, Southern magnolia does best in relatively fertile soil that’s not too sandy or heavy. A good compost (such as Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost) can help bring marginal soils into line.

Native from Texas to North-Coastal Massachusetts, Magnolia virginiana makes a natural choice for gardens from USDA Zones 5 to 9. Evergreen forms of this elegant small tree – known botanically as variety australis – are confined to the Southeast, and tend to either expire or defoliate in Zone 5 and 6 winters. Exceptions do occur, however, including the cultivars ‘Henry Hicks’ and ‘Moonglow’, both of which are hardy and often evergreen (or semi-evergreen) into Zone 5b.

In all its forms, sweetbay magnolia is one of the finest small trees for American gardens. Typically single-trunked in warmer climes and multi-stemmed in chillier regions, it bears oval, rich green leaves with silvery undersides that shimmer in the breeze. The cupped, creamy (almost primrose yellow) flowers debut in late spring and continue sporadically throughout summer, casting a piquant, questing fragrance reminiscent of roses or lemons. Attractive clusters of red-fleshed fruits follow the blooms. Often found in wetlands in nature, Magnolia virginiana is well suited for moister areas of the landscape (and loathes dry, sandy soil).

Natural and Organic — Before planting evergreen magnolias, fortify your soil with Fafard Natural & Organic Compost Blend.

Also well worth growing is the hybrid between sweetbay magnolia and umbrella magnolia (Magnolia tripetala), which combines the fragrant, summer-long blooms of the former with the bold, primordial, deciduous foliage of the latter. Its cultivar ‘Cairn Croft’ is sometimes available from specialty nurseries. Crosses between sweetbay and Southern magnolia have been developed and introduced by hybridizers, but offer no notable advantages over the parents. For year-round leafage and beauty, these two exceptional natives can’t be beat.

Trees with Beautiful Winter Bark

A number of hardy tree species possess bark that is eye-catchingly handsome, particularly in winter, when most everything else in the garden is dressed in frostbitten drab. Such trees are essential for bringing defining structure and color and texture to the winter landscape.

Maples

The maples have given us a number of trees that possess arresting bark, including the iconic paperbark maple (Acer griseum). In its best forms, this highly variable Chinese native slowly matures into a 25- to 35-foot, round-headed specimen with polished, flaking, cinnamon-brown bark that is especially striking when frosted with snow. The three-parted leaves assume sunset tones rather late in fall.

Paperbark maple interbreeds with another trifoliate East Asian maple (Acer nikoense), which has striking green streaked bark, to produce hybrids with finely shredded bark of a somewhat paler cinnamon-brown. A third species in the three-leaved maple tribe, three-flowered maple (Acer triflorum), has shaggily flaking, silvery- to creamy-gray bark. It, too, is a small to medium tree, perfectly sized for most residential gardens in USDA Cold Hardiness Zones 5b to 8. Sunny or lightly shaded sites work best.

Snake-bark maples constitute another group well worth growing for their colorful stems. Arguably the most beautiful is red-vein maple (Acer rufinerve). Some selections of this fast-growing, medium-sized tree have luminous lime-green bark marked with paler longitudinal fissures. Abundant, colorfully winged fruits dangle from the branches late summer and early fall. This Japanese native is closely related to our native moosewood (Acer pensylvanicum), which is sometimes represented in gardens by the red-stemmed cultivar ‘Erythrocladum’. Both do well in sun or partial shade.

Stewartias

Like the maples, the genus Stewartia is centered in temperate East Asia and eastern North America and contains several species with beautiful bark. The best known, Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia), bears white, camellia-like flowers in early summer, and oval leaves that go fiery in fall. Its most notable feature, however, is its multicolored bark, which exfoliates into mottled patches of gray and bronze and pinkish-tan. Other, far lesser known stewartias (including Stewartia rostrata and S. sinensis) are also beautifully mottled. Also noteworthy is Stewartia monadelpha, a relatively slight species whose bark resembles that of paperbark maple. All these stewartias are small, rather spreading trees that make good choices for sunny to partly shaded niches in modest-sized gardens. Most are hardy to USDA Zone 5b.

Lacebark Elm

Japanese Stewartia bark — Japanese stewartia

A diverse species that occurs over a wide range of Asia in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, lacebark elm (Ulmus parvifolia) has given rise to numerous cultivars, including some dwarf selections that make ideal bonsai subjects. For the garden, forms with exfoliating bark are undoubtedly the most desirable, their trunks maturing into a stewartia-like patchwork. All forms flourish in full sun, and most will weather USDA Zone 5b conditions.

Persian Ironwood

Also notable for its showy patchwork bark (and also hardy into USDA Zone 5b) is a medium-sized tree from the witch-hazel family, Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica). Typically multi-stemmed and wide-spreading, it bears leaves that resemble common witch-hazel and produces curious little early spring flowers composed of clusters of purple stamens. Fall color is often a spectacular blaze of orange, red, and smoky purple, with the brightest coloration occurring in full sun.

Amur Chokecherry

One of the best ornamental trees for sunny niches in especially chilly regions (USDA zones 3 to 6), Amur chokecherry (Prunus maackii) grows rapidly into a medium-sized tree with lustrous, shredding, tawny-orange bark that fairly glows in the winter landscape. Rounded clusters of white flowers open in spring and are followed by small black fruits. Although relatively short-lived and prone to damage from heavy wet snow and ice, it is still unsurpassed as a four-season tree for cold-climate gardens.

Peking Tree Lilac

A. nikoense x A. griseum bark — *A. nikoense* x *A. griseum*

The Peking tree lilac (Syringa pekinensis) resembles Amur chokecherry both in its exceptional cold-hardiness (USDA zones 3 to 7) and in the exfoliating, coppery bark of its finest forms (such as ‘Copper Curls’). But this variable Manchurian native offers greater longevity and clay-soil tolerance, as well as a bevy of fleecy, fragrant early-summer flowers. Typically multi-stemmed, it grows at a moderate rate to 20 to 30 feet tall, prospering in most soils in full sun.

Amur Maackia

Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend pack

Copper-tinged bark and USDA Zone 3 hardiness are also among the virtues of another small tree from the harsh climes of Manchuria, Maackia amurensis. Amur maackia’s bark is remarkable not only for its rust-brown coloration but also for the diamond-shaped exfoliations that decorate its surface, inviting closer inspection. Upright candelabras of dull white flowers deck its branches in early summer. The pinnately compound foliage of this single-stemmed, round-crowned, leguminous tree is an attractive dark green in summer but offers little in the way of fall color. Growth is slow, even in ideal conditions (full sun and fertile, well-drained soil).

Plant one of these trees with beautiful winter bark next spring, and it will bring much-needed color and presence to the garden next winter (and for years to come). To get it off to a good start, give it a planting hole that’s about the same depth as the root ball, and three times as wide. Amend the backfilled soil with a bit of balanced fertilizer, as well as a humus-rich amendment such as Fafard Natural & Organic Compost Blend if the soil is excessively sandy or heavy.

Small Trees Fit for Yard & Garden

The American fringetree is a small, shrubby tree that offers a cloud of soft, ivory flowers in spring.

Small trees are useful things. Although lacking the lofty majesty of tulip poplar or silver maple or European beech, they compensate by being a good fit for yard and garden. Majesty is all well and good in a large city park or country estate. More modest properties, however, call for something that can coexist peaceably with nearby landscape elements such as perennials, dwellings, power lines, and neighbors. Happily, many tree species– including some of the best ornamental plants for American gardens – are of just such a size (20 to 30 feet or so).

Euonymus carnosus fruit is colorful in fall. — The fruit of Euonymus carnosus is bright crimson.

Glossy Euonymus

As is true for all ornamental plants, the best small trees offer something at every season. Case in point: glossy euonymus (Euonymus carnosus). This East Asian native starts off spring by bringing forth handsome pale-yellow-tinged leaves. They deepen to lustrous dark green in summer and turn gleaming maroon-red in fall. Flat lacy clusters of creamy white flowers veil the tree in June, followed by plump fleshy seed capsules that ripen to rosy-pink. In late summer, the capsules split wide to reveal bright orange seeds that stand out against the smoky fall foliage. Greenish-gray, silver-grooved bark provides a pleasing winter feature. Unlike some others of its tribe, glossy euonymus appears to produce few volunteer seedlings and is thus not considered an invasive threat. It is well suited to sunny or partly shaded sites in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9.

Chionanthus retusus fruit — Chionanthus retusus bears clusters of berry-like fruits of concord blue later in the season.

Chinese Fringetree

Flowering at about the same time (and hailing from the same region) as Euonymus carnosus, Chinese fringetree (Chionanthus retusus) envelops itself in late spring with fleecy white flowers that cast a light sweet fragrance. The best forms of this rather variable species possess a single-trunked, vase-shaped habit and beautiful cherry-like bark that flakes and furrows with age. The dark glossy green leaves turn yellow in fall. Individual trees produce only male or female flowers, with female trees ripening a profusion of deep-blue fruits in fall (if a pollinating male is available). Chinese fringetree’s shrubby American cousin, Chionanthus virginicus, is similarly lovely in flower and fruit. Both make excellent specimens for sunny or lightly shaded gardens from zone 5 (or 4 in the case of Chionanthus virginicus) to 9.

Peking Lilac

Like the best forms of Chinese fringetree, those of Peking lilac (Syringa reticulata ssp. pekinensis) are worth growing for their striking bark alone. The peeling, deep-coppery-tan, silver-dotted trunk and branches are eye-catching year round, but are particularly arresting in winter. Fragrant, frothy white flower clusters in late spring, amber fall color, and a round-crowned, single- or multi-stemmed habit add to Peking lilac’s all-season value, as does its exceptional cold hardiness (zones 3 to 7). It flourishes in full sun and fertile, medium-textured soil.

Magnolia salicifolia has ivory spring flowers that appear before the foliage.

Small Magnolias

Numerous magnolias make excellent subjects for small gardens. Among the best of these is sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana), an evergreen to deciduous, often multi-trunked beauty occurring from the Deep South to coastal Massachusetts. Charming in every season thanks to its fresh green leaves and smooth gray bark, it is particularly alluring from late spring through summer, opening a succession of cupped, creamy-white blooms that fill the garden with a heady perfume that hints at lemons and roses. Southern, evergreen forms of the species (known botanically as variety australis) do best in hardiness zones 7 to 9, but a few (including ‘Henry Hicks’) are hardy and evergreen into zone 5. Cultivars (such as ‘Milton’) of sweetbay magnolia’s deciduous northern race are usually hardy through zone 5. All types do well in well-drained, humus-rich soil (I recommend amending soil with Fafard Premium Topsoil and Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss before planting) and full to partial sun. Other worthy small magnolias include umbrella magnolia (M. tripetala), anise magnolia (M. salicifolia), Yulan magnolia (M. denudata), star magnolia (M. kobus var. stellata and its hybrids), and the yellow-flowered ‘Elizabeth’. This list is far from exhaustive.
The above are but a fraction of the small hardy trees that offer multi-season interest. Many more are to be found among the stewartias, dogwoods, maples, buckeyes, mountain ashes, and hornbeams, to name a few. Gardeners with limited space have a nearly limitless variety of suitably sized trees at their disposal.

Shrubs and Trees with the Best Fall Leaves

Rainbow flowering dogwood leaves — The tri-colored leaves of Rainbow flowering dogwood (*Cornus florida* ‘Rainbow) are a fall delight!

Cool, moist, bountiful summers lead to gloriously bright fall leaves. Why? Because the healthier the trees and shrubs, the brighter and more colorful the leaf pigments. (Leaf pigments require a lot of energy to make, which is why plants need to be healthy and productive to produce a lot.) So, if the growing season has been generous, the season’s leaf colors should be off the charts!

Blackgum leaves — A blackgum (*Nyssa sylvatica*) glows against fall blue skies.

It’s almost like magic when the fall leaves turn from green to fiery fall shades. Red, yellow, orange and purple fall leaf colors are present even in summer, but they are hidden behind a mask of green chlorophyll. This dominant green pigment hides nearly all other leaf pigments until temperatures cool down and leaves begin to die in autumn. As the leaves end their cycle, water-soluble chlorophyll breaks down while many of the brighter leaf pigments remain intact. So at the end of the season, leaves truly show off their true colors (or underlying pigments).

Different pigment types produce different leaf colors, and there are three primary pigments, including chlorophyll. The two other types are carotenoids and anthocyanins. Carotenoids (think carrots) are water repellent and product bright yellow and orange colors in fall leaves. (The most common carotenoid is the healthful ß-carotene, which is in many of the foods we eat.) Anthocyanins are water-soluble and responsible for red leaf colors as well as purplish leaf colors. When the green chlorophyll in the chloroplast dies away, carotenoids and anthocyanins are the showy pigments left behind.

Super maple leaves — Sugar maple (*Acer saccharum*) leaves turn the finest shades of orange and gold.

Best Gold and Orange Fall Leaves

Of the yellow-, gold- and orange-leaved fall shrubs, few are as nice as native witch hazels (Hamamelis virginiana) and Fothergilla (Fothergilla major and F. minor). The low, spreading fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica ‘Gro Low’) is also a winning shrub with bright gold and orange color. For peachy golden orange leaves, nothing is better than the sugar maple (Acer saccharum); the cultivars ‘Legacy’ and ‘Green Mountain’ are particularly bright orange show stoppers. Two more trees of note include the two deciduous conifers, the eastern larch (Larix laricina), which has lovely golden needles, and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), which turns rich russet orange. Finally, the pure gold leaves of the ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) look like golden fans on the limb before they quickly fall to the ground creating a bright carpet of color.

Best Red Fall Leaves

Red maple tree leaves — The red maple (*Acer rubrum*) is a classic tree for great fall red color.

Gardeners love red-leaved trees and few are as crimson in fall as the red maple ‘October Glory’ (Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’), though the Freeman maple Autumn Blaze (Acer x freemanii ‘Jeffersred’ AUTUMN BLAZE) is a contender. A desirable tree with pleasing russet red leaves is the shumard oak (Quercus schumardii) while the native blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica) offers leaves of the finest scarlet. Sumacs (Rhus spp.) of all manner of brilliance typically redden roadsides across North America, and a few like Prairie Flame Dwarf Sumac (Rhus copallinum var. latifolia ‘Morton’ PRAIRIE FLAME) are also great for the landscape. Two more superb red-leaved fall shrubs of desire are the chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia ‘Brilliantissima’) and the orange-red-leaved Canadian serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis).

Best Purple Fall Leaves

Autumn sourwood trees — The purple-red fall leaves of sourwood (*Oxydendrum arboreum*) trees are unique and attractive.

Many fall beauties have leaves emboldened with both purple and red hues. The ever-beautiful oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quericifolia) is one of these as is the classic flowering dogwood (Cornus florida). Of the flowering dogwoods, the disease-resistant cultivar ‘Appalachian Spring’, with its crimson-purple fall leaves, is the most recommended, but the tricolored cultivar ‘Rainbow’ is also a visual delight. The wonderfully hardy American cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus var. americanum) also turns pleasing shades of purple and red come autumn. And when it comes to trees with impressive purple shades, the sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) are both exceptional.

There are several ways to keep fall-fantastic trees and shrubs in prime health for the autumnal show. First, it is important to keep them well-irrigated during very dry periods. A mulch of rich compost or well-deteriorated bark will also help them retain summer moisture while dissuading weeds at the root zone. Fafard Premium Organic Compost is an excellent product for seasonal mulching. And if care and the season have been generous, take time to enjoy the fleeting but glorious color of fall.

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