Branching Out: The Beauty of Seasonal Cut Branches

With exposed trees shamelessly baring their branches, the natural skeletal structures of these woody wonders are able to be admired from below, their intricacies and nuances noticeable for the first time since the eruption of leaf buds in early spring.

Nestled amongst the sleeping remnants of trees, whimsical moments of unexpected beauty can be found awaiting discovery: bright, scarlet red fruits of native hollies; Yuletide-immersing scents of juniper branches and cones; fluffy magnolia buds preparing resources for a spectacular display of blooms the following year.

All-American Asimina triloba

We’re giddy with excitement about our containerized pawpaw patch that’s full of mature, fruit-bearing-aged trees looking for their forever homes. These mature specimens are loaded with the odd-looking bronze-purple flowers that are, apparently, being actively pollinated when our backs are turned. Night-pollinating beetles and daytime flies, most likely, are the culprit for the tandem emergence of the tiny, fingerlike baby fruits that likely give this native tree several of its other common names: dog banana, Indian banana, and false-banana, to name a few. The immature fruits do, in fact, resemble tiny bananas, while the mature fruits have a texturally similar pulp that could be likened to the soft innards of an overly ripened banana. Exotic looking, large, edible fruits grow in clusters of 4-5, and are an important nutrient-and-fat-dense food source for various mammals such as squirrels, black bears, raccoons, and opossums. Or, if you’re lucky, you’ll get to harvest some of the fruits for yourself to enjoy in baked goods, ice cream, and even summery mixed cocktails.

April Brilliance

To celebrate the arrival of April, we’re taking a deep dive into a spring-blooming favorite, Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’ – but don’t let the name fool you. This versatile multi-stemmed shrub (or tree form, if you so desire) is so much more than just a flowering, fruiting, bird-beloved ornamental specimen. As the offspring resulting from the cross of its North American native parents, Amelanchier laevis and A. arborea, ‘Autumn Brilliance’ apple serviceberry seems to inherit the best of both worlds.

Very Berry Verticillata

If you know us at all, you were probably expecting a showcase on Ilex verticillata, winterberry holly, at some point this season. Well, here it is! Without fail, our winterberry hollies are in full fruit around the Nursery – our stock crops are still a little young, and thus light on fruit, but we’ll get into that shortly. In the meantime, let’s check out some little-known Ilex verticillata facts along with pictures of some specimens that have either been intentionally planted, or volunteered themselves, around the Pleasant Run property.