Woody Ornamentals

American Beautyberry has pinkish lavender flowers in June and July that produce magenta violet fruit along the stems for a spectacular fall show.  It is best to remove old canes for rejuvenation of the shrub because the flowers and fruits appear on new shoots.   Best fruiting is in full sun but plants will tolerate light shade.  Callicarpa americana berries are a good food source for songbirds and small mammals.

'Early Amethyst' Beautyberry abounds with large quantities of small lilac fruits in the fall. Originally from Brookside Gardens in Maryland.  This is the same plant as C. 'Issai', per Barry Yinger.  Purple beautyberry is easy to grow and low maintenance and once established are quite drought tolerant.  Planting in mass improves cross-pollination and fruit production.  Small mammals and birds eat the fruit.

Calycanthus floridus has dark maroon flowers in May and June that are often fragrant.  Plants will vary from no scent to highly fragrant; the flower fragrance has been described as a combination of melon, pineapple, strawberry, and banana.  Sweetshrub is wet site and dry shade tolerant and the fall color is yellow.  Sweetshrub is also referred to as Carolina Allspice and is native from Virginia to Florida.  Sweetshrub's leaves are aromatic when bruised and the shrub will sucker and often forms colonies in the wild.  Calycanthus is distantly related to Magnolias.

'Athens' ('Katherine') Sweetshrub has yellow flowers in May and June that are consistently fragrant. A great introduction from Dr. Michael Dirr in Athens, Georgia; originally provided to him by Mrs. Symmes.  It was named after his daughter Katherine. It is wet site tolerant.  Cut branches can be brought inside to provide strong fragrance.

'Michael Lindsey' Sweetshrub has reddish brown flowers that are consistently, gorgeously fragrant, blooming for a prolonged period in April and May over dark, lustrous green foliage. Fall color of is clear yellow to gold. Selected by Allen Bush of Holbrook Farm & Nursery in North Carolina and named after the young son of one of his staff members. Per Dr. Michael Dirr, “Calycanthus floridus 'Michael Lindsey' is the standard by which other introduction will be measured." It is also wet site tolerant. Extremely verticillium resistant per Rick Darke.

PRN Preferred:  Heavy bloomer, fragrant flowers, lustrous foliage with good fall color.  Reblooms sporadically throughout the summer.

'Burgundy Spice' Sweetshrub represents a radical color change in Calycanthus foliage, with lustrous deep burgundy leaves throughout the summer.  We selected for darker foliage over a number of years, coming up with 2 beautiful purple colored sports.  We chose the best one to name Calycanthus floridus var purpureus 'Burgundy Spice'.  The maroon flowers appear in May and June, and have the classic mango and pineapple fragrance of good Sweetshrub selections.  The fall foliage adds another season of enjoyment, turning attractive shades of yellow and amber.

'Hartlage Wine' Sweetshrub has amazing reddish maroon flowers with yellow centers starting in May and continuing to fall. A very exciting Sweetshrub named after an extraordinary plantsman, Dr. J.C. Raulston, developed by Richard Hartlage and the JC Raulston Arboretum. It used to sport my favorite plant name, xSinocalycalycanthus x raulstonii.

PRN Preferred: The showy red and yellow flowers are produced throughout the summer.

'Korean Fire' Camellia has bright red single flowers on an upright plant. A very cold-hardy Camellia, considered one of the best of the C. japonica cultivars.  Introduction found by Barry Yinger in Korea. Blooms in April and May and is evergreen.

Camellia ‘Victory White’ is a spring blooming japonica selection which produces large white anemone-form flowers in April and May. ‘Victory White’ Camellia was introduced from Japan by K Sawada in the 1930s. The habit is vigorous and upright, with lustrous evergreen foliage. The semi-double white flowers have bright yellow stamens crowning the centers.

‘Kanjiro’ Camellia blooms in late fall and early winter, producing masses of semi-double cerise pink flowers. The evergreen foliage is lustrous and dark green. Camellia sasanqua ‘Kanjiro’ is a zone 7 Camellia, so it needs to be planted in a protected location, avoiding exposure to afternoon sunlight and winter winds. The reward for siting it correctly will be lots and lots of flowers.

‘Yuletide’ Camellia blooms in late fall and early winter (hence the cultivar name). The single red flowers have showy yellow stamens in the centers of the flowers. Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’ has an upright but compact habit, with lustrous dark green evergreen leaves. Since ‘Yuletide’ is a zone 7 Camellia, it should be planted in a sheltered spot and protected from winter winds and afternoon sun.

Camellia x 'April Blush' has semi-double blush pink flowers with yellow anthers in April and May. An introduction from Dr. Clifford Parks, 'April Blush' is an evergreen spring blooming Camellia.

Camellia x 'April Kiss' has rosy red formal double flowers and an upright habit and heavy bud set. 'April Kiss' is a Dr. Clifford Parks selection that blooms in April and May and is evergreen.

'April Remembered' Camellia is an early spring blooming evergreen, at its peak in April.  The large semi-double flowers are a creamy soft pink, with yellow stamens accenting the centers.  This is another zone 6 beauty from Dr. Clifford Parks and Camellia Forest Nursery, and it is equally useful as a specimen or as a hedge.  Just make sure it has wind and sun protection in the winter.

Camellia x 'April Rose' has double rosy pink formal flowers and blooms in April and May. 'April Rose' Camellia is an introduction from Dr. Clifford Parks and is evergreen.

Camellia x 'April Snow' has white rose-form flowers and blooms in April and May. 'April Snow' Camellia is an introduction from Dr. Clifford Parks and is evergreen.

Camellia x 'April Tryst' has showy red anemone-form flowers, and is an introduction from Dr. Clifford Parks. It is spring blooming and evergreen.

'Arctic Rose' Camellia has rosy red formal double flowers displayed on an upright plant. It is evergreen and blooms in April and May.  From Dr. Ackerman's breeding work.

‘Ashton’s Pride’ Camellia is one of the hardier fall blooming Camellias, producing semi-double soft pink flowers in November and December. Pollinators take advantage of the pollen producing yellow stamens. Camellia x ‘Ashton’s Pride’ is a cross between Camellia japonica and Camellia oleifera, hybridized by Dr. William Ackerman at his farm in Ashton, Maryland. Protect from winter sun and wind for best results.

‘Londontowne Blush’ Camellia is a hardy C. oleifera cross with C. japonica, and produces single soft pink blooms in November and December. The shiny evergreen foliage is displayed on a rounded compact habit. Camellia x ‘Londontowne Blush’ is another cold tolerant hybrid from Dr. Ackerman and the National Arboretum.

Camellia x 'Long Island Pink' has single pink flowers that bloom in the fall and a nice compact habit. 'Long Island Pink' Camellia was found on Long Island, NY and is evergreen.

PRN Preferred:  A compact neat form, very cold tolerant.

'Northern Exposure' Camellia blooms for an extended period in late fall and early winter.  The pale pink flower buds open to large white blooms set off by bright yellow stamens.  'Northern Exposure' always sets multiple buds, and since they open progressively over several months, the flower display is a very showy addition to the late fall garden.  Like all Camellias, 'Northern Exposure' has lustrous green evergreen leaves and prefers shade and protection from winter winds.

'Snow Flurry' Camellia produces a large quantity of double and semi-double white flowers in late fall and early winter.  Resulting from a complex series of crosses by Dr. William Ackerman and the National Arboretum, 'Snow Flurry' has shown excellent cold tolerance.  The habit is somewhat floppy when young, and periodic pruning before the emergence of new growth would help with that.  Evergreen and shade loving, Camellia x 'Snow Flurry' is a great addition to the winter garden.

Camellia x 'Spring's Promise' has single reddish salmon flowers in spring, with some blooms opening consistently in the fall. It has glossy evergreen foliage.

PRN Preferred:  Blooms in both spring and fall.

'Survivor' Camellia blooms in early fall, with large single white fragrant flowers that start out tipped by soft pink on the ends of the petals. It is evergreen and upright in habit. Its name indicates its excellent cold hardiness, and it results from a C. sasanqua and C. oleifera cross made by Dr. Clifford Parks.

Camellia x 'Winter's Joy' has a semi-double fuchsia pink flower on a narrow upright form. Makes a good hedge in shady locations. From Dr. William Ackerman, Camellia x 'Winter's Joy' is fall blooming and evergreen.

The flowers of 'Winter's Snowman' Camellia are a white, semi-double anemone-form. From Dr. William Ackerman, Camellia x 'Winter's Snowman' is fall blooming and evergreen with a narrow upright habit.

'Winter's Star' Camella has light pinkish lavender single flowers starting in October on an open habit. From Dr. William Ackerman, Camellia x 'Winter's Star' is fall blooming and evergreen. Makes an excellent hedge for shady locations.

‘Winter's Star White’ Camellia comes from the prolific work of Dr. William Ackerman of Maryland fame. Camellia x ‘Winter’s Star White’ is a cross between Camellia oleifera and Camellia hiemalis, which gives it excellent cold tolerance. The flowers appear in late fall and early winter, crowning the lustrous evergreen foliage. They are single white blooms, and they bloom earlier than Camellia japonicas, so they tend not to be affected by winter freezes.

European Hornbeam has been used often and very effectively as a tightly pruned hedge or screen in formal settings in Europe, and this application is being used increasingly here in the US. Carpinus betulus is a tough, fine twigged tree which takes pruning very well and tolerates a wide variety of soil conditions. We are growing it as a low branched shrub for hedging and screening. Examples of this use can be found at Brooklyn Botanical Garden and also on Eastern Long Island.

Emerald Avenue® (‘JFS-KWICB’) European Hornbeam is another great tree from Keith Warren’s tireless work at J Frank Schmidt and Son Nursery. Carpinus betulus Emerald Avenue® has a tight habit of ascending branches around a strong central leader. The dark green leaves are small and disease-free in summer, making this a good choice for street plantings. The fall color is an attractive yellow. Emerald Avenue® tolerates a wide range of soil conditions.

Fastigate European Hornbeam is an excellent tree for urban or formal sites because of its tight, extremely regular form and excellent disease resistance. When young, Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata' is narrow and very upright, but it broadens into a dense tight pyramidal oval as it matures. The leaves are neat and relatively small, and since the form never needs pruning, Carpinus is a maintenance-free tree. Even without foliage, the dense branching makes this an excellent screening tree in winter.

'Frans Fontaine' European Hornbeam is more columnar than Carpinus betulus 'Fastigiata', but is equally resilient in urban and suburban conditions.  The narrower habit makes Carpinus 'Frans Fontaine' a good candidate for narrower spaces or street tree applications.  The fall color of the tidy foliage is a clear yellow, and winter interest is provided by the upright, densely branched form.  Since all Carpinus varieties are a fall digging hazard, container production makes the planting season much longer.

American Hornbeam is a tough, beautiful native tree which performs well in a wide variety of site conditions. Its green veined leaves and habit look somewhat like American Beech trees, and its interesting 2" hanging winged seed bracts add to its appeal in summer. It performs very well when transplanted from containers, and can be used in full sun or shade locations as well as sites which are periodically flooded.  Native to the US, Carpinus caroliniana can handle full shade and is often found as an understory plant in forests and along rivers.  The fall color is attractive, varying from yellow through orange to reddish purple hues. It can be pruned to make a good tight hedge, like its European cousin, C. betulus. 2020 PHS Gold Medal Plant!

Rising Fire® (‘Uxbridge’) American Hornbeam originated in Ontario and was introduced by J Frank Schmidt and Sons. Carpinus Rising Fire® has all the great attributes of Carpinus caroliniana, but the habit is columnar and tight. Its neat green summer leaves take on shades of orange and red in fall, and its 2” hanging seed bracts provide food for wildlife in the fall and winter. American Hornbeam is a very adaptable tree which will thrive in both woodland and urban sites.

Beyond Midnight® Bluebeard ('CT-9-12') produces abundant deep cobalt blue flowers in late summer to early fall.  The foliage is lustrous and disease resistant, growing on a compact habit.  Caryopteris Proven Winners® Color Choice® Beyond Midnight® need excellent drainage to thrive, and should not be cut back until spring.  The foliage has an attractive minty fragrance, which may be why deer and rabbits leave it alone.  A good plant for full sun containers.

'Dark Knight' Bluebeard has deep blue-purple flowers in mid summer and grayish green aromatic foliage. It has consistently shown good disease resistance.   Clandonensis hybrids were discovered as an accidental cross between C. incana and C. mongholica. The flowers are very attractive to butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects.

'Longwood Blue' Bluebeard has bluish violet flowers and grayish green aromatic foliage. 'Longwood Blue' blooms later than other Caryopteris, in mid to late summer. Dry site tolerant, crowns may rot in wet, poorly-drained soils. A selection from Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania.

New Jersey Tea is a tough, adaptable native shrub with pretty white fluffy lilac-shaped flowers in June and July. The flowers have a lovely delicate fragrance.  The fruits of Ceanothus americanus are subtle but interesting 3-sided capsules and the seeds are consumed by turkeys and quail.  It does very well in seashore settings and dry sites.  The name New Jersey Tea was coined during the American Revolution because its leaves were used as a substitute for imported tea.

Prairie Sentinel® (‘JFS-KSU1’) Common Hackberry is a member of the Elm family which has excellent tolerance of all kinds of soil conditions and temperature challenges. Prairie Sentinel® was found in Kansas by Kansas State University and introduced by J. Frank Schmidt Nursery of Oregon. It was selected for its tightly columnar habit, which makes it an excellent street tree option. The green coarse foliage is disease free, and the operative word to use about Celtis Prairie Sentinel® is “tough”, according to Dr. Michael Dirr.

Sugar Shack® ('SMCOSS') Buttonbush is a more compact version of our interesting native Cephalanthus.  The white puffball flowers appear in mid to late summer, attracting butterflies and other pollinators.  The blooms are followed by red mace shaped fruit and burgundy foliage in the fall, providing food for wildlife as well as visual interest.  Buttonbush is a host plant for titan sphinx moths and hydrangea sphinx moth caterpillars.  Cephalanthus is very wet site tolerant (we first saw it while canoeing as little children), so it is an excellent bog, bioswale or rain garden shrub.  2024 PHS Gold Medal Plant.

Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Duke Gardens' has dark evergreen foliage and a tight, compact form. 'Duke Gardens' Plum Yew is excellent in shade but will tolerate sun as well. Originally found at The Sarah P. Duke Gardens  in North Carolina by Richard Fillmore in the late 1950s, as a branch sport of C. 'Fastigiata'.

Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Fastigiata' has evergreen foliage and a wide columnar habit. It makes a good pillar-like conifer for foundation and formal plantings. Easily pruned and maintained as columnar specimens.  Fastigiate Plum Yew is a slow growing alternative to upright Taxus in deer country.

Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Prostrata' has dark evergreen foliage and looks like Taxus baccata 'Repandens' on steroids. Its long shoots can  gracefully cascade over stone walls.  Prostrate Plum Yew loves shady, dry locations. Best substitute for low growing Taxus in deer situations.

Cercis canadensis is a classic harbinger of spring, with pinkish lavender pea-shaped flowers covering its branches in April ("cauliflory"). The green heart-shaped leaves of this Eastern Redbud turn yellow in the fall, and the zigzag branching habit in the winter adds to the appeal of this large shrub or small tree.  Per Dr. Michael Dirr "A native tree with a touch of class."  The flowers are actually edible, so they make an attractive addition to spring salads.

'Ace of Hearts' Eastern Redbud is a long-awaited dwarf form of Cercis canadensis with magenta pink flowers in April and May.  More shrub-like, typically half the size of the straight species.  The form is similar to the ace in a deck of cards.  It was found and introduced by Paul Woody of Morganton, North Carolina. 

'Alley Cat' Eastern Redbud has foliage liberally splashed with white, and its striking variegation is stable and scorch resistant.  The dark pink pea-shaped flowers emerge in April just before the leaves begin to show in shades of copper pink and soft green.  As the foliage matures, the white emerges and makes a lovely contrast to the green.  Alan Bush found Cercis 'Alley Cat' in an alley near his home in Kentucky, and gave it to Harald Neubauer of Hidden Hollow Nursery to introduce.

'Appalachia' Red Eastern Redbud has deep reddish purple buds that open to bright neon pink flowers in April and May. Cercis canadensis 'Appalachia' is more vibrant than the straight species and very eye-catching.  It was found growing along a roadside in Maryland by Dr. Max Byrkit.  2021 PHS Gold Medal Plant.

Burgundy Hearts® ('Greswan') Eastern Redbud is a refinement of the 'Forest Pansy' theme, with pinkish lavender April flowers followed by reddish purple lustrous foliage. The heart-shaped leaves hold their dark color longer in the summer, taking on reddish wine tones towards the fall. Introduced by Greenleaf Nurseries from a selection of over 3,000 seedlings.

Carolina Sweetheart® ('NCCC1') Eastern Redbud is an unusual new Cercis, from NCSU in partnership with the North Carolina nurserymen.  The heart-shaped leaves emerge in April, in shades of bronzy purple with vivid pink and white margins.  The tri-color effect is striking, and since it follows the classic lavender purple flower display, Cercis Carolina Sweetheart® is a dramatic standout in the landscape for a long period.  By mid summer the foliage is primarily bronze green, but the new growth continues to be colorful.

Flame Thrower® (‘NC2016-2’) Eastern Redbud came from JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, NC. They’re onto something new and different, as the leaves emerge reddish burgundy and rapidly mature to yellow and green, giving a multicolor effect. The pink pea-shaped blooms appear on the bare stems before the foliage emerges. A really striking small specimen tree, especially in late spring and early summer.

PRN Preferred: This is the most striking of the tri-colored Redbuds, with foliage that progresses from reddish burgundy to yellow and green, changing from early spring to mid summer. 

'Forest Pansy' Eastern Redbud has rose purple flowers and reddish purple foliage in April and May changing to bronze by fall. The foliage is strikingly beautiful in spring and early summer.  Originally found in a seedling block at Forest Nursery in McMinnville, TN in 1947.

Golden Falls® (‘NC2015-12’) Eastern Redbud is an introduction from the JC Raulston Arboretum. The large heart-shaped leaves appear in spring in shades of chartreuse and yellow. They follow the display of pink pea-shaped flowers which cover the weeping branches. Cercis canadensis Golden Falls® tolerates summer sun without scorching as much as other yellow Cercis do, so the foliage is showy all summer. The strong weeping habit makes Golden Falls® a good candidate for tight locations.

Lavender Twist™ ('Covey') Eastern Redbud has purplish rose flowers in April and May on an umbrella-shaped crown. Lavender Twist™ is a great introduction from Tim Brotsman, found by him in New York State in the garden of Mrs. Covey.

'Royal White' Eastern Redbud is a classic white flowering Cercis which was selected by the late great Dr. JC McDaniel of the University of Illinois. He chose it for the large, plentiful pea-shaped flowers produced abundantly in April. Since the parent tree was found in Bluffs, Illinois, the cold tolerance is excellent. 'Royal White' is vigorous and faster growing than other white forms, and we're glad to be able to keep this tried-and-true selection in circulation.

'Ruby Falls' Redbud is a weeping form of 'Forest Pansy', long awaited by avid plantsmen and brought to us by Dr. Dennis Werner of NCSU. The velvety purple foliage is displayed on graceful weeping branches, making a spectacular show in spring and early summer before it ages to greenish bronze. Its rosy purple flowers emerge before the leaves unfold. The name was chosen by 5 year old Porter Neubauer of Tennessee, undoubtedly a great future nurseryman.

PRN Preferred: A great combination of habit (weeping) with color (deep velvety purple).

Summer's Tower™ ('JN7') Eastern Redbud was found by Ray Jackson of Belvidere, Tennessee as a chance seedling on his nursery.  The habit is upright rather than broad, so its vase-shaped form works well in confined spaces.  The lavender pink pea-shaped flowers cover 'Summer's Tower' in April and May, when the green heart-shaped leaves are first emerging.  The upright shape in maturity is almost reminiscent of Zelkova 'Mushashino', but Cercis 'Summer's Tower' is of course much smaller at maturity.

The Rising Sun™ ('JN2') Redbud is one of the most stunning plants we have ever seen, with foliage that starts as peachy apricot, maturing through chartreuse-yellow to a final deep green. Since all three color phases are present at the same time in late spring and summer, the effect is spectacular. The blooms are the classic Redbud lavender in April and May.  It was found and introduced by Ray Jackson of Belvidere, Tennessee.

The stems of White Chinese Redbud are covered in white flowers in April, followed by attractive heart-shaped leaves. Cercis chinensis 'Alba' ('Shirobana') is a hard-to-find Chinese Redbud.

Cercis chinensis 'Don Egolf' has branches that are absolutely covered with pinkish lavender flowers in April, followed by heart-shaped neat glossy foliage.  'Don Egolf' does not bear seed pods like the other cultivars, which makes it a very sought after cultivar.  Due to is compact size and slower growth rate it is very suitable for containers. 'Don Egolf' Chinese Redbud is a wonderful plant named after one of the world's greatest plantsmen, Dr. Don Egolf, who is much missed in the plant world.

'Kay's Early Hope' Chinese Redbud was named after NC State's wonderful Women's Basketball Coach Kay Yow, because its pinkish lavender flowers appear at the same time as NC State's basketball tournaments.  Upright and vase-shaped in habit, 'Kay's Early Hope' is covered with blooms for a longer period than most Cercis chinensis cultivars.  It was introduced by the JC Raulston Arboretum from a plant grown in their extensive collection for many years.

'Oklahoma' Redbud has rosy magenta flowers in April and May, followed by leathery green heart-shaped leaves.  Coming originally from Oklahoma and Texas, it shows better heat and wind tolerance than other Cercis.  Warren and Son Nursery first found this tough plant in the mountains of Oklahoma, which may explain its greater hardiness than other texensis varieties of Redbud.

'Pink Pom Poms' Redbud is another beautiful introduction from the work of Dr Dennis Werner of NCSU and Alex Neubauer of Hidden Hollow Nursery.  The double flowered Cercis c. 'Flame' was crossed with Cercis r. Oklahoma, resulting in much bigger, showier double dark pink to purple flowers.  When in  bloom in April and May, 'Pink Pom Poms' is absolutely breath taking, and the huge flower display is not followed by seedpods because the blooms are completely sterile.  The green heart-shaped leaves appear after the blooms, and are glossy and attractive.

The Double Take® Orange Floweringquince series comes from the work of Dr. Tom Ranney of NCSU's Mountain Research Station in Ashville, N.C. It has very large bright orange double flowers on compact thornless plants. The blooms appear in April for an extended period, with some sporadic reblooming in summer.

Double Take® Pink Floweringquince is another beauty from Dr. Tom Ranney, with very large double deep pink flowers in April. The blooms resemble Camellias in their size and color intensity. The compact plants are thornless, and their branches make lovely cut flowers to bring inside in early spring.

Double Take® Scarlet Floweringquince is the third release from Dr. Tom Ranney's team in Ashville, NC, with very large dark red double flowers. The thornless plants bloom for an extended time in April, sporadically reblooming in summer.

White Fringetree has intensely fragrant, fluffy white panicle flowers in May, followed by bird attracting bluish purple fruit if plant is female (dioecious). Although fruit only appears on the female plants, the flowers on the male plants are showier due to their longer petals.  The foliage hosts many butterfly and moth caterpillars, including several sphinxes.  Fall color ranges from a yellowish green to to a bright golden yellow.  Chionanthus virginicus is also wet site tolerant.

'Spring Fleecing' White Fringetree has fragrant white flowers in large fluffy panicles on an upright plant with dark green narrow leaves. Male, so it blooms consistently and heavily every year.  Chionanthus virginicus 'Spring Fleecing' is a selection by Sam Allen of Tarheel Native Trees. It is also wet site tolerant.

American Yellowwood is a beautiful native tree that should be used in more landscapes. The flowers are very fragrant, with lovely white pea-shaped flowers appearing in May and June on long pendulous panicles. They provide excellent food for bees and other insects, and they resemble a more refined Wisteria flower. The foliage emerges in spring as a chartreuse green during the summer, finishing up as a bright yellow in fall. The bark is an attractive grayish brown, very smooth textured and closely resembling Beech bark. Cladrastis kentukea tolerates both acidic and alkaline soils, and prefers adequate moisture.

'Tom's Compact' Summersweet is the most compact we have seen of the Summersweets. This fragrant white flowered beauty was found and introduced by a great nurseryman of our area, Tom Dilatush. We've been waiting a long time to get our hands on Clethra alnifolia 'Compacta' and to top it off, it is wet site and salt tolerant.  The tight branching structure provided excellent shelter for birds throughout the year.

PRN Preferred:  Compact dense habit, never needs pruning.  Loved by pollinators.

'Hummingbird' Summersweet has very fragrant white flowers that cover the plant in June and July. This selection is a compact form that is both wet site and salt tolerant. It spreads vigorously by rhizomes to form colonies.  The leaves are narrower than the species and the fall color is lovely shades of golden yellow.  Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird' is an introduction from Calloway Gardens, Pine Mountain, GA where it was planted along Humminbird Lake, hence the name.

'Ruby Spice' Summersweet has very fragrant dark pink flowers in June and July. It is both wet site and salt tolerant. Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' was found by Andy Brand formerly of Broken Arrow Nursery in Connecticut.

'Sherry Sue' Summersweet has very fragrant white flower spikes which are displayed on pinkish red new growth stems.  Clethra alnifolia 'Sherry Sue' blooms in July and August, providing nectar for a number of pollinators.  It is found naturally in boggy areas throughout the Northeast, and is particularly useful because of its deer resistance and suckering habit.  Introduced by the JC Raulston Arboretum in North Carolina.

'Sixteen Candles' Summersweet has very fragrant white flowers in June and July.  It is both wet site and salt tolerant. Clethra alnifolia 'Sixteen Candles' was introduced by Dr. Michael Dirr and has an improved upright growth habit and is compact in size.  Per Michael Dirr "white flowers are held upright like candles on a birthday cake".

Summer Sparkler, formerly Einstein® ('Novacleein') Summersweet blooms in July and August, producing 12" white flower spikes.  The blooms are fragrant and somewhat curly because of their unusual length.  Clethra alnifolia Summer Sparkler is a compact form of Summersweet, making a good deer resistant shrub groundcover.  Introduced by Star Roses in 2015.

Sweetfern is a small but widely suckering shrub that energetically colonizes dry, acidic, sterile areas. Hair catkins crown the ends of the stems in late April and early May.  Foliage is green and fragrant (it's in the Bayberry family), with a fern-like texture. It prefers more acid soil and is a nitrogen-fixing species.  The semi-evergreen leaves of Comptonia peregrina turn bronzy green in late fall.  It is an important host for butterfly and moth larvae, including several Sphinx moth species and the Gray Hairstreak butterfly.

Ivory Halo™ ('Bailhalo') Tatarian Dogwood has brightly variegated leaves that emerge in spring with green centers surrounded by large ivory white margins. The flat topped creamy flowers in May and June are followed by white summer fruit. The fall color is pink and reddish purple, and the winter stem color is dark red and showy. Prune out older canes in the spring to maintain the winter stem show.  An introduction from Bailey Nurseries.

Pagoda Dogwood is a lovely, subtle woodland native tree with attractively layered horizontal branching. The flat fluffy ivory flowers appear in late May to early June and are powerfully fragrant. They are followed by bluish black fruit in August which are attractive to birds. The fall color of Cornus alternifolia is often a mild reddish purple, followed by a winter interest element provided by the purplish horizontal twigs and branches.

'Appalachian Spring' Flowering Dogwood has white flowers in April and May and good red fall foliage. 'Appalachian Spring' is resistant to Dogwood Anthracnose! Introduced by the University of Tennessee. Blooms heavily at a young age, but is a slow starter as a young tree.  The parent plant was found in the wild in Maryland, where all the surrounding C. floridas were dead of Anthracnose.

PRN Preferred:  A more disease resistant native Dogwood cultivar.

Cherokee Brave™ ('Comco No. 1') Flowering Dogwood blooms in mid to late spring, producing dark pink bracts with white centers.  The leaves emerge in shades of burgundy in early spring and mature to green in summer.  The fall color is attractive shades of maroon and red, accented by the bright red fall fruit, much prized by wildlife.  Cornus florida Cherokee Brave™ shows good resistance to mildew, which is one of the reasons why Commercial Nurseries of Tennessee selected it.  Cornus florida fruit is an important food source for migrating birds.

'Cherokee Princess' Flowering Dogwood is a vigorous disease resistant selection which has large white flowers followed by bright red bird-attracting fruit. The fall color is a good red, and plantsman Don Shadow says that it is his favorite classic white Dogwood because of its beauty and ease of growth. Introduced by J C Higden of Kentucky.

‘Cloud 9’ Flowering Dogwood is a showy example of one of our most beautiful native trees. The flat flowers, consisting of 4 white overlapping 2” bracts, appear in quantity in April. The white flowers complement both Cercis and Prunus which bloom at the same time. The habit is somewhat ‘Japanese’ because the branching appears in tiers, like ‘cloud pruned’ trees. The green summer leaves are followed by reddish purple fall color and shiny red fruit (an important food source for wildlife). Cornus florida ‘Cloud 9’ was patented in 1961 by Chase Nursery of Alabama.

‘Dixie Colonade’ Flowering Dogwood was found by Don Shadow in Alabama. The flower parts are surrounded by the classic white bracts, but Cornus florida ‘Dixie Colonade’ is unusual in that its habit is distinctly columnar. The red fruit in fall is complimented by reddish foliage. This is a Cornus florida for small gardens and tight spaces.

‘Erica’s Appalachian Sunrise’ Flowering Dogwood is another good selection from the Tennessee Agricultural Experimental Station’s breeding work. Cornus florida ‘Appalachian Sunrise’ produces deep pink bracts which have white centers surrounding the actual flowers. The foliage emerges in spring in shades of burgundy, maturing to green in summer and red in fall. The wildlife-friendly red fruit in fall is also showy. Cornus ‘Erica’s Appalachian Sunrise’ is mildew resistant, so it is a good grower in the Northeast.

There have been a number of Flowering Dogwoods in the trade that have bloomed with multiple bracts, but this particular selection is one of the best.  The white flowers are sterile, and are composed of 17 to 24 large bracts which make the extremely showy.  The habit is slow growing and compact (probably because Cornus florida 'Plena' puts so much energy into blooming), so this classic Dogwood fits into small gardens as well as along the edges of woods.  The fall color is an attractive reddish purple.

'Pumpkin Patch' Flowering Dogwood was found by nurseryman Don Shadow as a chance seedling.  The dark pink flowering Dogwood sports a combination of light green (almost yellow) foliage crowned by burgundy new growth.  What caught his eye in particular was the fall color, which is brilliant orange (hence "Pumpkin Patch"), followed by orange twigs in winter.  'Pumpkin Patch' has shown some susceptibility to mildew in hot humid weather, but it is still a very rare, cool collector's plant.

'Greensleeves' Kousa Dogwood has dark green leaves with prominent veins, and is a heavy flowering rapid grower, with excellent red fall color. 'Greensleeves' is a selection by Polly Wakefield of Milton, Mass. A very heavy fruiting Dogwood, and wildlife love the fruit, as do our Labrador Retrievers.

‘Little Poncho’ Kousa Dogwood is a compact Korean Dogwood which blooms heavily in spite of its small size. The showy white bracts surround the actual flower parts in May and June. These are followed by large red fruits in fall which look like little hanging Christmas ornaments. The clean disease-resistant green foliage turns attractive shades of red and purple in the fall. This is a good Dogwood for smaller gardens and spaces.

Scarlet Fire® ('Rutpink') Kousa Dogwood is a lovely new introduction from Dr Tom Molnar's work at Rutgers University. The bracts, appearing in June, are a dark strong pink which hold up well in our hot summer weather and often are showy for up to 8 weeks. Cornus kousa Scarlet Fire® is a juvenile bloomer and vigorous grower, with clean disease resistant foliage. The classic red hanging fruit follows the flowers and the fall foliage color is also shades of red. This is the most pink, heaviest flowering Kousa Dogwood we know.

PRN Preferred:  Plentiful dark pink flowers, heavy bloomer at an early age.  The best pink we have seen.

'Snow Tower' Korean Dogwood is an upright form of Cornus kousa, which makes it ideal for a tight space.  The large white flowers (bracts) emerge in late May and June, a little later than most Korean Dogwoods.  The very showy flower display is followed by round red fruit in late summer which are very attractive to birds and mammals.  'Snow Tower' Dogwood has reddish purple fall color, and would make an excellent small street tree with several seasons of interest.  Found by Gary Handy of Handy Nursery in Oregon.

'Wolf Eyes' Kousa Dogwood has white flowers in June and variegated white and green foliage with striking red and pink fall color. It is a Manor View Farms selection. Although its leaves are less susceptible to burning than most other variegated cultivars, Cornus kousa 'Wolf Eyes' still prefers a shady location.  This is Richard Hesselein's favorite variegated Dogwood.

Venus® ('KN30-8') Hybrid Dogwood has huge white sterile flowers in May and June, and is resistant to Dogwood Anthracnose and powdery mildew. Another winner from Dr. Elwin Orton (the Jersey Star® series). Its claim to fame is that Venus® has the largest, pure white flowers ever observed in the breeding program, reaching 6-8" across.  Venus® is also one of the latest blooming Dogwoods per Bruce Crawford.

Cornus mas 'Golden Glory' has bright yellow flowers in March, followed by cherry red showy drupes in summer. Birds love the fruit and the exfoliating bark adds to the winter interest. Introduced by Synnesvedt Nursery of Illinois.  'Golden Glory' Corneliancherry is more upright than other forms, so it makes an attractive early spring tree.

'Kintoki' Japanese Cornel Dogwood has small brilliant yellow flowers in March, interesting multi-colored bark, and vivid red fruit in fall. It blooms 2 weeks earlier than Cornus mas and was selected in Japan as an excellent cut flower plant. 'Kintoki' was introduced into the US by Barry Yinger through Brookside Gardens.

PRN Preferred:  Very showy early yellow blooms, exfoliating bark and brilliant fall color and bright red fruit, a true multi-season plant.

Cornus sanguinea Proven Winners® Color Choice® Arctic Sun® ('Cato') is a variety of Bloodtwig Dogwood that has great winter interest because twigs are bright yellow at base flushing to blood red. Leaves are a good bright yellow in fall. From Andre van Nijnatten, who also brought us 'Winter Flame'.

Arctic Fire® Red (‘Farrow’) Redosier Dogwood is a beautiful native shrub which lights up the winter landscape with bright red twigs (great for winter containers). Cornus Arctic Fire® 'Red' has green ovate leaves in spring which are topped with flat ivory flower clusters (cymes) in May and June. Ornamental white berries (good food for birds) and deep red leaves follow in the fall. Redosier Dogwoods should be pruned back hard every 1 to 2 years, because the new growth provides the winter color.

Cornus sericea 'Baileyi' has white flowers followed by bluish fruit. Excellent red fall foliage defoliates to expose reddish purple twigs for winter interest. 'Bailey' Redosier Dogwood is a Bailey Nurseries introduction. It is a rapid grower and relatively salt tolerant. Excellent massed or as a specimen.  Cut the old wood back frequently to maintain the best winter color.

The light green disease-resistant summer foliage of 'Cardinal' Redosier Dogwood is followed by vivid, cherry red stems in winter.  Tiny white flat topped flower cluster appear in late spring changing to whitish drupes by summer which are eaten by birsds.  Most effective if the old wood is cut back yearly. It is relatively salt tolerant.  Developed by Dr. Pellet and the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, so you know it's tough. 

PRN Preferred: The color of the twigs starts as a light orange in fall and matures to a bright red in winter on a very rigorous, healthy plant. 

Kelsey’s Dwarf Redosier Dogwood is a dwarf Cornus sericea, with an attractive rounded habit and the characteristic red twigs in the winter. The small white flowers (cymes) appear in late spring and are followed in late summer by white berries (drupes) which are attractive to birds. Cornus sericea ‘Kelseyi’ has attractive yellow fall foliage, and with its short rounded habit makes a good foundation plant as well as a short winter interest hedge.

Buttercup Winterhazel has delicate mildly fragrant yellow panicles in March and April.  Native to western Japan and Taiwan, the habit of Corylopsis pauciflora is broad but delicate, with small, neat leaves.  Winterhazel provides late winter to early spring blooms in the landscape before the common Forsythia.

PRN Preferred:  A smaller neater habit.

Spike Winterhazel has long yellow, very fragrant panicles in March and April. It blooms on racemes before the leaves unfold; plants have many racemes and each raceme has from 6 to 12 flowers.  Corylopsis spicata makes a wonderful cut flower branch to bring inside in the late winter.

Veitch Winterhazel is a showy, fragrant addition to the winter garden with primrose yellow, 3" pendant flowers set off by reddish anthers. Corylopsis veitchiana blooms in March on bare branches and then produces foliage that starts out bronzy and turns to green, with glabrous undersides.  Corylopsis are closely related to Witchhazels and should be sited in a place protected from late spring frosts.

Golden Spirit™ ('Ancot') Smokebush has smoky purple-gray flowers in June and July. Bronze new growth turns to chartreuse yellow leaves in summer. Golden Spirit™ has pinkish red and orange fall foliage. From Boskoop, Holland.

'Royal Purple' Smokebush has pink smoke-like flowers in June and July which are highlighted by brilliant purple leaves, which turn a reddish purple in fall.  Prune in late winter, cutting back hard will result in new shoots with deeper color and larger leaves but no flowers.  Cotinus coggygria is native from southern Europe to central China and 'Royal Purple' was introduced to the US in 1953 and originated from Lombarts Nursery in Boskoop, Holland.

The Velvet Fog® (‘SMNCCPP3’) Smokebush combines beautiful blue green foliage with a large production of reddish pink smoke-like flowers in mid summer. Cotinus The Velvet Fog® is an introduction from Tim Wood’s work at Spring Meadow™, chosen for its prolific, long-blooming qualities as well as its showy clean foliage. With its dense growth habit, the Velvet Fog® makes a good deer resistant hedge as well as an attractive specimen.

Winecraft Black® Smokebush ('NCCO1') produces deep purple velvety leaves in spring which are topped by dark pink smoke-like inflorescences in June.  The contrast between the flowers and foliage is striking.  After blooming, Cotinus Winecraft Black® does not fade as many other purple leaf plants do, retaining its dark purple color until fall, when the leaves turn beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red.  All Cotinus benefit from a periodic pruning to promote new growth.

PRN Preferred: A showy combination of long lasting purple foliage and a compact habit.

Winecraft Gold® (‘MINCOJAU3’) Smokebush was bred in France by Corinne Liquiere. The neat round leaves emerge in orange to chartreuse shades, maturing to lime green by mid summer. Cotinus coggygria Winecraft Gold® is crowned with greenish pink smoke-like inflorescences in early summer on old growth, so do not prune in spring. The habit is compact and the fall foliage is a clean yellow. Winecraft Gold® is more scorch resistant than earlier yellow cultivars.

American Smoketree bluish to dark green leaves and unique greenish smoke-like flowers in July.  The fall color is spectacular, with shades of yellow, red and purple hues.  The bark is also a beautiful gray and mature trunks become scaly for additional winter interest.   Native to rocky mountain soils and limestone glades from Kentucky, Tennessee, northern Alabama westward to Oklahoma.  American Smokebush was almost lost during the Civil War because it was harvested and used to make yellow dye.  Cotinus obovatus makes a very large shrub or an attractive small tree.

PRN Preferred:  As noted by Dr. Dirr "may be the best of the all American shrub/trees for intensity of (fall) color." and we agree.

'Grace' Smoketree has pink flowers in June and July with bronze new foliage which turns to purple. Cotinus x 'Grace' has luminous reddish purple to orange fall foliage and is a cross from C. coggygria 'Velvet Cloak and C. obovatus. Cotinus is in the same family as and closely related to Rhus (Sumac).  From Peter Dummer, formerly at Hillier Nurseries in England and named after his wife.

'Winter King' Green Hawthorn has white flowers in late spring, brilliant red fruit well into the winter, and silver bark. Fruit are larger than the straight species and eaten by many birds including cedar waxwings. Crataegus viridis 'Winter King' has a lovely rounded habit, is more disease resistant and is largely spinless (with only occasional small thorns to 1.5" long).  One of our favorite multi-season small trees.  Introduced by Simpson Nursery, Vincennes, IN in 1955.

The blackish green evergreen foliage of 'Black Dragon' Japanese Cedar has an interesting irregular texture on an upright plant. Cryptomeria japonica 'Black Dragon' is much slower and smaller than C. 'Yoshino', so excellent for smaller spaces.  'Black Dragon' gets its name from its dark green needles that, in shade, almost look black.  This cultivar originated as a seedling selected in the mid-1980s by Iseli Nursery, Boring, Oregon.  It is also salt tolerant.

Dwarf Globe Japanese Cedar is a dense rounded evergreen which adds a lot of color to the year-round landscape. The tight needles are a vivid bright green in the summer. In the fall and winter, they turn bluish purple with shades of rust. Since it is both pest resistant and compact, 'Globosa Nana' works well as a foundation evergreen, especially where deer are a problem. Pruning will probably never be needed to keep its neat habit.

'Radicans' Japanese Cedar is very similar to Cryptomeria 'Yoshino' in texture, habit and hardiness, but its habit is tighter with foliage for emerald green.  It is also more resistance to winter leader problems.  Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers, NY has a large planting of Cryptomeria japonica 'Radicans' flanking the stairs of the Vista Garden leading down to the Hudson River.  Head gardener, Timothy Tilghman finds 'Radicans' to be very wind resistant with less browning in the interior branches than 'Yoshino'.   A very useful and rewarding conifer. It is also salt tolerant.

'Yoshino' Japanese Cedar has dark green foliage and an upright habit. It is surprisingly shade and salt tolerant. It makes a large hedge very rapidly.

Leyland Cypress is a very fast growing, uniform evergreen conifer which makes a clean green hedge in a hurry. xCupressocyparis leylandii is best from containers because the root system seems to be slower growing than the top, and thus difficult to dig and transplant.