Woody Ornamentals

Gin Fizz® (‘RIKAG’) Chinese Juniper gets its name from the showy blue green berries which add beauty to the evergreen foliage in the fall and winter. Juniperus Gin Fizz® has an upright pyramidal shape which requires little pruning. The name is a play on words because Juniper berries gave their characteristics flavor to Gin and Tonics. Birds also enjoy the berries in winter.

Hollywood Juniper ('Kaizuka') is a classic conifer because of its unusual irregular branching combined with its dark green needles.  The open, sculpted shape makes this Juniper showy all year, whether planted as a screen of displayed as a specimen.  Hollywood Junipers are quite cold tolerant, so they are particularly effective in large containers on desks or patios.  We have heard from several customers that this is there 'go to' plant for seashore and urban roof top gardens since Hollywood Juniper handles salt and wind very well.  The common name of "Hollywood" is because this versatile evergreen seems to be planted everywhere in California.

Eastern Redcedar is a highly variable native conifer, and the selection we offer comes from a seed source that provides columnar, uniform plants.  The neat green evergreen foliage takes on attractive purplish hues in fall and winter.  Juniperus virginiana is dioecius, and female plants bear blue-green "berries" (actually covered cones) which can be extremely showy in winter.  Both wet site and salt tolerant, Eastern Redcedar is an extremely adaptable native, and an important food source for migrating birds.  The wood has long been values for its beautiful color and rot resistance.

'Grey Owl' was selected in 1938 for its unusual habit and foliage color.  This unusual form of Eastern Redcedar is a broad low shrub, bearing silver gray needles thickly on its horizontal branches.  A female form, it will often have little round "berries" (cones) when mature.  Juniperus virginiana 'Grey Owl' is an attractive addition the native conifer groundcover field, showing its rugged adaptability over many years.

PRN Preferred:  A native, low growing Eastern Redcedar.  Very adaptable.

'Taylor' Eastern Redcedar is a very narrow selection of Juniperus virginiana, found originally in Taylor, Nebraska.  'Taylor' has attractive silvery blue green needles and round berry-like cones which are an important food source for birds.  "Taylor' Eastern Redcedar is considered to be the most dry site tolerant of the Juniperus virginiana selections available.  It also has better than average resistance to Cedar Apple Rust.

'Carol' Mountain Laurel produces beautiful flower clumps in May and June.  The buds are red but the ballet shirt shaped flowers are pale pink to white when fully open.  The shiny green foliage is evergreen and somewhat leathery.  Kalmia 'Carol' is particularly showy when naturalized and planted in mass.  As Kalmias mature, they can become picturesquely open in habit, but if a tighter evergreen is desired, they can be pruned yearly, preferably soon after blooming.

'Carousel' Mountain Laurel blooms in May and June, with pink buds opening to white flowers accented by burgundy splotches and stripes.  The habit is upright and dense, making Kalmia 'Carousel' an excellent candidate for an evergreen natural looking hedge or screen.  Kalmia latifolia does well in acidic soils.  The evergreen foliage is attractive all year because of its lustrous dark green appearance. 

‘Pink Charm’ Mountain Laurel has vivid pink masses of flowers in May and June. The buds are dark red on the flower clumps, which open to the classic ballet skirt form New Englanders know and love. The foliage is evergreen and lustrous, making it attractive all year. Thrives best in well-drained acidic soil. Since Kalmia is a broadleaf evergreen, protection from winter winds is important.

'Raspberry Glow' Mountain Laurel comes from Dick Jaynes of Broken Arrow Nursery, and is a sibling of Kalmia 'Sarah'.  The buds are raspberry red, opening to a vivd deep pink in May and June.  The ballet skirt shaped flowers are borne in large clusters over deep green lustrous foliage.  Kalmia 'Raspberry Glow' tolerates a wide range of light conditions, and is one of the few broadleaf evergreens that is deer resistant.

‘Tiddlywinks’ Mountain Laurel produces dark pink clusters of flower buds in late spring. They open to soft pink “ballet skirt” flowers in early summer, displayed over lustrous evergreen leaves on a very compact plant. Kalmia latifolia ‘Tiddlywinks’ is considered a dwarf, but the flower clumps are normal sized, so they are particularly impressive on the small sized Mountain Laurel. Another beauty from Dick Jaynes of Broken Arrow Nursery in Connecticut.

Enduring Summer™ ‘Red’ Crape Myrtle (‘P11LAGB5’) is a mid-sized Lagerstroemia with really showy blooms in late summer. The new growth emerges in shades of bronze in late spring, changing to green.  It is topped in late summer by large scarlet flower clusters. Lagerstroemia Enduring Summer™ ‘Red’ has impressed us with its vivid flower display and its clean disease resistant upright habit. Hybridized by Joshua Kardos and Dr. Michael Dirr.

Dynamite® ('Whit II') Crapemyrtle flowers are cherry red in July and August on an upright form with good lustrous green foliage. Lagerstroemia x Dynamite® is another Dr. Carl Whitcomb introduction.

'Natchez' Crapemyrtle has white flowers in July and August, spectacular mottled exfoliating bark in shades of tan and chocolate, and yellow-red fall color. From Dr. Egolf and the US National Arboretum, Lagerstroemia x 'Natchez' is truly a four season plant. Per Phil Normandy of Brookside Gardens in Maryland, all the fauriei crosses like Natchez rebloom reliably after their first summer display.

PRN Preferred:  Amazing bark color added to the excellent cold tolerance really make this Crapemyrtle a winner.

The red buds of Pink Velour™ ('Whit III') Crapemyrtle open mid-summer to dark pink flowers. The new foliage is a striking burgundy, changing to dark green. A great Dr.Carl Whitcomb introduction. Lagerstroemia x Pink Velour™ was formerly named 'Royal Velvet'.

Red Rocket® ('Whit IV') Crapermyrtle has bright red long blooming flowers on an upright small tree. An excellent introduction from Dr. Carl Whitcomb of Oklahoma.

'Tuscarora' Crapemyrtle has big coral-pink flowers blooming in July and August. A little more tender than the toughest of the Lagerstroemias, its flowers and open multi stem habit make it a show-stopper. Lagerstroemia x 'Tuscarora' is another winner from Dr. Don Egolf and the US National Arboretum.

Rose-purple pea-like flowers explode in August and September. 'Gibraltar' Bush Clover tolerates dry sites. Treat as cut-back shrub. Lespedeza thunbergii 'Gibraltar' was found by the great plantsman (and artist!) William Frederick, Jr. of Delaware.  In our experience, Gibraltar is indistinguishable from Lespedeza 'Spring Grove'.

Coast Leucothoe is a lovely spring blooming broad leaf evergreen, with white flower racemes in April and May. Leucothoe axillaris's branching habit is an interesting zigzag. Prefers acid, moist soil.

The new growth of 'Rainbow' Doghobble is a striking blend of white, pink and green changing to cream and green as it matures, Leucothoe fontanesiana 'Rainbow' has white fragrant flowers in May. A selection by Girard Nursery in Ohio. Evergreen, turning plum colored in winter.

The leathery narrow green leaves of Greybush Spicebush turn the most spectacular combination of orange, red and purple in fall. Leaves are held throughout the winter, turning a very attractive tan. Since it holds its leaves, Lindera angustifolia (formerly glauca var. salicifolia) is a good screening alternative for traditional evergreens. Shiny black small fruit appears in the fall. It is Landscape Architect Michael Van Valkenburgh's newest favorite all-season shrub.

PRN Preferred: Super shrub!  Attractive all four seasons.  In the fall, many customers have asked "What's that shrub that looks like it is on fire?!".  Truly, unbeatable fall color.

Lindera benzoin has delicate pale yellow flowers in early spring, a standout in leafless woodsy vistas. In the fall the lemon-yellow foliage lights up the woods. Plants are dioecious and female plants produce shiny red fruit which is an important food source for migrating birds.  Our native Spicebush is wet site tolerant and deciduous.

Extremely narrow form, 'Slender Silhouette' American Sweetgum was introduced by that superb plantsman Don Shadow. It has beautiful glossy green leaves and is wet site tolerant. Liquidambar styraciflua 'Slender Silhouette's fall color is yellow to burgundy. It makes an amazing upright element in the landscape.

PRN Preferred:  Amazing structure and trouble free foliage.

Privet Honeysuckle is a beautiful glossy small evergreen groundcover shrub. Lonicera pileata often produces glowing amethyst fruits in late summer on older plants. An excellent choice for shady deer-dominated areas.

PRN Preferred:  Works much better than any Cotoneaster as a groundcover.  This evergreen works well in dry sites.