Nordic Inkberry Holly, Featured Plant of The Day

Ilex glabra 'Nordic'
    Gallberry Holly,  Inkberry Holly

Type    Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range    5A to 10A
Height    4' to 8' / 1.20m to 2.40m
Spread    4' to 6' / 1.20m to 1.80m
Growth rate    Slow
Form    Oval
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence    Evergreen

Bloom Color    White
Bloom Time    Spring

Environment
This plant tolerates some drought, flooding and some salt.
This plant will grow in dry to wet or submerged soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to neutral (less than 6.8 to 7.2) soil.

Leaf Color    Green
Fall Color    No change in fall color

Culture Notes
This upright, clump-forming, evergreen shrub is valued for its foliage and fruits.  The lustrous, dark green leaves may have a few obtuse teeth toward the leaf apex or they may have entire margins.  They are obovate to oblanceolate in shape and may reach a length of 3/4 to 2 inches.  Gallberry becomes somewhat open with age and often loses its small lower branches.  Female plants have berry-like, black drupes that occur from September to May of the following year.

These 6- to 8-foot-tall plants are especially valuable to birds for their persistent fruits and branch structures.  The flowers of Ilex glabra appear in May, and the staminate and pistillate flowers occur on separate plants.  The female flowers are solitary, and the male flowers are borne on a stalk consisting of 3 or more flowers.  Both sexes of flowers have creamy white petals and are inconspicuous. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.

Ilex glabra prefers a full sun to partial shade location in the landscape and moist, acid soils; high pH soils should be avoided.  Older plants may be renewed by heavy pruning as lower branches loose foliage with time.  Gallberry is excellent when used in mass plantings and as naturalizing material.  It has been utilized as a hedge, foundation plant and accent plant.  It makes a poor hedge because it thins toward the bottom, but plants withstand renewal pruning if they get too leggy. Plants can be found in nature growing at the edge of swamps.  Plants serve as hosts for butterfly larvae.

Planting and establishing shrubs

The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep.  Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery.  In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off.  The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider.  In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole.  Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential.  Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth.  Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk.  If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer.   This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry.  Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water.  Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

Lawson's Cypress, Featured Plant of The Day

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Minima Aurea'

Lawson's Cypress, Oregon Cedar, Port Orford Cedar

Type Tree, woody plant

Hardy range 5B to 7B

Height 8' to 15' / 2.40m to 4.60m

Spread 6' to 12' / 1.80m to 3.60m

Growth rate Slow

Form Oval and upright or erect

Exposure Full sun

Persistence Evergreen

Bloom Color Blue and red

Environment
This plant tolerates some drought and some salt.
This plant will grow in dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to slightly alkaline (less than 6.8 to 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color Green, variegated and yellow
Fall Color No change in fall color

This plant has attractive foliage.


Culture Notes
Lawson's Cypress is best suited for large landscapes such as parks, golf courses, and large industrial or commercial landscapes. Species will soar to 150-200 feet tall in its native habitat but will never come close to this height in a planted landscape. The dense, symmetrical growth habit make it ideally suited as a tall screen in a sunny spot protected from strong wind.
It has picky cultural requirements and should be grown in full sun in moist, well-drained soil in areas of moderate to high humidity, and preferably where the trees can be protected from winds. These sites may be hard to find in the East; but the trees grow nicely in the Pacific northwest. Pollen can cause significant allergenic reactions in certain people.
Tree establishment specifications
Choose good quality trees for planting. The most common cause of young tree failure is planting too deep. In most instances, the point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk (referred to as the root flare zone or root collar) should be located just above the soil surface. You may have to dig into the root ball to find the root flare. If there is nursery soil over this area, scrape it off. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider because roots grow best in loose soil. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, extensive research clearly shows that there is no need to incorporate any amendments into the backfill soil. Simply use the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Simply planting with the topmost portion of the root ball slightly higher than the surrounding soil might still install the tree too deep - be sure to locate the root flare.
Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch to at least a six-foot diameter circle around the tree. This area should be at least two feet in diameter for each inch of tree trunk diameter and maintained during the establishment period. Apply a thinner layer of mulch directly over the root ball but keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. This allows rainwater, irrigation and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk and applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water.
Regular irrigation after planting encourages rapid root growth that is essential for tree establishment. Trees provided with regular irrigation through the first growing season after transplanting require about 3 months (hardiness zones 9-11), 6 months (hardiness zones 7-8), or one year or more (hardiness zones 2-6) per inch of trunk diameter to fully establish roots in the landscape soil. Trees in desert climates may take longer to establish. Trees that are under-irrigated during this establishment period (and most trees are) often require additional time to establish because roots grow more slowly. Be prepared to irrigate through the entire establishment period, especially during periods of drought.
Irrigation also helps maintain and encourage the desirable dominant leader in the tree canopy on large-maturing trees. Instead of a dominant leader, trees that are under-irrigated during the establishment period often develop undesirable, low, co-dominant stems and double leaders that can split from the tree later.
Unlike established plants, which do best with deep, infrequent irrigation, research clearly shows that recently transplanted trees and shrubs establish quickest with light, frequent irrigation. For trees planted in spring or summer, provide one (cooler hardiness zones) to three irrigations (warmer hardiness zones) each week during the first few months after planting. Daily irrigation in the warmest hardiness zones provides the quickest establishment. Following the initial few months of frequent irrigation, provide weekly irrigation until plants are fully established. With every irrigation, apply one (cool climates) to two (warm climates) gallons of water per inch trunk diameter (e.g. 2 to 4 gallons for a 2-inch tree) over the root ball only. In most landscapes that receive more than 30 inches of rain or irrigation annually, if the mulch area is maintained weed-free, irrigation does not need to be applied outside of the root ball. Never add water if the root ball is saturated.
In cooler hardiness zones, in all but the driest years, irrigation of spring- and summer-planted trees usually can be discontinued once fall color has begun. Irrigation of fall planted trees, however, should be continued until foliage has dropped from the deciduous trees in the region. In warmer climates, irrigate fall-and winter-planted trees as described for the spring- and summer-planted trees.
In drier, desert climates there is benefit to be gained from applying additional irrigation outside of the root ball area. This is best done by making a large diameter berm four to six inches high, then filling it with water so it percolates into the soil. For the first two years, irrigate twice each week through the spring, once per week in summer provided monsoons arrive, and twice each week again in fall if it remains warm. Taper off watering to once or twice each month in winter and resume twice weekly next spring. For years three to five, water twice per month in spring, summer, and fall and once or twice per month in winter. During years five through seven, water once every three weeks in warm weather and once every six weeks in winter. After this, the drought-tolerant desert trees should be able to survive on natural rainfall.
Trees with good, strong structure need no pruning at planting, except to remove broken twigs. Do not remove branches to compensate for root loss - research has shown that this can be detrimental to establishment.

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Flabelliformis Hinoki False Cypress Featured Plant of The Day

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Flabelliformis'

Hinoki False Cypress

Type Shrub, woody plant

Hardy range 5A to 8A

Height 4' to 8' / 1.20m to 2.40m

Spread 6' to 8' / 1.80m to 2.40m

Growth rate Average

Form Rounded and spreading or horizontal

Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Persistence Evergreen

Bloom Color Yellow

Bloom Time Spring

Environment
This plant tolerates some drought.
This plant will grow in dry soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to slightly alkaline (less than 6.8 to 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color Green and yellow
Fall Color No change in fall color

Culture Notes
Hinoki False Cypress should be grown in full sun on moist, well-drained soil, in areas of moderate to high humidity, and preferably where the trees can be protected from harsh winds. It is fairly free of pests and diseases. This cultivar is nice massed together.

Planting and establishing shrubs
The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.
Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

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Anna H. Hall Rhododendron Featured Plant of The Day

Rhododendron (subgenus Rhododendron) 'Anna H. Hall'

Rhododendron

Type Shrub, woody plant

Hardy range 5A to 8B

Height 4' to 5' / 1.20m to 1.60m

Spread 4' to 5' / 1.20m to 1.60m

Growth rate Slow

Form Rounded

Exposure Partial shade or partial sun

Persistence Evergreen

Bloom Color Pink and white

Bloom Time Spring and Summer

The flowers are very showy.

EnvironmentThis plant will grow in moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy or sandy.
The pH preference is an acidic (less than 6.8) soil.

Leaf Color Green
Fall Color No change in fall color

Culture Notes         Partially shaded location gives good growth, provided drainage is adequate. Roots rot in soil that drains poorly. I (Dr. Gilman) have had no trouble transplanting these plants balled in burlap, although many are grown in containers. Pinch back the flowers after they have faded to eliminate the brown developing fruit if you wish. However, this is not essential for good flowering the following year. After all, these plants have been flowering quite nicely without our intervention. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people. Organic amendments in the backfill help establish plants quickly by encouraging roots to grow out of the container and into backfill soil.

        Rhododendrons are ornamental, ericaceous, broad-leaved evergreens. Azaleas belong to this genus, but many are not evergreen. They grow best in shade or partial shade. A south or southwest exposure increases the chance of winter injury to evergreen types when grown in northern climates. Plant in an acidic, moist, well-drained soil with a pH between 4.5 and 6.5. Transplanting balled and burlapped or potted plants is most successful. The shallow root systems are easily injured by deep cultivation, but benefit from mulching.
Plants fail to absorb iron and have yellow leaves with green veins if the soil is not sufficiently acidic. Finely ground sulphur can be added to the soil to increase acidity. Have the soil tested before planting in order to determine the pH. Apply a 2:1:1 N:P:K ratio fertilizer two or three times each year before and after blooming and perhaps again as plants enter dormancy - timing is not as critical as previously believed. Prevent winter burn in northern climates by avoiding exposed planting sites and by shading during winter.

Planting and establishing shrubs         The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

       Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

Please feel free to comment on any post at any time all feedback is welcome and we’d love to hear it.

Wans Dyke Silver Eastern Arborvitae Featured Plant of The Day

Thuja occidentalis 'Wans Dyke Silver'

Eastern Arborvitae, American Arborvitae, Siberian Arborvitae, Northern White Cedar, White Cedar

Type Tree, woody plant
Hardy range 3A to 7A
Height 25' to 40' / 7.60m to 12.20m
Spread 10' to 15' / 3.00m to 4.60m
Growth rate Slow
Form Pyramidal

Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence Evergreen
Bloom Color Yellow
Bloom Time Spring


Environment
This plant tolerates some drought, flooding and a little salt.
This plant will grow in dry to wet or submerged soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.
Leaf Color
Green, variegated and yellow
Fall Color
No change in fall color
This plant has attractive foliage.


Culture Notes

Transplanting is moderately easy if plants are root-pruned and either balled and burlapped or potted. American Arborvitae likes high humidity and prefers moist to wet soils but tolerates some drought. The foliage turns brownish in winter, especially on cultivars with colored foliage and on exposed sites open to the wind. Select cultivars that remain mostly green in winter, such as 'Tecky' and Nigra', for the most northern climates. Many of the natural stands in the United States have been cut. Some remain in isolated areas along rivers throughout the East. Good survival in ice storms, especially on trees with a single trunk.
Foliage turns brown with the onset of cold winter temperatures. Some of the cultivars retain their green foliage well into winter. Most can be pruned into various shapes and maintained that way for a long time (see photograph). However, it is best to select from one of the dwarf cultivars for most residential and many commercial landscapes where space is limited. This will negate the need to constantly pruned the plant to keep it small.


Maintain adequate mulch area

Be sure to clear all turf away from beneath the branches and mulch to the drip line (the edge of the branches), especially on young trees, to reduce competition with turf and weeds. This will allow roots to become well established and keep plants healthier. Locate the tree properly, taking into account the ultimate size, since the tree looks best if it is not pruned to control size. The tree can enhance any landscape with its delightful spring flush of foliage. It can be the centerpiece of your landscape if properly located.

Please feel free to comment on any post at any time all feedback is welcome and we’d love to hear it.