'Marshal's Delight' Bee Balm: Featured Plant of The Day

Monarda didyma 'Marshal's Delight'  syn. Monarda coccinea
    Bee Balm,  Bergamot,  Horsemint,  Oswego Tea

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    4A to 9A
Height    36" to 4' / 90cm to 1.20m
Spread    24" to 36" / 60cm to 90cm
Growth rate    Fast
Form    Upright or erect
Exposure    Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Bloom Color    Pink
Bloom Time    Summer

The flowers are showy, suitable for cut flowers and suitable for dried flowers.

Environment
This plant tolerates occasional wetness.
This plant will grow in moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy.
The pH preference is  a neutral soil.

Leaf Color    Green
This plant has fragrant foliage.

Landscape Uses
-    Border
-    Massing

Attributes and Features
-    Naturalizing
-    Attracts birds
-    Attracts butterflies

Culture Notes
As one might guess from the name, Bee Balm attracts both bees and hummingbirds.  Its fragrant leaves are used to make tea and in potpourri mixtures.  It has a tendency to become invasive, so division is necessary every few years.  In the spring, remove dead foliage only.  Deadhead spent flowers after blooming and, in the fall, cut back to 6".    The flower heads of 'Marshal's Delight' are tighter than most in the species, and it appears to be mildew resistant.  Plants serve as butterfly nectar sources.

Creeping Jacob's Ladder: Featured Plant of The Day

Polemonium reptans  syn. Polemonium humile
    Creeping Jacob's Ladder,  Creeping Polemonium,  Greek Valerian

Type    Perennial
Hardy range    4A to 7A
Height    8" to 10" / 20cm to 25cm
Growth rate    Average
Form    Spreading or horizontal
Exposure    Full shade to partial sun

Bloom Color    Blue
Bloom Time    Spring and Summer

Environment
This plant will grow in moist soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy.
The pH preference is  a neutral soil.

This plant has attractive foliage.

Landscape Uses
-    Container plantings
-    Woodland garden
-    Border
-    Groundcover

'Tonto' Crapemyrtle: Featured Plant of The Day

 Lagerstroemia x 'Tonto' 

Crapemyrtle

Type    Tree, shrub, woody plant
Hardy range    7A to 9A
Height    5' to 10' / 1.60m to 3.00m
Spread    8' to 12' / 2.40m to 3.60m
Growth rate    Average
Form    Rounded and vase shaped
Exposure    Full sun
Persistence    Deciduous

Bloom Color    Red
Bloom Time    Spring and Summer

The flowers are very showy.

 Environment
This plant tolerates some drought and a little 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
Fall Color    Orange, red and yellow
This plant has attractive fall colors.

 Culture Notes
'Tonto' grows best in full sun with rich, moist soil but will tolerate less hospitable positions in the landscape just as well, once it becomes established. Foliage hangs on well in fall due to tolerance to leaf spot diseases. It grows well in limited soil spaces in urban areas such as along boulevards, in parking lots, and in small pavement cutouts if provided with some irrigation until well established.  They tolerate clay and alkaline soil well. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.

Many crapemyrtles are magnets for a host-specific aphid that only infests crapemyrtle, not other plants. The damage this causes is not lethal to crapemyrtle. Many beneficial insects which feed on pests that damage other landscape plants use this aphid for food. In this way, the crapemyrtle aphid serves as prey for beneficial insects. Therefore, planting crapemyrtle that attract aphids can enhance biological control of insect pests on other plants in the landscape.

Maintain adequate mulch area

Clear all turf away from beneath the branches and mulch to the drip line, especially on young trees, to reduce competition with turf and weeds. This will allow roots to become well established and keep plants healthier. Prune the tree so trunks and branches will not rub each other.  Remove some secondary branches on main branches with included bark.  This reduces the likelihood of the main branch splitting from the tree later when it has grown to become an important part of the landscape.  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.

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.

 Landscape Uses
-    Container plantings
-    Border
-    Street tree
-    Pollarding
-    Standard
-    Massing
-    Specimen

 Attributes and Features
-    Pest tolerant
-    Persistent fruit
-    Attractive fruit

 This plant can be trained to a single trunk.

Fraser Photinia: Featured Plant of The Day

Photinia x fraseri
    Fraser Photinia,  Red Tip Photinia

Type    Tree, woody plant
Hardy range    7B to 9A
Height    15' to 25' / 4.60m to 7.60m
Spread    10' to 20' / 3.00m to 6.00m
Growth rate    Average
Form    Oval and upright or erect
Exposure    Full sun
Persistence    Evergreen

Bloom Color    White
Bloom Time    Summer

The flowers are very showy.

Environment
This plant tolerates drought and salt well.
This plant will grow in very 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 purple
Fall Color    No change in fall color
This plant has attractive foliage.

Landscape Uses
-    Screen
-    Street tree
-    Standard
-    Specimen

Culture Notes
Fraser Photinia requires good drainage and a full sun location to look its best, though plants are tolerant of shade and grow well unless infected with leaf spot. However, plants in shaded landscapes often have severe leaf spot disease. Plants trained as hedges are more impacted by the disease because foliage is closer to the ground where spores overwinter; plants trained into small trees are less affected because foliage is higher off the ground.

Hedges are often seen without flowers because regular pruning removes flower buds. Plants left to grow taller or those only pruned immediately after flowering flower the best the following year. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.

Plants grow at a moderate rate and tolerate pruning very well, although the bottom of the plant often thins when clipped into a hedge. There are much better plants for hedges.  Plants are poorly suited for hedges because they grow too large; essentially you are attempting to make a small shrub out of the medium sized tree.

Micro-nutrient problems occur on alkaline soil, although plants continue to grow. Tolerates heat well and is suited for exposed sites like parking lots and median strips in highways.  It grows fine in the shade but leaf spot is sure to follow causing defoliation and disappointment (or jubilation depending upon your persuasion). Regular fertilization program helps foliage remain green. Chlorosis can occur on alkaline soil and in landscapes receiving little nitrogen and possibly potassium. Use Ternstroemia gymnanthera instead for a similar look and denser plant without the foliage disease problems of red tip.

 Use as a street tree

This plant can be grown as a multi-trunk tree for use in highway median strips and in landscapes, or can be used as a street tree where there is not a need for tall-vehicle clearance beneath the crown.  The small stature and low, spreading, branching habit makes pruning for vehicular clearance difficult unless it is properly trained from an early age to develop one main trunk. The effort required initially to train this tree for street tree use, however, may be offset by its advantages.

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.

Butterflybush: Featured Plant of The Day

Buddleia davidii     syn. Buddleja davidii
    Butterflybush,  Summer Lilac

Type    Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range    5A to 10A
Height    6' to 10' / 1.80m to 3.00m
Spread    6' to 10' / 1.80m to 3.00m
Growth rate    Fast
Form    Rounded
Exposure    Full sun
Persistence    Semi-evergreen

Bloom Color    Lavender, pink, purple, red, white and yellow
Bloom Time    Spring and Summer

The flowers are showy and suitable for cut flowers.

Environment
This plant tolerates some drought and occasional wetness.
This plant will grow in dry to occasionally wet 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    Blue and green
Fall Color    No change in fall color

Landscape Uses
-    Container plantings
-    Border
-    Standard
-    Massing
-    Specimen

Attributes and Features
-    Pest tolerant
-    Naturalizing
-    Attracts birds
-    Attracts butterflies
-    Inconspicuous fruit

Culture Notes
A dense canopy of foliage and a generous flower display combine to make Butterflybush a popular item in many southern landscapes. The plant is probably most popular because flowers attract many different butterflies and bees.  It is one of the best plants for this purpose. Flower clusters range from 6-to 24-inches long. Pollen causes some allergies in some people. The olive-green, simple, hairy leaves have serrated margins and a lanceolate shape that flutter in the slightest breeze lending a fine texture to the landscape. These plants are considered to be fire resistant plants and also resist browsing by deer.

Plants become a tangled, woody mess after a couple of years and will need to be cut back every now and then. Buddleia is grown as a herbaceous perennial as far north as hardiness zone 5.

They are deciduous in the north, semi-evergreen in the south and attract many types of butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. They grow in partial shade but flower production is reduced.  Alkaline soil appears to support adequate growth in many instances.  Butterflybush performs nicely in a container provided it is placed in a full sun location. In a container, it can be trained into a multi-trunked shrub resembling a small tree, but requires daily irrigation to maintain flowering and a good appearance. Butterflybush acts like a perennial in the northern end of its hardiness range getting killed to the ground each winter. Stems with flowers cut and brought inside in a vase will last nicely for 5 to 6 days.

Plants should be located in the full sun for best flowering. You may pinch new growth as it emerges to generate more branch tips. When new shoots resulting from this pinching have two or three nodes pinch again. Continue this until you see flower buds developing and then stop pinching. You will enjoy many more flowers with this technique. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.

Plants serve as butterfly nectar sources.

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.