Friday, November 6, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Evergreen Shrub Of The Day
Euonymus japonicus 'Aureo-marginatus'Spindletree, Box-leaf Euonymus, Evergreen Euonymus, Japanese Euonymus, Spindle Tree
Type Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range 6B to 10A
Height 4' to 5' / 1.20m to 1.60m
Spread 4' to 5' / 1.20m to 1.60m
Growth rate Average
Form Oval, upright or erect and vase shaped
Exposure Full shade to full sun
Persistence Evergreen and semi-evergreen
Bloom Color Green and white
Bloom Time Spring and Summer
Environment
This plant tolerates salt well.
This plant will grow in moist 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 Red
This plant has attractive foliage and attractive fall colors.
Culture Notes
Spindle Tree is a loose, spreading shrub that can grow to 4 to 5 feet in heigh. The most outstanding feature of this large shrub is its red-orange fruit borne in the fall. The showy fruits are scarlet capsules that crack open in the fall to display their scarlet seeds, and a plant in heavy fruit is lovely. The dark green, deciduous foliage changes to a showy, bright red color in the fall. This plant has greenish-white, inconspicuous flowers that occur from May until June. Will revert to green foliage in time. Prune this out as you see it appear. Place in full sun for best foliage color. Pollen causes mild allergies.
The Spindle Tree is excellent for naturalizing and gives a stunning effect when massed or planted in a row. It can be used as a specimen or foundation plant (if it is regularly clipped) and creates a nice border or hedge.
Spindle Tree will tolerate different types of well-drained soils but does not tolerate drought well; water and mulch the ground beneath the canopy for best growth. It grows in sun or shade, putting on the best fall color in full sun. Some shade from the afternoon sun in the southern part of its range is beneficial. The plant will withstand heavy pruning and has been used as a hedge for many years. Spindle Tree transplants well when balled and burlapped or from containers. Plants tolerate high soil salt solutions up to about 8 mmhos/cm according to the saturated media extract method.
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.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Evergreen Shrub Of The Day
Berberis verruculosaWarty Barberry
Type Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range 5A to 7B
Height 4' to 6' / 1.20m to 1.80m
Spread 4' to 7' / 1.20m to 2.20m
Growth rate Slow
Form Rounded
Exposure Full shade 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 alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.Leaf Color Green and purple
Fall Color Red
This plant has attractive fall colors.
Culture Notes
Barberry is thorny, so it's useful for barrier plantings. The plant tolerates most light exposures and soils. This shrub grows slowly but transplants easily. It grows 3 to 6 feet tall and spreads 4 to 7 feet. Barberry can be sheared and used as a hedge plant. The main ornamental features are fall color in shades of red. The plant produces yellow flowers, but these are not highly ornamental. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.
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.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Deciduous Shrub Of The Day
Euonymus alatus 'Compactus'Winged Euonymus
Type Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range 4B to 8B
Height 8' to 10' / 2.40m to 3.00m
Spread 6' to 10' / 1.80m to 3.00m
Growth rate Average
Form Rounded
Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence Deciduous
Bloom Color Green and yellow
Bloom Time Spring
Environment
This plant tolerates drought.
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
Fall Color Red
This plant has attractive fall colors.
Leaf Identification
Type: SimpleArrangement: Opposite
Venations: Pinnate
Margins: Serrate
Shapes: Elliptic and obovate
Length: Less than 2in./5cm to 4in./10cm
Culture Notes
This cultivar stays smaller than the species, but is not as compact as 'Rudy Haag'. This is still not a small plant but is better adapted for residential landscapes than the species. The fall color is second to none among any plant used in the US. Use the compact cultivars instead of the species for planting along foundations. Plants appear to survive dry periods well but will enjoy a mulched layer like other shrubs and trees will. Killing point for young roots is 19 degrees F; for mature roots 7 degrees F. Pollen causes mild allergies.
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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