28th Annual Fall Plant Sale, 2008
Plant Sale Catalog
Trees | Conifers | Shrubs | Vines | Herbaceous Perennials
1. Acer griseum
(Paperbark Maple)
Zone 4
A native of central China introduced to North America by the Arnold Arboretum in 1907, paperbark maple is a midsized tree some 30’ in height with an equal spread. Its flaking bark of cinnamon color is quite beautiful all year round, especially in winter. Its trifolate leaves turn a beautiful red in fall that holds as late as November. Grows dense in full sun, thinner and more open in the shade. Prefers well-drained soil. An outstanding tree with the ideal mature size for most suburban yards. (120)
2. Acer pseudosieboldianum
(Korean Maple)
Zone 4
Native to northeastern China and Korea, this small tree will grow to 15 to 20’ in height with an equal or greater spread. Leaves are smaller than those of our native maples, comparable in size to the foliage of A. japonicum and A. palmatum. Its summertime foliage is a medium green, the autumn colors ranging from yellow to saturated orange or red, depending on the exposure to sunlight. This tree is a show-stopper in the fall—just like Japanese maple. It can be used in the understory or as a specimen. (95)
3. Betula nigra ‘Summer Cascade’ (PP15105)
(River Birch)
Zone 5
The species is native, and this selection is a new introduction from J. and D. Allen of Shiloh Nursery in Harmony, North Carolina. Unlike the species, this cultivar has a pendulous habit with gracefully arching branches. Naturally, river birch is multi-stemmed. If staked to a central leader, it can become a single-trunk tree of a medium size or even larger. It grows very quickly and can put on several feet of new growth per year. If not trained, the cultivar will attain 6’ in height and 10’ in width in ten years. It is very adaptable and can grow in a wide range of conditions. Best growth occurs in slightly acidic soil with moderate fertility and ample moisture. Excellent resistance to bronze birch borer. Ideal as a specimen tree or focal point. (40)
4. Chionanthus virginicus
(Fringetree)
Zone 4
This large deciduous shrub is native from southern New Jersey to Florida and Texas. It grows to 15 to 25’ in height, with an equal or greater spread. Its leaves and flowers emerge in early June. Elliptic to oblong, the leaves are medium green all summer, becoming a pale greenish-yellow in the fall. White, slightly fragrant flowers appear in fleecy, soft-textured panicles. There are staminate and pistillate plants, staminate being slightly more showy in flower. Dark blue fruits are egg-shaped, resembling small olives. Eagerly sought by birds, fruit ripens early in September. Full sun to light shade and moisture-retentive soil. Fringetree thrives in urban landscapes and is an excellent choice for urban parks or in any location where low-maintenance plants are desirable. (50)
5. Cornus controversa
(Giant Chinese Dogwood)
Zone 5
A native of China, Korea, and Japan, this wide-branched tree has a striking pagoda-like, tiered habit. This is a fast grower, quickly attaining 25 to 40’ in height with an equal or greater spread. Its creamy-white flowers are borne in clusters in late May or early June, followed by small, blue-black fruit in early fall. Requires full sun and well-drained soil. Rare and very beautiful. (65)
6. Cotinus obovatus
(American Smoketree)
Zone 4
This tall upright shrub or small tree is native from Alabama to eastern Tennessee, west to Texas. It is known for its intense autumn foliage color ranging from brilliant scarlet to fiery orange and yellow, depending on the soil and exposure to sun. The familiar smoke-like effect is produced by hairs on the flower stalks. Flowers emerge in early May in large panicles, 6 to 10” in length. As the plant matures, the trunk and major limbs develop bark scales resembling alligator skin. Best autumn foliage color is achieved in full sun and dry to droughty soil, either acidic or alkaline. Difficult to find at nurseries, a choice native for you to add to your landscape. (80)
7. Halesia tetraptera var. monticola ‘Arnold Pink’
(Cultivar of Mountain Silverbell)
Zone 5
Due to crop failure, this plant will not be offered at the Plant Sale.
8. Ostrya virginiana
(Ironwood or Hop-Hornbeam)
Zone 3b
This handsome native understory tree grows to 30’ in height and 20’ in width. It has a graceful habit with exfoliating gray-brown bark and horizontal or drooping branches, which produce a rounded crown. The foliage is dark green through the growing season, turning a rich yellow in the fall. The flowers are arranged in catkins similar to those of a birch. The fruit are produced at the end of the summer. The inflated fruitlets are aggregated in cone-shaped structures resembling those of hop—hence the common name. The fruit remain on the branches long after the leaves are gone. An excellent small tree for naturalizing, it is often found in rather dry, gravelly soil in the wild, but can also grow close to running water. A nice tree for difficult urban sites. (70)
9. Styrax japonica ‘Carillon’
(Weeping Cultivar of Japanese Snowbell)
Zone 5
Japanese snowbell is native not only to Japan, but also China and Korea. The cultivar is a small weeping tree that grows to 4 to 6’ in height with an equal or greater spread. In June it produces hundreds of white bell-shaped flowers beneath the leaves followed by small, tan, football-shaped fruit. It is tolerant of full sun to moderate shade, reasonably resistant to roadside or seacoast salt exposure, though intolerant of repeated drought. Excellent for any landscape with its graceful and refined nature. There is a beautiful specimen in the Arnold Arboretum’s Leventritt Garden, growing among dwarf conifers above the great wall. (40)