Ornamental trees add flourish to landscape
By LOIS WHYDE She Is
Finding the perfect tree for a
smaller yard is not always easy.
Garden centers have an abundance of large maples,
white pines and crabapples, but finding the perfect tree
might take more effort than searching through nursery
yards. You also might need to do some research.
First, decide what matters most to you: Do you
need a flowering tree or an evergreen? How big is
the space you want to fill, and what is the soil like?
Is water available nearby?
Here are a few trees to consider:
Paperbark Maple Acer griseum
Perhaps the most beautiful maple, the paperbark has
orange to bronze peeling, papery bark that provides year-
round interest, even at a young age. Growing to about 25
feet, this tree has vibrant, scarlet autumn foliage.
“It has an unusual leaf color, almost bluish green, which
really stands out,” says Mike Ecker, director of horticulture
at Dawes Arboretum. “It is fairly tolerant of our soils, even
though it is native to China.”
Fernleaf Full-Moon Maple Acer japonicum “Aconitifolium”
More of a large shrub, this Japanese native grows to 15
feet and works well as a large screen, especially on the
north side.
It likes some shade, especially in winter, or the tips of
the branches will die back. The leaves are finely dissected,
giving it a fine texture.
“The fall color is unbelievable with orange and reds in
Photos by Matthew Berry & Submitted
the same leaf,” Ecker says.
Allegheny Serviceberry Amelanchier laevis
A native to Canada, this serviceberry grows down
through Georgia and across to Kansas. Deciduous, grow-
ing up to 25 feet tall and 5 to 10 feet wide, this can be
multi-stemmed or grown as a single trunk. The serviceber-
ry has multiple-season appeal with white flowers, apple-
green leaf color, outstanding fall color and red fruit.
“They grow naturally along stream banks, so they like
their roots in the shade and some shade in the hottest
parts of the area,” Ecker says.
Cornelian Cherry Dogwood Cornus mas
A large ornamental shrub or small tree, the Cornelian
cherry dogwood gets up to 15 feet tall and 20 feet wide
and is very urban tolerant. Either multi-trunked or single-
trunked, this deciduous plant native to Europe has low-
hanging branches and maintains an oval shape without
pruning. It is one of the first to bloom in spring.
“When you are at the point when nothing else is bloom-
ing and you are ready to scream, this blooms little yellow
flowers — so many that it covers the plant, like a big yel-
low ball,” Ecker says. “Golden Glory is a particularly good
variety.”
Chinese Fringetree Chionanthus retusus
Forming a round ball if left unpruned, Chinese Fringet-
ree can be trained into a small tree with its lower branches
removed. It is naturally multi-trunked and makes the per-
fect patio tree, with pure-white, fragrant flowers.
“It looks like white rain when in flower,” Ecker says. “The
fruit looks like a cluster of grapes.” S
August/September 2010 | She Is | 7