- Abies fraseri- fraser fir (Zone-4)
- Native to the mountains of the Blue Ridge. The Rolls Royce of Christmas Trees. Truely the best of the best! Has a dark green needle with a silvery underside. An excellent evergreen specimen that responds well to trimming. Does not like wet ground. Will grow well in northern areas. In the South, usually dies below 1200 feet.
- Aesculus pavia- Red Buckeye (Zone-4-8)
- Small tree or bush. 10'-15'. Moist but well drained soil. Native from Virginia to Florida. Lower Piedmont to coastal plain. Does best in part shade in south. Full sun in North. Excellent specimen plant. Blooms 6 to 8 red panicles in April/May. Really brings in the butterflies and hummingbirds.
- Aesculus parviflora- Bottlebrush Buckeye (Zone 4-8)
- Sometimes as wide as tall. Eight to twelve feet. Native from South Carolina to Florida on coastal plain. Rare in the wild. Full sun or part shade, in moist, but well drained acid soil. Blooms 6"-18" , white panicles in July. Great for butterflies and hummingbirds.
- Amelanchier candensis- Juneberry (Zone-3-7)
- Native from Ontario to Georgia. In Piedmont and Coastal plain often in swamps and bogs. Amelanchier canadensis tends to be low, (to 4') and suckering- not invasive. One of the first shrubs to bloom. White to pink feathers appear early, (late March), followed by dark blue fruits in June. If you can beat the birds to the fruit, they make excellent jams, pies, and muffins. Yellow fall color.
- Amelancier alnifolia- Serviceberry (Zone-4)
- Native to the plains of the USA. First to bloom in the spring with delightful white blossoms heralding the end of winter. Bright red berries, June/July with yellow fall foliage. Multi-trunked shrub reaching 15', light gray silvery bark. Termed 'sarvice berry' by local folk because it is the first native plant to bloom in spring. The blossoms came in handy for late weddings and burial services in spring (when the ground thawed).
- Aristolchia durior- Dutchman's Pipe (Zone 4-8)
- Introduced by John Bartram. This unique flowering vine is native from Pennsylvania to Georgia and west to Kansas. The Dutchman's Pipe shape of the yelow-green blossom gives this broad leaf vine its name. The bowl of the flower is brownish purple and appears May/June. An excellent plant for screening. Once established, it may run 20' in a year. If The vine is escaping simply cut it back and use the vine for making wreaths or baskets.
- Asimia triloba- Paw Paw (Zone 5-8)
- We grow them at 3200' . They seem hardy to a Zone 4. Native from New York to Florida, west to Nebraska. Both Audubon and Bartram were fans of the fruit. This small tree needs deep, well drained, slightly acid soil, and full sun. May blooming flowers are strange and pruple (I have never seen one). Fruit is actually a berry, tastes like a banana, 2"-6", round or long-(never saw one of them either). Contact: The Paw Paw Foundation:P.O. Box 23467-Washington, DC 20026
Azaleas- (In bottomless bands unless otherwise noted)
Differences in Rhododendrons and Azaleas
Actually, all azaleas are now included in the genus Rhododendron. There are no clear cut lines for distinguishing all rhododendrons but
- True rhododendrons are usually evergreen but there are exceptions such as R. mucronuclatum and R. dauricum.
- True rhododendrons have 10 or more stamens and leaves are often scaly or with small dots on their undersurface.
- Azaleas are mostly deciduous.
- Azalea flowers have mostly 5 stamens, leaves are never dotted with scales and are frequently pubescent.
- Azalea flowers are largely funnel-form while rhododendron flowers tend to be bell-shaped.
Native Rhododendrons and Azaleas
Nothing can compare to the beauty of a well grown rhododendron. With brilliant trusses and contrasting rich evergreen leaves, rhododendrons deserve a place in every garden. Native azaleas, like their cousins the rhododendrons, merit a choice spot in your garden. As most native azaleas will take on an open, tree-like form, the best location for them is in groups toward the edges of your garden. When given this room, the azalea's tall, open form and brilliant lacy flowers provide an impressive backdrop for your naturalistic planting.
Rhododendrons and azaleas require little besides a well drained, acid soil (pH 4.5-5.5) rich in organic matter. A good mulching around the planting will insure cool, moist soil during the heat of the summer.
Preparation of the site prior to planting is the best way to insure their success in your garden. Select a well drained site and work into the soil copious amounts of composted organic matter. Amend pH if necessary. Mound the prepared garden soil and set the plant no deeper than it was in the container or the nursery. Water well and mulch with organic material such as bark or pinestraw. THE BEST WAY TO KILL A RHODODENDRON IS TO PLANT IT TOO DEEP!
Rhododendrons and azaleas are naturally understory plants found along the edges of woodlands or in shady "hollows" If planted correctly, however, these plants will do well infull sun. Full sun helps keep plants more compact and encourages bud set covering the entire plant. If planted under a high canopy of trees or where the plants receive shade during the hottest part of the day, the rododendrons and azaleas tend to keep their blooms longer and bloom with richer color.
We collect our seed from selected plants at high elevations in full sun.
The native species we offer are very true from seed, but like brothers and sisters, may differ somewhat from their siblings. Some may be taller, shorter, or slightly different in bloom color, but as we have often heard, "THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN UGLY RHODODENDRON"
- R. Alabamense- Alabama Azalea (Zone 6)
- A deciduous compact shrub growing 5'-6' high. White, yellow blotched fragrant flowers appear with new leaves-mid to late April. Found in north Central Alabama, and isolated areas in west central Georgia. Excellent for sunny locations and rocky hillsides. Very rare. Spreads by underground stems.
- R. Arborescens- Sweet Azalea (Zone 4)
- Open and upright deciduous azalea. Blooms are white and fragrant. Native from south Pennsylvania to Alabama. Blooms late July/August. Height: 8'-10'. Very cold hardy. In old age will take on tree like form (arbor).
- R. atlanticum- Coastal Azalea (Zone 5)
- A deciduous compact azalea growing to 3 feet. Flowers are white to pink with yellow blotches. Very fragrant. Forms clumps by underground stems. Native from Delaware to South Carolina. Low growing, slow to reach 3 feet.
- R. bakeri- Cumberland Azalea (Zone 4)
- Native to Tennessee and Kentucky. First cousin to R. calendulaceum. Height 4'-6'. Tends to be more compact and flower later (after leafing out) than its relative. Normally orange to red flowers with variations to yellw. Blooms May.
- R. calendulaceum- Flame Azalea (Zone 4)
- Called the "sky paint flower" by the Cherokee Indians. One of the showiest and most vigorous fo the natives, this super hardy azalea of the Appalachian Mountains has few challengers to its beauty (a favorite of John Bartram). Colors varies from clear yellow to bright red. Its trusses seem to float above the woodland floor. Usually blooms for Mother's Day. Native from the mountains of Pennsylvania to Georgia. Characteristically open and upright. 8'-15'. During production of these seedlings, I try to get plants to "break" (or produce), at least three good stems to provide you with a busy plant. However, some of these little fellows have a mind of their own and want to produce a single stem to retain the tree-like form so common in the wild. As with most ericaceous species, the flame azalea prefers moist, well-drained acid soils, but this one will do well in drier sites.
- R. canadense- Rhodora Azalea (Zone 2)
- A low growing upright plant, up to 4', native to swamp of Newfoundland to Pennsylvania. Small lavender blooms appear before leaves in April. A good plant for moist areas and early spring color.
- R. canescens- Piedmont Azalea (Zone 5)
- Most forms white to pink, red is reported. Somewhat fragrant. Very early bloomer. Spreads by underground stems. Very common in southeast from North Carolina to Florida, west to Texas. Hybridizes very easily. Blooms March/April.
- R. periclymenoids/R. nudiflorum- Pintexerbloom Azalea (Zone 3)
- Native from Massachusetts to North Carolina. Supposedly a low growing stoloniferous azalea. Have seen 10' specimens along the South Fork of the New River, Ashe County, N.C. Blooms April/May, color a surprise. Personally have seen a lavender-purple, other sources report bluish white to deep purple. A good native for sandy, dry sites.
- R. schilippenbachii- Royal Azalea (Zone 4)
- Native to Korea. Beautiful soft, pink flowers with reddish speckles begin their display in early May just as the leaves appear. An extremely hardy plant. Slow growing, reaching 8' in height. Considered to be the finest of the (imported) azalea species.
- R. vaseyi- Pinkshell Azalea (Zone 4)
- Native to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Limited to about seven counties. Blooms rose pink with green throat and orange-red dots at the base of the upper petals: not fragrant. Blooms mid-April, before or just after foliage unfolds. Height to 10'. Does not hybridize.
- R. viscosum- Swamp Azalea (Zone 3)
- Blooms in May. White, long slender tube is sticky (viscos). Terminates in short lobes. Spicy fragrance. Found from Maine to South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, in swampy conditions. Very hardy, spreads by stolons.
- Betula nigra- River Birch (Zone 4-9)
- Everybody knows riverbirch-It's the brown one! It needs acid soil (below pH6). It will do well in drier sites, but prefers a moist environment. Will grow to 70'. Native to Massachusetts to Florida, west to Kansas, along rivers and wetlands.
- Calycanthus floridus- Sweet Shrub/Carolina Allspice (Zone 4)
- Medium shrub 5'-6' (width equal to height), excellent patio plant valued for its pleasant fragrance when crushed. Blooms red-burgundy in late spring. Dark green leaves in summer turning yellow in fall. Easily transplanted. Does well in shade or full sun. Plant is practically pest free, strengthens any garden scheme.
- Castanea mollissima- Chinese Chestnut (Zone 4-8)
- Native to China and Korea. Excellent small dark green tree with yellow fall color. Prefers pH 5.5 with well-drained, loamy soil. Do not plant where you will walk barefoot! Plant is monoecious, but better nut production occurs with two or more plants.
- Chionanthus virginicus- Fringe Tree (Zone 3-9)
- I finally got a few of these to germinate. I have been trying to get these to germinate for several years and consider the few plants I have a major victory! Difficult to start from seed, but easy to grow. Six to eight inch feathers of fragrant white flowers appear on last year's wood in May in most areas. Blooms appear before, or as, leaves emerge. Very fragrant. In five years, reaches six feet with similar spread. Though hard to get to germinate, this plant transplants easily in spring or fall, and is tolerant of a wide variety of conditions. Prefers acid soil, and is usually found along stream or ditch banks.
Clethra- The natural air freshener!
- Clethra acuminata- Cinnamon Clethra or Pepperbush
- Upright tree-like form. Pendulous clusters of white fragrant flowers in June. Deep green summer foliage with rich golden fall color. Exfoliating rust colored bark to add texture to winter garden. Often "suckers" to form large colonies. This plant grows native in Ashe County, NC (Zone 4). The seed was used as a pepper substitute by early settlers in western NC.
- Clethra alnifolia- Hummingbird (Zone 3)
- Found by Fred Galle in Pine Mountain Georgia. Is probably the best white summersweet for the garden. A dwarf form of Clethra alnifolia and very fragrant. A must for everyone's garden!
- Clethra alnifolia- Summersweet (Zone 3)
- Native to the coastal plain but extremely hardy over wide areas (Zone 3-9). Pink to white strongly fragrant racemes. Blooms July/August, excellent summer flowers. Does well in wet areas. Full sun to part shade. Everyone should have 3 or 4 of these in their garden. Very, very fragrant! Trim to keep compact.
- Cornus kousa- Chinese Dogwood (Zone 5)
- Native to China, Japan and Korea. An unusual small tree (25') with clusters of large 4" white blossoms (bracts) with strawberry-like fruit in the fall. Rich green foliage turns scarlet in fall. Mature trees have exfoliating bark providing winter contrast. Apparently anthracnose resistant.
- Diospyros virginiana- Persimmon (Zone 4)
- Native from Connecticut to Florida west to Kansas and Texas. Fruit is an edible berry, yellowish to pale orange, ripens after frost late September through October. Flowers are white or whitish to greenish white, shaped like a blueberry. Dark green and often lustrous leaves above, paler beneath. The wood of Diospyros virginiana is heavy, hard, strong and close grained and is used for golf club heads, billiard cues, flooring and veneer, while the fruits are palatable and frequented by wildlife such as raccoon, opossum, skunk, foxes, and deer.
- Fothergilla- Dwarf fothergilla (Zone 4-8)
- Indigenous to the Allegheny Mountains from northern North Carolina and Tennessee to northern Alabama. Among the most beautiful shrubs for autumn coloration. No two are exactly alike, in fact, often every leaf is colored differently. Dark green leaf color, almost blue-green. Fall color is a brilliant yellow to orange to scarlet.
- Franklinia Alatamaha- Ben Franklin Tree (Zone 5-9)
AMERICA'S MOST EXCITING NATIVE!
EXTINCT IN ITS NATIVE GEORGIA!
CLASSIFIED AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S RAREST TREES.
- Discovered along the banks of the Altamaha River in Georgia by John Bartram in 1765, "the plant has not been seen in the wild since." Bartram collected several plants for his garden, and from these today's Franklinia survive.A deciduous ornamental 10"-25" tall (about the size of a dogwood) the plant does well in acid (pH 5.5-6.5) well drained organic soil, full sun or partial shade. LARGE three inch white bloom with yellow center....begins blooming late July/August. Orange to red fall color best in full sun. Blooms with fall colored foliage.
Franklinia Alatamaha Planting Instructions: Use Common Sense!
Did you know that in 1976 a Bicentennial Committee (the article did not say which committee) could locate less than 100 mature Franklinia trees in the Eastern United States? The plant is RARE, and cultural information even more so.
I have been playing with Franklinia for several years. It is a fun plant for me. As a nurseryman with several thousand plants at my disposal, I have planted Franklinia in several places to see what will work and will not work.
In containers I have used FRESH sawdust with FRESH horse manure (this should kill any plant) and Franklinia grew like a weed! The MUCK from the bottom of one fo my irrigation ponds seems to be working fine. These are experiments...NOT RECOMMENDATIONS: IT SEEMS THAT FRANKLINIA IS NOT AS FINICKY AS MOST PEOPLE SAY!
THE KEY TO GROWING FRANKLINIA seems to be WELL DRAINED, ACID, ORGANIC SOIL.
THIS PLANT DOES NOT LIKE WET FEET
The plants I have set in WET areas are DEAD!
In heavy soils where drainage is questionable, dig a good-sized hole MAKING SURE THAT THE WATER CAN GET OUR...DO NOT CREATE A "BATHTUB." Dump several wheelbarrow loads of organic soil/compost into a hole and MOUND ABOVE grade level. WATER WELL AND CHECK FOR GOOD DRAINAGE. Set the plant in the mound of soil. Water and mulch. Staking the plant until established would help.
LET ME REPEAT...FRANKLINIA DOES NOT LIKE WET FEET!
If you have alkaline soil, amend pH to 5-6.5 with magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) or flowers of sulfur. Ask your County Extension Agent or soil testing lab for help. DO NOT plant in a site containing building trash. Plaster, concrete, or morter will alter soil conditions.
COMMERCIAL MIXES?-READ THE LABEL! Most commercial mixes are adjusted to a pH 7. This is too alkaline for Franklinia. However, a blend recommended for rhododendrons should do just fine. STAY AWAY FROM SLOW RELEASE FERTILIZERS IN THE MIX.
FERTILIZER? We all have the urge to add just a little more fertilizer than called for. If your plant is green and growing...LEAVE IT ALONE. But if you must fertilize, use cottonseed meal. I have used copious amounts of the stuff each year and have not killed anything with it yet. Feed early March/April.
Franklinia do not like to dry out. Water well until established, and during dry times.
- Halesia carolina- Carolina Silverbell
- A rare native indigenous to the Smokey Mountains. 20'-25' with equal spread. Some specimens 75' to 90' are found in the deep "hollars" around Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Slow in captivity, about a foot per year. Needs, well drained, organic acid soil (pH 5-6). Good companion plant for rhododendron and azaleas. White bell shaped blooms April/May along last year's wood. Yellow fall color. Delightful specimen plant for the conoisseur.
- Hamamelis viginiana- Witchhazel/Beadwood (Zone 3)
- Durable is the best description of this bush. Acid soil (pH 5). Does well in planters, full sun, or part shade. I had never given this plant a second glance (its quite common on LAMTREE FARM) until one winter, when I detected the odor of syrup. Following the breeze, I discovered witchazel blooming yellow/gold among the grays and browns of winter. I was impressed! Blooms October/November, when NOTHING ELSE IS BLOOMING! Smells great!
- Hydrangea quercifolia- Oakleaf Hydrangea (Zone 4-9)
- 4'-6' tall and equally as wide. Native from Georgia to Florida. Another of Bartram's plants. Wants moist, but well-drained soil and mulch. Flowers and fall color best if in full sun (don't forget the mulch). In hot, south, may do better in part shade. Dark green oak leaf like leaves change to shades fo red, orange, and purple in fall. A dynamic plant! If it gets too big - just cut it down in the winter. The bark is often over-looked. On the older canes the exfoliating bark adds great texture to the winter landscape.
- Hypericum= St. John's Wort (Zone 4-8)
- Probably a hybrid. This one gets about 3'. Has "silvery" bluegreen leaves. Starts blooming yellow late May and blooms until frost. Does well in full sun or anywhere for that matter! St. John's Wort is one of "those" plants that is a gardeners dream. First it grows in full sun. Second, in drier sites. Third, it is easy to propagate and maybe most importantly, a tea made from its leaves is supposed to cure everything from bad hair days to cognitive dysfunction. A must for every garden and gardener.
- Itea virginica- Virginia Sweetspire (Zone 5)
- A dynamic newcomer to the naturalistic landscape. Native from New Jersey to Florida, west to the Mississippi. Slow growing, reaching 3' to 5', very fragrant in early summer and has fall color to impress! Versatile, sun or shade-moist areas. Vigorous stoloniferous upright growing plant producing a dense mass with arching branches. Large upright white racemes of flowers in June and July. Foliage is dark green turning wine red in fall. Excellent for borders, hedges, and in foundation plantings.
- Kalmia latifolia- Mountain Laurel (Zone 4)
- The most popular native plant of eastern USA. A mounding, broadleaf evergreen with flower clusters up to 6" across. Varying from deep pink to pure white in early June. Excellent companion plant rhododendrons. State flower of Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Requires moist, acid, well-drained soil. Transplants easily. Full sun to deep shade. Reaches 4'-6' in approximately 10 years.
- Leucothoe fontanesiana- Doghobble (Zone 4)
- Excellent evergreen plant for protected shady hillsides or steep banks. Prefers cool, moist, wel-drained organic (acid) soil and light shade. Good companion for rhododendron. New growth purplish to red changing to lustrous green in summer with a deep red fall color. Naturally assumes long arching cascaking habit. Pendulous racemes of bell-shaped white flowers in May contrast handsomely with dark green foliage. With time, plant will cover a 6'-8- circle (please do not try to trim to look like a basketball).
- Lilium superbum- Turk's Cap lily (Zone 4-7)
- Turks cap lily bulbs require deep, organic soil....moist but well drained. Naturally found along the woodland edges, in open spots in the woods, or in mountain coves. Turk's cap lily bulbs require several hours of direct sunlight during the day. My "patch" is in full sun on a south facing slope against a glass greenhoule. However, I do not recomment this approach unless you have a very well prepared, deep bed, and are willing to water during dry spells. Prepare the hole for bulbs at least 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide. Mix compost with the soil taken from the hole at a ratio of 2 scoops of compost to 1 scoop of soil. Then fill the hole with about 4 inches of mix. Place bulb in hole with scales pointing up and finish filling hole with mix. The bulbs will multiply so space them at least a foot apart. If you have a heavy soil, go deeper and wider. The bulbs will rot if water stands in the hole. Be Prepared! About the time your lilies arc in full bloom, a summer storm will blow them over! Locate the bulbs where they will receive some protection from heavy gusts of wind. Remember, these plants are usually found along a woods edge or in open spots in the woods. If in doubt, use a tomato stake and tie plants with a cotton cord or piece of t-shirt. Be careful to place the stake so that it does not hit the bulb.
- Lindera benzoin- Spice Bush (Zone 5-9)
- Native from Canada to Florida (so maybe Zone 3). Wants a damp site and lime. This is one of those plants which reminds me of someone we knew in high-school. Someone that you never thought about until 10 years later at your reunion. Then you notice that, they filled out great, threw away their glasses, got a full scholarship to Harvard and now drive a jaguar! Spice Bush grow in problem damp sites. It is one of the first plants to bloom in the spring - a very nice yellow blossom. Yellow fall color. Red berries in fall for the birds. At any time you pass by it - pinch it - it has a Spice Bush" aroma.
- Polystichum acrostichoides- Christmas fern (Zone 3-6)
- A tough evergreen fern with dark green fronds. Prefers filtered sun, but does just as well in "full shade". Must have a moist but well drained site. Plant at the base of trees on the north side, in shady rock gardens, or use as a ground cover on north slopes.
- Oxydendron arboreum- Sourwood (Zone 4)
- Excellent specimen plant. Pendulous white tassels of flowers late summer, red wine fall color. A hardy native plant first to invade mining sites or clear cut areas. Tolerates light shade, does best in full sun. 15'-20' in cultivation.
Rhododendrons
(In bottomless bands unless otherwise noted)
- R.carolinianum- Carolina Rhododendron (Zone 4)
- Native to Blue Ridge Mountains of Carolinas and Tennessee. An excellent plant for a small space or as a low accent plant. Rich evergreen foliage contrasting with May bloom varying from pure white to lilac rose. The winter foliage develops a deep red to purple cast. Does not like strong winter winds.
- R. maximum- Rosebay (Zone 3)
- A loose and open, large evergreen shrub. Large trusses, deep pink to white, June/July. Native from Nova Scotia to Georgia, west to Ohio. Specimen plants in full sun tend to be wider than tall. Plants found in shady "hollars" tend to take on a tree-like form up to 25'.
Stewartia and Styrax
Several people have called or written to ask how to propagate these wonderful plants.
Stewartia and styrax (as well as Carolina Silverbells, Fringe tree, sweetshrub, witchgazel, and Franklinia) have a complex seed dormancy which requires one or more periods of warm moist stratification (summer) and one or more cool moist periods (winter)
Propagation of these species is similar to cooking a possum! First you have to catch the possum. Here, ou first need to find good seed.
The best method I have found to determine the viability of seed is to sow the seed in outdide beds. If the mice and chipmunks dig up and eat the seed within 24 hours - you had good seed.
Another method to determine viability is to select 10 seeds from the lot and simply cut them in half and examine the inside of the seed. If the kernel is white and moist, then chances are that the seed will germinate. If you find 6 of the 10 seds are moist inside you should get 60% germination.
The next part is easy, simply sow the seed and forget about them for two or three years.
There are exceptions. If you sow fresh seed in fall in a greenhouse some germination may occur within three weeks, followed by germination for the next two or three weeks, followed by germination for the next two or three springs.
Should you wish to try your luck, sow your seed as soon as you collect it, in a large flower pot with a wire mesh hood leaving room for the plants to come up - but keeping rodents out. Check the pot for germination in about a month and transplant any seedlings you may find. Then forget about the pot until the following spring. Repeat the transplant and forget process for the next two or three years. GOOD LUCK!
- Stewartia korenana-Korean Stewartia (Zone 5-7)
- E.H. Wilson introduced this species from Korea in 1917. Is a small (20' to 30'), dense, somewhat pyramidal tree that maintains an upright character into old age. The dark green leaves may turn excellent red to reddish purple in fall, although some trees may have little color with others being spectacular.
- Stewartia pseudocammellia- Japanese Stewartia (Zone 4)
- Native to Japan. A small tree in captivity, supposedly to 60' in the wild (see Halesia carolina). White 21/2" bloom with orange anthers in July contrasting with dark green, rich leaves. Excellent bark (like a sycamore, but better). Leaves have different fall color - yellow, red and purple. One of the best ornamentals available! I like this one! A must for everyone's garden.
- Styrax americanus- American Snowbell (Zone 5-9)
- Small, slender-stemmed rather wispy, 6'to 8' high rounded shrub. The bright green leaves do not develop any significant fall color. If given a cool, moist, acid root run, Styrax americanus will reward the gardener many-fold. It is found in the wild in lowlands bordering streams. Introduced in 1756, it is native from Virginia to Florida, west to Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana.
- Styrax japonicus- Japanese Snowbell (Zone 5)
- A file patio tree for the connoisseur. Small and somewhat slow growing, reaching 10' in ten years. Pendulous 12" stalks of white, bell-shaped flowers appear May/June. An impressive specimen is putting it mildly. Ecxellent bark for winter interest, orange patches with rust and interlaced with gray. Excellent companion plant for rhododendrons and azaleas. Likes acid soil high in organic matter. "Pest-free", if there is such.
- Tsuga canadensis- Canadian hemlock (Zone 3)
- Native from Nova Scotia west to the Mississippi, south along the Appalachian chain, south to Georgia. Open, graceful feathery texture. Makes an excellent screen. A rather rapid grower. Responds well to trimming, can look like Mickey Mouse if you want! Will not live in a :bathtub" but does well in moist, well-drained areas. Prefers slightly acid soils rich in organic matter. One of the most adaptable evergreens available.
- Viburnum nudim-Witherod (Zone 5-9)
- Will grow in zone 4. My plants are winter hardy. A handsome dense shrub, compact and rounded wiht spreading, slightly arching branches. Leaves are often bronze or purple-tinted with the flowers being creamy-white, June to early July bloom. The fruit changes from green to pink, then from red to blue, a perfect gift for the mother-to-be (for boys or girls).