Jasminium nudiflorum Nature has many scenes to exhibit, and constantly draws a curtain over this part or that. She is constantly repainting the landscape and all surfaces, dressing up some scene for our entertainment. Lately we had a leafy wilderness; now bare twigs begin to prevail, and soon she will surprise us with a mantle of snow. Some green she thinks so good for our eyes that, like blue, she never banishes it entirely from our eyes, but has created evergreens. Henry David Thoreau, 1858
Jasminium nudiflorum, Winter Jasmine Family: Oleaceae
Pefect solitary yellow flowers, non-fragrant Jan- March peaking in Feb. Great for banks and poor soil, stems green 4 sided.
Pieris japonica, Japanese Pieris Family: Ericaceae
Alternate, simple, evergreen leaves, obovate-oblong, new growth bronze green. Buds form in summer prior to year of flower, valid identification. Zone 4-7, needs shade in 7. Red foliage cultivars like Mountain Fire. Spectacular. Flower perfect, weakly fragrant, white, urn-shaped, ¼” long March-April born in 3”-6” long and wide pendulous racemose panicales.
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’, Hybrid witchhazel Family: Hamamelidaceae
Hybrid cross between japonica and mollis with intermediate characteristics. Hybrid vigor -15’-20’ high. Red-yellow flowers Jan-Mid March in North. Arnolds Promise good yellow, Jelena glows like copper, in feb, great fall color
Hamamelis virginiana, common witch hazel Family: Hamamelidaceae
Flowers Oct-Dec, native to eastern US
Mahonia bealei (Mahonia japonica), Leatherleaf Mahonia Family: Berberidaceae
Clumsy, upright, coarse evergreen. Leaves alternate, compound pinnate, 9-13 leaflets, rigid, terminal leaflet larger than laterals. Flowers lemon yellow and v fragrant, December –April. Fruit blueish berry maturing July
Ilex pedunculosa, Longstalk holly Family: Aquifoliaceae
Alternate, simple, evergreen ovate, persistent for 3 years, wavy margins. 20-30’ in height, large shrub or small tree of dense habit and handsome foliage. V beautiful lustrous dark green leaf in summer, berry-like red dupe on female plants borne singly on 1”-2” pedicels. No diseases . One of the hardiest evergreen red-fruiting hollies, should be more used, one of the most handsome that can be grown in north, birds relish berries.. Slow to medium growth
Sciadopitys verticillata, Japanese Umbrella Pine Family: Sciadopityaceae
Two kinds of leaves, some small and scale-like scattered on the shoot but crowded at the end and bearing in their axils a whorl of 10-30 linear flat leaves, each 2”-5” long, furrowed on each side, almost prehistoric in appearance. The way the needles radiate around the stem creates an inside-out “umbrella” effect. Handsome bark exfoliating in strips but hidden by foliage. 20’-30’ extremely slow growth (6” year). Cones green at first, ripen to brown 2nd year.. For foliage and texture ranks among best.
Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Dawn Redwood Family: Cupressaceae
Decidious, opposite in arrangement, linear, flattened, fast growth in east. Reddish brown bark when young, base buttressing and developing irregular fluted character, directly below branch attachements are armpit-like depressions which are good ID
Sequoia sempervirens, Coast Redwood Family: Cupressaceae
Evergreen, needles spirally arranged on the terminal leader, ¼” long, 40’60’ in east, west 300’ Imposing conifer, densely branched and pyramidal in youth, exquisite bark
Cunninghamia lanceolata, China Fir Family: Cupressaceae
Evergreen, spirally arranged, those on main axis stand out from all around the stem, those on the underside of the branches turning upwards by a basal twist so al seem to appear to spring from the sides and surface of the shoot. Persist for 5+ years, remain dead and dry on branches for more years. 30-75’ in height, pyramidal with slightly pendulous branches, giving appearance of exotic looking tree. Grows anywhere. Attractive in youth, seedy with age as old needles cling to branches. Wood prized in china, easily worked, coffins.
Cephalotaxus Harringtonia, Japanese plum yew Family: Cephalotaxaceae
Linear, evergreen spirally arranged in 2 planes forming distinct V-shaped trough Amazing heat tolerance and dear resistant, slow growth. Potential not tapped, superb shade tolerant aristocratic evergreen for groupings. Fastigiata – rotund columnar form 10’ tall and 6-8’ wide. Duke Gardens – 2-3’ tall and 3’4’ wide.
Taxus baccata ‘dovastonii’, English Yew Family: Taxaceae
Spirally arranged, spreading all around in erect shoots, linear, 30-60’ high and 15-25’ spread. Tree or shrub like form, beautiful with dense dark somber pyramidal outline and massive, fluted, rich reddish brown trunk. English churchyards. Take shade. Most toxic of plants, ancient 3000yrs
Tsuga Canadensis ‘pendula’, Weeping Canada Hemlock Family: Pinaceae
If Dirr forced to select one conifer it would be this. One of most graceful and beautiful. Leaf blight, cankers rust, hemlock borer and looper, spider mites … Used by water, green waterfall.
Pinus bungeana, Lacebark pine Family: Pinaceae
Three needles persisting 3-4 years, stiff, apex sharp pointed 2”-4” long, margins finely toothed, inside slightly rounded because of raised midrib. Slow growth, bark exfoliating like plane tree. One of most handsome pines for bark. Can break under heavy snow.
Quercus imbricaria, Shingle Oak Family: Fagaceae
Still has alternate, simple, oblong leaves.
Jasminium nudiflorum, Winter Jasmine Family: Oleaceae
Pefect solitary yellow flowers, non-fragrant Jan- March peaking in Feb. Great for banks and poor soil, stems green 4 sided.
Pieris japonica, Japanese Pieris Family: Ericaceae
Alternate, simple, evergreen leaves, obovate-oblong, new growth bronze green. Buds form in summer prior to year of flower, valid identification. Zone 4-7, needs shade in 7. Red foliage cultivars like Mountain Fire. Spectacular. Flower perfect, weakly fragrant, white, urn-shaped, ¼” long March-April born in 3”-6” long and wide pendulous racemose panicales.
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Jelena’, Hybrid witchhazel Family: Hamamelidaceae
Hybrid cross between japonica and mollis with intermediate characteristics. Hybrid vigor -15’-20’ high. Red-yellow flowers Jan-Mid March in North. Arnolds Promise good yellow, Jelena glows like copper, in feb, great fall color
Hamamelis virginiana, common witch hazel Family: Hamamelidaceae
Flowers Oct-Dec, native to eastern US
Mahonia bealei (Mahonia japonica), Leatherleaf Mahonia Family: Berberidaceae
Clumsy, upright, coarse evergreen. Leaves alternate, compound pinnate, 9-13 leaflets, rigid, terminal leaflet larger than laterals. Flowers lemon yellow and v fragrant, December –April. Fruit blueish berry maturing July
Ilex pedunculosa, Longstalk holly Family: Aquifoliaceae
Alternate, simple, evergreen ovate, persistent for 3 years, wavy margins. 20-30’ in height, large shrub or small tree of dense habit and handsome foliage. V beautiful lustrous dark green leaf in summer, berry-like red dupe on female plants borne singly on 1”-2” pedicels. No diseases . One of the hardiest evergreen red-fruiting hollies, should be more used, one of the most handsome that can be grown in north, birds relish berries.. Slow to medium growth
Sciadopitys verticillata, Japanese Umbrella Pine Family: Sciadopityaceae
Two kinds of leaves, some small and scale-like scattered on the shoot but crowded at the end and bearing in their axils a whorl of 10-30 linear flat leaves, each 2”-5” long, furrowed on each side, almost prehistoric in appearance. The way the needles radiate around the stem creates an inside-out “umbrella” effect. Handsome bark exfoliating in strips but hidden by foliage. 20’-30’ extremely slow growth (6” year). Cones green at first, ripen to brown 2nd year.. For foliage and texture ranks among best.
Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Dawn Redwood Family: Cupressaceae
Decidious, opposite in arrangement, linear, flattened, fast growth in east. Reddish brown bark when young, base buttressing and developing irregular fluted character, directly below branch attachements are armpit-like depressions which are good ID
Sequoia sempervirens, Coast Redwood Family: Cupressaceae
Evergreen, needles spirally arranged on the terminal leader, ¼” long, 40’60’ in east, west 300’ Imposing conifer, densely branched and pyramidal in youth, exquisite bark
Cunninghamia lanceolata, China Fir Family: Cupressaceae
Evergreen, spirally arranged, those on main axis stand out from all around the stem, those on the underside of the branches turning upwards by a basal twist so al seem to appear to spring from the sides and surface of the shoot. Persist for 5+ years, remain dead and dry on branches for more years. 30-75’ in height, pyramidal with slightly pendulous branches, giving appearance of exotic looking tree. Grows anywhere. Attractive in youth, seedy with age as old needles cling to branches. Wood prized in china, easily worked, coffins.
Cephalotaxus Harringtonia, Japanese plum yew Family: Cephalotaxaceae
Linear, evergreen spirally arranged in 2 planes forming distinct V-shaped trough Amazing heat tolerance and dear resistant, slow growth. Potential not tapped, superb shade tolerant aristocratic evergreen for groupings. Fastigiata – rotund columnar form 10’ tall and 6-8’ wide. Duke Gardens – 2-3’ tall and 3’4’ wide.
Taxus baccata ‘dovastonii’, English Yew Family: Taxaceae
Spirally arranged, spreading all around in erect shoots, linear, 30-60’ high and 15-25’ spread. Tree or shrub like form, beautiful with dense dark somber pyramidal outline and massive, fluted, rich reddish brown trunk. English churchyards. Take shade. Most toxic of plants, ancient 3000yrs
Tsuga Canadensis ‘pendula’, Weeping Canada Hemlock Family: Pinaceae
If Dirr forced to select one conifer it would be this. One of most graceful and beautiful. Leaf blight, cankers rust, hemlock borer and looper, spider mites … Used by water, green waterfall.
Pinus bungeana, Lacebark pine Family: Pinaceae
Three needles persisting 3-4 years, stiff, apex sharp pointed 2”-4” long, margins finely toothed, inside slightly rounded because of raised midrib. Slow growth, bark exfoliating like plane tree. One of most handsome pines for bark. Can break under heavy snow.
Quercus imbricaria, Shingle Oak Family: Fagaceae
Still has alternate, simple, oblong leaves.
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