When the Thunderhead Pine (Pinus thunbergii ‘Thunderhead’) grows, it can look a bit like the creature from the black lagoon crawling out of the pond to eat you. But in a good way! I swear. The multi-lobed mounded form is…
A tough competitor for the ever-popular golden drama queen Forsythia, in terms of bright yellow color, Winter Jasmine (Jasminium nudiflorum) is a slender deciduous shrub with arching evergreen shoots and dark green leaves that produces clusters of beautiful yellow flowers…
It’s bold, has great crimson fall color, and it’s beautiful. And did I mention BOLD? Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is not a shrub for the timid or faint of heart. With eight-inch long leaves shaped, not surprisingly, like an oak’s…
Sassafras trees smell like Fruit Loops. No, SERIOUSLY, they do. Scratch their bark or rub a leaf between your fingers, and a sugary, sweet smell that evokes memories of Kellogg’s cereal and brightly colored toucans will permeate your immediate surroundings.…
Ferry Farm, the birthplace of George Washington, has what I consider to be “old fashioned” lilacs. They’re huge, sprawling, rangy things that look absolutely amazing on bigger properties where they have room to do what they do. But if you…
Every once in a while I’ll look over a drawing from another designer and see sweetgum trees in the plant legend. If they’re near the house or in a commercial setting, I usually recommend a substitution. Sweetgums (Liquidambar styraciflua) are…