Plant Profile: Golden Rain Tree

These beauties have mostly stopped blooming at this point (although I’ve seen an oddball bloomer here and there), and now the big, dangly seed pods are doing their thing. Koelreuteria is a good choice for spaces where you want a reasonably moderately-sized tree with a later bloom time than some other trees. A lot of designers are using them as street trees. This photo was taken along Vandor Lane in Manassas, Virginia; another great spot to see some Koelreuteria is along the alley and parking area behind Davis Street in Culpeper, Virginia.

Plant Profile: Mountain Fire Pieris

profile card for mountain fire pieris

If you’re looking for a funky little accent plant, Pieris japonica is a great choice, and the variety ‘Mountain Fire’ seems to do pretty well in northern Virginia. What’s also important is that the deer don’t seem to want to eat it.