Plant of the Month
Monday, February 22nd, 2010
When all of the deciduous trees drop their leaves in the fall we get the opportunity to admire the bareness of a landscape. There is something very pure about observing the structure of a tree, the sprawling nature of its branches, with the overall stature contrasting against the gray sky. In the winter, however, after a beautiful snow, we also look downwards. Silhouettes of smaller trees and shrubs become apparent against a pristine white backdrop. Today, I was walking past the fraternity houses, admiring the spectacular Hamamelis display, when I saw the outline of Zanthoxylum simulans. The lateral spines weren’t exactly…
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Thursday, January 14th, 2010
One of the most majestic of all the native trees in the landscape is the American planetree, Platanus occidentalis. In its native habitat the American sycamore is found in low-lying areas especially growing along rivers and streams. Its native geographic range is extensive. It can be found growing from Canada south to Florida and west to Minnesota and Texas. While in its native habitat it thrives in moist soils, it will grow in a wide variety of soils in the home garden.
At the Scott Arboretum we used to have a fantastic specimen below Sharples Dining Hall. This mature specimen had…
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
I have really been feeling the transition of the seasons lately. Leaves are dropping along with the temperature, everyone seems to be under the weather, and certain plants are popping out among the flat landscape. Here at the Scott Arboretum, however, there is never a dull moment, and several plants are vying for attention.
Ilex ''Sparkleberry' in the BioStream. photo credit: R. Robert
The winterberries keep catching my eye, especially the mass plantings of Ilex verticillata ‘Winter Red’ and ‘Winter Gold’. The ‘Winter Red’ cultivar has always been one of my favorite shrubs, with its powerful display of thick red clusters of berries…
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