TNLA Diversifying Your Plant Palette Presentation by Heidi Sheesley- Owner, Treesearch Farms August 18, 2016 Taxodium mucronatum - Montezuma Cypress - A beautiful fast growing relative of the Bald Cypress. It has a fuller more spreading habit & is almost evergreen in milder climates. It can hold its foliage into December & leafs out at least a month before the Bald Cypress. The Montezuma Cypress does not develop knees, so mowing underneath is not a problem. It tolerates wet conditions & drought. Acer barbatum floridanum Southern Sugar Maple Beautiful, deciduous native tree from Southeast Texas to Florida, with moderate to rapid growth rate. The leaves are a classic maple-leaf shape. They turn bright yelloworange and sometimes scarlet in the fall. Southern Sugar Maple is more heat tolerant than many maples. It likes full sun and is tolerant of a range of soils, but prefers even moisture when possible. A typical upright, oval shape averaging 40 tall. The seeds are eaten by several species of birds. Acer palmatum Ryusen PP#18,501 Ryusen Weeping Japanese Maple At last, a true weeping Japanese Maple! Ryusen boasts a magnificent weeping habit with strong, pendulous branches bearing palmately divided leaves of bright green. The fall color is out of this world brilliant shades of golden-orange and bright red. Train Ryusen to desired height until it forms a sturdy trunk; or, let it weep over a wall, espalier it, or let it decorate your favorite arbor or arch. More heat and sun tolerant than many Acer palmatum cultivars. Slowly grows up to 6 tall unless the central leader continues to be trained for more height. Ilex decidua Paco - Paco's Possumhaw Holly - A single or multi-trunked, native, deciduous, small ornamental tree averaging 18 x 15. Only female Possumhaws produce berries. Paco s Possumhaw is a female that is absolutely covered with gorgeous red berries all winter. Tough, drought tolerant & will take periodic wet conditions. Sun or part shade. A shelter & food source for birds. Birds have an absolute feast on the berries in early spring! Rhamnus caroliniana - Carolina Buckthorn - Small tree or shrub that matures to 10 15. Carolina buckthorn is prettiest under the shade of a large tree. It s creamy springtime blossoms are followed by gorgeous berries that turn red in late summer and hold this bright color for a couple of months, finally ripening to black in October. As soon as they ripen, they are devoured and treasured by several species of birds. Deciduous to almost evergreen, with leaves turning bright yellow in the fall. This is a must for any habitat garden! Prunus mume Fragrant Snow Fragrant Snow Flowering Apricot This spectacular tree produces an amazingly fragrant cloud of soft, snow-white flowers early to mid-february on a tree with beautiful, sculptured, dark trunks and limbs. Fragrant Snow looks good all year-round, even in extreme summer heat in full sun! Full sun or light shade in a moist, well-drained soil. Fast growing. Prunus mume Kobai Kobai Flowering Apricot An absolute must for almost any garden!!! This spectacular tree produces an amazingly fragrant cloud of bright, rich pink flowers the end of January or the first half of February on a tree with beautiful, sculptured, dark trunks and limbs. Kobai looks good all year-round, even in extreme summer heat in full sun! Kobai grows in full sun or light shade in a moist, well-drained soil. Fast growing. Aloysia virgata - Almond Verbena - Small single or multi-trunk tree with delicate-looking foliage and a constant show of 6 8 spikes of feathery white flowers. It s known for its unbelievable fragrance of a heavenly honeyvanilla scent that wafts across the garden. 12-15 tall. Prefers full sun. Butterflies! Hummingbirds! Bees! Prunus cerasifera St. Luke s St. Luke s Purple Leaf Plum This beautiful little tree has multiple seasons of interest making it an all-season winner in our opinion. As winter ends, the slender, dark branches are covered with hundreds of small, medium pink flowers in late February to early March, long before the leaves appear. The leaves are slender and dark maroon-purple and their color is retained throughout the summer. They appear just before the flowers are fading giving the tree a dramatic color contrast. Averages 15 x 15, rarely to 20 x 20. Makes a great patio tree or small accent tree for the garden. Plant in sun.
Prunus angustifolia Purple Pride pp#23742 Purple Pride Chickasaw Plum An amazing selection of the native Chickasaw Plum from the SFA Gardens in Nacogdoches, Texas. Purple Pride sports dark burgundy foliage that retains its rich dark color exceptionally well from spring through fall. White spring flowers create a bold contrast against the dark purple foliage and will produce good tasting dark fruit if pollinated. The flowers attract pollinators and the fruit will benefit wildlife. Full sun and good drainage, drought resistant once well-established. Chickasaw plum is naturally a multi-trunked small tree and has a nice upright growth habit averaging 10-15 tall. It can be trained into a single trunked tree. Hibiscus hamabo Yellow Tree Hibiscus A beautiful & unique hibiscus tree that grows about 12-15 tall & 12-15 wide. This hardy, deciduous large shrub or small tree has attractive, somewhat rounded leaves with a silver backing & is covered with 3-4 bright sulphur-yellow flowers with a maroon center in summer. In the fall, this plant becomes a blaze of color; its foliage becomes a yellow-red-orange show stopper. It likes full sun & a well-drained soil. Olives These olives make gorgeous trees or hedges in the landscape with their stunning silver foliage. Evergreen and tough! Once established, olives are drought tolerant. A great addition to any garden. They also make excellent hedges and screens. Arbequina Olive - This beautiful, evergreen 15 tree originated in Spain. Earliest to bear fruit, usually at 3 years. Self-fruitful. The black fruit has excellent flavor and is used for oil or table fruit. Ripens in mid fall. Frost resistant. Requires excellent drainage. Mission Olive- Excellent tasting! Jet black when tree-ripened. Heavy bearing, long-lived, and most resistant variety to the cold. A gorgeous evergreen tree its grey-green foliage adds an interesting contrast to every landscape. Vitex agnus-castus Montrose Purple - Montrose Purple Vitex - A fabulous Vitex with slightly larger foliage & magnificent blooms that are 3 times larger than the standard Vitex & a richer, darker blue color. A drought tolerant, sun loving, small, single or multi-trunked tree up to 18 tall. Butterflies. Bauhinia mexicana Mexican Orchid Tree A very special, hard to find little tree with a spectacular display of white feathery blooms from May to November! This is, without a doubt, one of the finest butterfly and hummingbird attractors in the state!!! Mexican Bauhinia forms a large shrub or small tree (single or multi-trunk) depending on our winter temperatures. It s deciduous down to 25 degrees & root hardy down to the high teens. They average 6 tall but can reach 10-12 tall if protected from a hard freeze. Well-drained soils. Sun. Clethra pringlei - Mexican Clethra - An exciting, rare, small evergreen tree out of Mexico with gorgeous, dark green glossy foliage & an attractive upright growth habit. One of its most fabulous features are the long racemes of many tiny fragrant white flowers in early summer filling the garden with the aroma of cinnamon. The Mexican Clethra is fairly fast growing & grows well in full sun or light shade. Will adapt to most soils but likes good drainage. Grows about 20 tall by 10 wide. Ziziphus jujube - Jujubes Chinese Dates - These trees are disease free and pest free. They produce an abundance of small semi-sweet fruit, with one small seed. Taste and texture are similar to an apple, or a dried date. Trees are generally very upright and take up very little horizontal space. An excellent addition to the landscape. The trees are drought tolerant and flood tolerant once established, and can withstand very cold freezing temperatures. No pruning is required for production but they can be topped to keep within harvesting reach. Harvest in the morning and just as the fruit starts to get its rust color. Most grafted varieties or named varieties on their own roots start producing within 1 to 2 years. Jujubes are more productive with cross pollination. Deciduous. Some varieties have an upright growth habit and others more of a weeping form. Things to consider with Jujubes are that they may have thorns and do tend to sucker. This is easy to control if they are planted in an area that will be mowed regularly. V. obovatum x V. rufidulum - Lord Byron Viburnum A fabulous new hybrid Viburnum between Walter s Viburnum and the native Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum. Vigorous grower with an upright tree form. Small foliage and a spectacular display of clusters of white flowers in February-March. Deciduous. Best used as a small ornamental tree or can be used as a fast growing screen. Averages 12-18. Full sun or light shade. Produces scrumptious berries that the birds love!! Gorgeous fall color its leaves turn orange-red to red before dropping.
Viburnum obovatum TSF Walter's Viburnum - Outstanding, large, native, evergreen shrub with attractive small dark green leaves. Magnificent display of clusters of white flowers in February-March! Use as a hedge, screen, or small tree. Sun, part shade. 6-12 tall. Tough, drought tolerant once established. Ilex sp. Cherry Bomb - Cherry Bomb Holly - At last, a low growing, evergreen holly with smooth glossy, nonprickly leaves. Produces large red berries fall through winter. Averages 3-4 tall x 3 wide, but can reach 6 x 4. Somewhat slow growing. Sun or part shade. Tough, drought or flood tolerant once established. Use in borders, mass plantings, as a single specimen, or in containers. Cephalotaxus harringtonia 'Prostrata' Prostrate Japanese Plum Yew - A handsome low growing evergreen for shade that thrives in heat & humidity & is extremely deer resistant! Cephalotaxus has glossy, deep green needles borne on slightly arching branches. Its texture & attractive low spreading habit make it ideal for use along shaded walkways, around patios, or as part of a foundation planting. They are slow growing, tolerate a wide range of soils, need very little maintenance, and respond well to pruning when needed. They mature at about 3 tall & 4-5 wide. Cephalotaxus harringtonia Duke Gardens Duke Gardens Plum Yew A beautiful, soft textured evergreen shrub that tolerates our heat and humidity & is deer resistant. The dark green needle shaped foliage adds texture to a garden and thrives in the shadiest woodland gardens also grows in morning sun or dappled sunlight under a canopy of trees. Low maintenance probably never needs to be pruned. Averages 3 x3 but can get larger. Extremely cold hardy great for habitat gardens as it provides year round shelter for birds. Ophiopogon jaburon Vitattus Giant Variegated Mondo Grass A striking accent in any shade garden. It s evergreen with white, cream and green variegation, slowly growing into a 3 x 3 clump. Tough and drought tolerant once established with an added bonus of stalks of white flowers in the summer. Rare and unique. Also stunning in large containers. Requires good drainage. This is NOT a liriope. Callicarpa japonica Snow Storm Beautyberry A dramatic addition to the beautyberry family it has stunning white-cream-green variegated foliage, clusters of pink flowers in the summer and loads of rose-purple berries in the fall. Snow Storm forms a nice compact shrub mounding to 4 x4. Prefers light shade and a moist, well-drained soil. Deciduous. Beautyberries are a food source for up to 40 species of birds. Callicarpa dichotoma Duet Duet Beautyberry Duet was discovered in 2000 as a branch sport on Callicarpa dichotoma Albifructis. Narrow leaves are edged in yellow, which ages to creamy white by late summer. The plants are then adorned with clusters of white fruit which ring the branches starting in September. Can take quite a bit of sun, partial sun or understory conditions. Deep shade may cause it to become leggy. 3 x3 or bigger, but easily maintained at desired height with pruning. Easy to grow in both moist and dry soils. Deciduous. Birds!! Callicarpa salicifolia Salicifolia Beautyberry Large, gorgeous, airy lacy-like clusters of pale pink buds and flowers absolutely cover this shrub over a long period of the summer, eventually producing striking clusters of rich lavender berries through out the fall & winter. This unique well-mannered beautyberry has beautiful glossy green foliage. Very unlike other beautyberries. Sun or part shade, averages 4 x4. Deciduous. Birds & wildlife! Callicarpa longissima Longissima Beautyberry A tree beautyberry! What a show-stopper! Longissima is a fast growing, upright beautyberry with long, slightly droopy leaves. The clusters of bright purple flowers are spectacular in the summer and fascinating with their unique geometric patterns. But wait until fall when those flower clusters produce the most amazing display of pure, milky-white berries! The berries hang on all through fall, winter and sometimes into spring. Longissima can be trained as a small tree, 12-15 tall, or pruned as a large shrub. It s evergreen in mild winters, otherwise deciduous. Part shade or sun. Birds! Itea virginica - Morning Star Virginia Sweetspire A native East Texas shrub growing 4 6 tall and up to 4 wide with arching limbs and long pendulous racemes of very fragrant white flowers in spring. Morning Star is an evergreen sweetspire with some fall color. Useful in mass plantings, hedges, wet areas, and for anti-erosion purposes. Slowly colonizes. Sun to part shade. Malphighia glabra Nana Dwarf Barbados Cherry - Unique & colorful native shrub with pink & white flowers summer & fall, & then producing an abundance of red, cherry-like fruit! Evergreen most winters. The dwarf variety averages 3-4. Sun, part shade. Birds!
Malvaviscus drummondii Big Momma - Big Momma Turk s Cap Another spectacular introduction from Greg Grant! The best of our Native Red Turk s Cap crossed with Giant Pink Turk s Cap, this selection features large, vivid coral-red flowers swirled like a turk s cap from mid-summer until frost. Emerges from dormancy each spring and grows into a lush 4-6 shrub. A very long bloomer. Tough! Sun or part shade. Will perform well in a variety of soil types. Hummingbirds! Butterflies! Galphimia glauca - Golden Showers Thryallis - A large flowering shrub with narrow bluish-green foliage that s covered with clusters of small bright yellow flowers nearly year-round! It s evergreen in mild winters or temperate areas & is used in all types of landscapes. Thryallis is relatively salt & drought tolerant for coastal areas. Can also be used as a hedging. Averages 3-6 tall. Sun. Calliandra emarginata - Dwarf Fairy Duster - This beautiful root hardy shrub is great for both garden and containers. Growing to about 3 x 3. Dwarf Fairy Duster is covered with red powderpuff flowers that are attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. This shrub is spectacular in bloom. It has a very tropical look, but is a very tough little shrub. Sun or light shade. Ficus tikoua - Sandi-Leaf Fig Ivy - Not the classic fig ivy this one is a tough, bold, coarsely textured ground cover for sun or part shade. Medium green, 3-5 oval shaped leaves have a marvelous sandpaper texture. Selflayering, carpets an area fairly rapidly. Produces small figlets that birds enjoy. Normally evergreen in Houston. Viola hederacea - Australian Violet - An outstanding evergreen groundcover for shade gardens! Forms a lush carpet, 1-2 tall, of bright green foliage & is almost constantly blooming adorable white & blue violet flowers in heavy cycles spring, summer, & fall. Must have under-story conditions & especially afternoon shade. Also looks great cascading out of containers. Moist, well-drained soil. Muehlenbeckia axillaris Nana Creeping Wire Vine Tiny dark, glossy green leaves cover wiry stems on this evergreen creeper. Great as a groundcover between stepping stones very tolerant of foot traffic. Use in hanging baskets, containers, rock gardens or train to climb up a trellis for a unique dense screen. Drought tolerant, deer resistant sun or partial shade. Aristolochia fimbriata - Fimbriata Dutchman's Pipe - A smaller version of Dutchman s Pipe with 2 3 rounded green leaves that have a light-green pattern on the surface. It blooms in cycles from spring to fall in miniature burgundy & yellow flowers. It grows mainly as a groundcover. Host plant for the Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly. Moist, well-drained soil. This plant is a MUST for any butterfly garden. Kaempferia elegans Satin Checks - Satin Checks Ginger A spectacular Kaempferia! An absolute must as a ground cover for shade gardens with its eye-popping bright green leaves with fabulous purplish checkerboard spots and satiny sheen. An exquisite 1 purple flower appears almost daily from midsummer to fall. Goes dormant in winter. Shade. Moist, well-drained bed. Difficult to find in the trade. Curcuma General information - Curcumas are day-length sensitive, and will go dormant in October. They will return in May as soon as the temps heat up for another fabulous display. Height varies by variety. Slowly multiplies into a beautiful clump. Curcuma x Emerald Chocozebra Emerald Chocozebra Ginger This true collector species has the same fabulous foliage of the species, but the inflorescence is a spike of dramatic apple green bracts with chocolatebronze stripes at the base of the bracts and a dash of chocolate in the throat. Lavender flowers can be found within the bracts. The 20-24 flower stalk is long-lasting and makes a wonderful cut flower. Prefers partial sun to shade. Stokesia laevis Peachie s Pick Peachie s Pick Stokesia Stunning! Considered one of the best Stoke s Asters available. Tight evergreen rosette of foliage. A multitude of compact upright flower spikes are topped with dozens of large, lavender-blue flowers in early summer. Averages 18-24. Sun or part shade. Butterflies! Stokesia laevis Divinity PPAF Divinity stokesia This somewhat new stokesia has beautiful feathery flowers that open with subtle yellow centers, soon mellowing to a pure celestial white beginning in mid-spring. Evergreen in mild winters, this is a forgiving, low-maintenance, native perennial that likes a little afternoon shade. Divinity stands 12-14 tall and spreads to about 18 wide in a season. Excellent cut flower and butterfly attractor. Scadoxus natalensis Flaming Torch Scadoxus - An absolutely stunning naturalizing bulb from South Africa that produces the most gorgeous, large, globe-shaped torches of vibrant orange flowers held high up on sturdy 20-24 stalks early in spring. This spectacular display of color is even more striking because the flowers emerge
before the foliage. Eventually, 24-30 stalks of gorgeous glossy foliage take over once the flowers finish. The foliage adds a whole new dimension to a shade garden! They like light shade or bright light & a moist, well-drained bed. Very slow to multiply & very, very rare in the trade. Scadoxus multiflorus Blood Lily A spectacular, naturalizing bulb from South Africa that puts on a stunning show of color in early summer. Exploding out of the ground on thick solitary stems are dazzling, 7-8 globe-like flower heads consisting of up to 200 brilliant red starry flowers followed by attractive, upright, dark green, glossy spear-shaped foliage. It thrives in shade gardens, is striking in large groups under trees, does beautifully in containers & as an indoor plant, & also makes an excellent cut flower. It needs a moist, well-drained soil. Hymenocallis - Spider Lilies Spider Lilies make a statement in the landscape even when not in bloom. They have glossy, rich green foliage that has a dramatic presence when planted in masses. Spider Lilies white flowers are often described as looking more daffodil-like than lily-like. The flower form is characterized by a white central cup that is marked by six long, delicate spider-like petals. They make fabulous borders and do well in containers. Prefers moist soils, but tough and somewhat drought tolerant once established. Dormant in winter. H. riparia Mexican River Spider Lily - a small variety with narrow, spreading foliage and 18 flower spikes Lycoris aurea - Yellow Surprise Lily (Hurricane Lily) This stunning yellow spider lily puts on a spectacular show of bright golden-yellow softball size, spidery flowers on top of 18-24 naked stalks in late August and early September. As they finish blooming, attractive, strap-shaped grey-green foliage appears forming beautiful clumps of texture and color through-out the winter months. The foliage goes dormant in mid spring. Lycoris is a tough lily, takes sun or part shade and needs good drainage. This show stopper multiplies well and also makes a good cut flower. Leucojum aestivum Snowflake- A fabulous naturalizing heirloom bulb for the South! Its small, pure white bell shaped blooms appear in dropping clusters above attractive, dark green daffodil like foliage in February and March. Within a month after blooming, the bulbs go dormant for the summer. In mid fall, the clumps of foliage emerge to brighten up a garden all through the winter months. This is a super tough bulb that can tolerate almost any growing condition. Plant groups of them in sweeps throughout the garden, at the base of trees or shrubs, or as a border. Deer resistant. Zephyranthes sp. Labuffarosa Pink Labuffarosa Rainlily A real showstopper! Blooms beautiful 2 flowers with two-toned petals of white and soft pink after rainy periods in summer and fall. The attractive evergreen grasslike foliage grows 10 tall. Multiplies from bulb and seed. Rainlilies are spectacular in mass plantings, wonderful tucked in pockets throughout the garden, and also love showing off in containers. For a delicate looking plant, these are quite tough. Will tolerate wet and dry. Sun or part shade. Zephyranthes sp. White Labuffarosa White Labuffarosa Rainlily A real showstopper! Blooms beautiful 2 white flowers after rainy periods in summer and fall. The attractive evergreen grass-like foliage grows 10 tall. Multiplies from bulb and seed. Sun or part shade. Rainlilies are spectacular in mass plantings, wonderful tucked in pockets throughout the garden, and love showing off in containers. For a delicate looking plant, these are quite tough. Will tolerate wet and dry. Zephyranthes macrosiphon Hidalgo Form Rainlily- A beautiful repeat-blooming variety that produces a spectacular show of large, deep pink, upward facing blooms. The attractive, glossy, narrow foliage grows about 10 tall. Rainlilies are spectacular in mass plantings, wonderful tucked in pockets throughout the garden, and love showing off in containers. For a delicate looking plant, these are quite tough. Part shade or full sun. Moist, welldrained soil. Rosa sp. Peggy Martin - Peggy Martin Rose This is the incredible rose that survived Hurricane Katrina, continuing to live in the salt water flooded yard of Peggy Martin in Plaquemines Parish, near New Orleans. Long arching canes give this rose a graceful rambling form and clusters of showy, bright pink flowers make it a stunning accent in any garden. Covered with clusters of flowers each spring from mid-march through May, it starts blooming again in late summer and repeat blooms until a frost slows it down in winter. Thornless and disease resistant. Full sun. Moist, well-drained soil.