1. Cornus alternifolia “pagoda dogwood”
SIZE: Small tree
HABIT: Horizontal branching; pyramidal

2. FOL: Dark green in summer; reddish-purple in fall (not showy)

3. BARK: Variable, first and second year stems are often brown to purple in color. Older bark is gray brown

4. FL. & FR. : Yellowish-white in June in 2” flat-topped cymes (fragrant
FL. & FR.: Yellowish-white in June in 2” flat-topped cymes (fragrant!); Fruit = black drupe in summer (not showy)

5. CULTURE: Transplant when young; requires a moist, cool, acidic soil and partial shade (fastidious)
PESTS: Leaf spot, twig blight and canker!!
USE: Naturalizing; gives horizontal lines
MISC.: Best left in and along woods...

6. Cornus florida “flowering dogwood”
SIZE: Small to medium tree
HABIT: Low-branched with
horizontal lines, flat-topped
crown at maturity

7. FOL: Dark green in summer; red-purple in fall

8. BARK: Reminiscent of an alligator’s back
BARK: Reminiscent of an alligator’s back. Broken into small square and rectangular blocks.

9. FL. & FR.: Flowers not showy, clustered in an umbel; bracts are emarginate and white, 3-4” across in May; Fruit = glossy red 1/3” ovoid drupe, clustered, persist

10. CULTURE: Difficult to transplant (B & B best); requires soil amended with organic matter; roots must remain cool and moist; partial shade best; does NOT tolerate pollution or full sun!
PESTS: MANY! anthracnose (Discula), powdery mildew
USE: Specimen; accent, naturalizing, attracts wildlife
MISC.: A 4-season plant! Marginally hardy

11. Cornus florida var. rubra

12. Cornus florida ‘Golden Nugget’

13. Cornus florida ‘Welchii’

14. Cornus kousa “kousa dogwood”
SIZE: Small to medium tree
HABIT: Vase-shaped when young;
rounded with horizontal branching
when mature

15. FOL: Dark green in summer; red-purple in fall (sometimes scarlet)

16. BARK: Exfoliating with age to form a mix of gray, tan, and rich brown

17. FL. & FR.: Flowers not showy; bracts 4” across, white, pointed in June; Fruit = drupe clustered into a globose syncarp on a 2” pendulous stalk

18. CULTURE: Difficult to transplant (B & B best); requires moist, acidic, well-drained soils; full sun is best
PESTS: None serious, some leaf spot
USE: Foundation; specimen
MISC.: Exfoliating bark; beautiful 4-season plant; more cold-hardy than C. florida; fruit is edible and sweet but mealy

19. Cornus kousa ‘Beni Fugi’

20. Cornus kousa ‘Snowboy’

21. Cornus kousa ‘Limon Ripple’

22. Cornus kousa ‘Gold Star’

23. Cornus mas “corneliancherry dogwood”
SIZE: Medium shrub or small tree
HABIT: Typically multistemmed and oval-rounded; branches to the ground

24. FOL: Glossy dark green in summer; red-purple in fall possible but not likely

25. BARK: Scaly and flaky, often gray-brown in color

26. FL. & FR.: Yellow 3/4” umbels in March-April before leaves (showy); Fruit = 1/2” oblong red drupe in July (hidden by foliage)

27. CULTURE: Transplant when young (B & B); soil and pH adaptable; sun to partial shade
PESTS: None serious
USE: Shrub border, hedge, screen, foundation plant
MISC.: Fruit is edible and is made into preserves or syrup

28. Cornus mas ‘Aurea’

29. Hippophae rhamnoides “seabuckthorn”
SIZE: Medium to large shrub
HABIT: spreading and irregularly mounded/arching

30. FOL: Silver-green in spring, summer and fall
FOL: Silver-green in spring, summer and fall. Drop off without any change

31. STEM: Stellately pubescent with silvery or brownish scales

32. FL. & FR. : Dioecious. Flowers not showy
FL. & FR.: Dioecious. Flowers not showy. Female plant has EXCELLENT 1/3” axillary, globose, orange fruits that persist into winter.

33. CULTURE: Difficult to establish. Prefers infertile, sandy soils
CULTURE: Difficult to establish. Prefers infertile, sandy soils. Full sun. Tolerates salt spray
PESTS: None serious
USE: Outstanding plant for winter fruit effect. Good for coastal areas and poor sites.
MISC.: Fixes nitrogen. Difficult to propagate.

34. Caragana arborescens “Siberian peashrub”
SIZE: Medium shrub
HABIT: Upright, yet mounding

35. FOL: Light, bright green in summer; yellow-green in fall (not showy)

36. STEM: Young stems are green in color with pale lenticels
STEM: Young stems are green in color with pale lenticels. Mature stems become more brownish

37. FL. & FR.: Bright yellow 1” long, often clustered, axillary, in May as leaves open; Fruit = 2” long brown pod in August

38. CULTURE: Easy; tolerates poor, dry, basic soils; tolerates drought and salt; tolerates wind and cold
PESTS: None serious
USE: Hedge, screen
MISC.: Fixes nitrogen; ‘Pendula’= a grafted weeping form

39. Caragana arborescens ‘Pendula’

40. Cercis canadensis “Eastern redbud”
SIZE: Small tree
HABIT: Rounded crown
at maturity

41. FOL: New leaves are reddish-purple in spring; dark green in summer; usually a poor yellow in fall

42. BARK: Mature bark is brownish with patches of orange inner bark

43. FL. & FR.: 1/2” pink-red in clusters in April on old wood before leaves; Fruit = 2-3” brown pod (persistent)

44. CULTURE: Tolerates most soils except wet sites; pH adaptable; full sun to partial shade; marginally hardy here
PESTS: Canker
USE: Specimen; naturalizing
MISC.: Only select plants grown in cold areas or seed collected from these areas. ‘Forest Pansy’ is a purple-leaf cultivar but not hardy here

45. Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’

46. Cercis canadensis ‘Silver Cloud’

47. Magnolia x soulangiana “saucer magnolia”
SIZE: Small tree or large shrub
HABIT: Pyramidal to upright elliptic at maturity

48. FOL: Medium green in summer; fall color is a poor yellow-brown

49. FL. & FR.: Campanulate, upright, ” in diameter, white to pink - purple, 9 tepals, before leaves in April; Fruit = aggregate of follicles (not showy)

50. CULTURE: Fleshy roots therefore transplant B & B; require moist, organic sl. acidic soils; full sun; protect from direct southern light exposure; protect from wind
PESTS: Mildew, leaf spots
USE: Specimen, accent

51. MISC.: Freeze/frost often damages flowers. Many cultivars...

52. Magnolia stellata “star magnolia”
SIZE: Medium to large shrub
HABIT: Dense oval to rounded

53. FOL: Dark green in summer; yellow-bronze in fall (not showy)

54. BARK: Smooth and gray, similar to other magnolias

55. FL. & FR.: 4” diameter, white strap-like tepals, before leaves in April; Fruit = aggregate of follicles (not showy)

56. CULTURE: Fleshy roots therefore transplant B & B; require moist, organic sl. acidic soils; full sun; protect from direct southern light exposure; protect from wind; tolerates city dirt
PESTS: None serious
USE: Specimen, accent
MISC.: Many cultivars available...

57. Chionanthus virginicus “white fringetree”
SIZE: Large shrub or small tree
HABIT: Open and irregular (scraggly)

58. FOL: Medium olive-green in summer; yellow-green in fall (variable)

59. BARK: Gray, smooth on young branches, becoming slightly ridged with age

60. FL. & FR.: Dioecious; 1” long & 1/16” wide, white, strap-like petals, clustered in hanging panicles, with the leaves in May; Fruit = 1/2” bluish drupe (on female)

61. CULTURE: B & B in spring best; requires deep, moist, organic, acidic soils; full sun; somewhat difficult to transplant
PESTS: None serious
USE: Specimen, accent, groups, naturalizing
MISC.: Male plants are showier than female

62. Chionanthus retusus

63. Ligustrum vulgare “common privet”
SIZE: Medium shrub
HABIT: Rounded

64. FOL: DARK green in summer; no fall color (turns a lighter green)

65. BARK: Smooth, gray to gray-brown in color

66. FL. & FR.: Terminal, 1-3” panicles of white, pungent flowers, in June; Fruit = shiny black drupe in September and persists through winter

67. CULTURE: Transplants easily; soil and pH adaptable; full sun to partial shade; tolerates city dirt; tolerates dry soils but will NOT tolerate wet sites; tolerates severe pruning
PESTS: Anthracnose twig blight (canker)
USE: Hedges (flowers often pruned off)
MISC.: Overused! Many cultivars (including variegated); less cold-hardy than L. amurense

68. Syringa reticulata “Japanese tree lilac”
SIZE: Small tree or large shrub
HABIT: Oval to rounded crown

69. FOL: Dark green in summer; poor yellow fall color (not showy)

70. BARK: Cherry-like with a reddish brown color and prominent lenticels

71. FL. & FR.: Terminal, 6-12” creamy-white, fragrant panicles, in June; Fruit = warty, dehiscent, valvate capsules (not showy)

72. CULTURE: Prefers moist, organic, sl
CULTURE: Prefers moist, organic, sl. acidic soils; full sun; prune off spent flower panicles
PESTS: None serious
USE: Specimen; street tree; mass; foundation
MISC.: Flowers in alternate years. ‘Ivory Silk’ is a single-trunked tree form.

73. Syringa vulgaris “common lilac”
SIZE: Medium shrub
HABIT: Upright, irregular, leggy when mature

74. FOL: Dark green in summer; no fall color

75. BARK: Grayish-brown in color, becoming slightly shaggy with age

76. FL. & FR.: Lilac (and many variations), extremely fragrant in May in 4-8” pairs of panicles from “terminal” buds; Fruit = smooth, dehiscent, valvate capsules

77. CULTURE: Prefers organic soils with a neutral pH; prune off spent inflorescence
PESTS: Powdery mildew

78. USE: Mass, accent, foundation, cut-flower; nostalgia MISC
USE: Mass, accent, foundation, cut-flower; nostalgia MISC.: Traditional plant. MANY cultivars!!

79. Syringa vulgaris ‘Primrose’

80. Syringa vulgaris ‘Sensation’

81. Rhamnus cathartica “common buckthorn”
SIZE: Large shrub or small tree
HABIT: Upright, rounded crown

82. FOL: Glossy dark green in summer; yellowish-green in fall (not showy)

83. BARK: Brownish-black in color.

84. FL. & FR.: Dioecious; yellowish 1” umbels in May (not showy); Fruit = 1/4” black drupe in fall (not showy)

85. CULTURE: Easily transplanted; tolerates tough condtions such as urban environments;
PESTS: Alternate host for oat rust (Puccinia coronata)
USE: Screen or hedge; will grow where other plants will not! Attracts wildlife
MISC.: Weedy! Birds love the fruit!

86. Rhamnus frangula “glossy buckthorn”
SIZE: Large shrub, sometimes a small tree
HABIT: Upright, open crown; gangly

87. FOL: Glossy dark green; poor yellow-green fall color

88. FL. & FR.: Not showy; Fruit = 1/4” red-black drupe in August (not showy from a distance)

89. CULTURE: Transplants easily; full sun or partial shade; tolerates most conditions
PESTS: Few; stem canker may be a problem
USE: Hedge; attracts wildlife
MISC.: ‘Asplenifolia’ = fine textured foliage; ‘Columnaris’ = narrow, upright form with wavy branches (used in the midwest). Also weedy!

90. Rhamnus frangula ‘Asplenifolia’

91. Rhamnus frangula ‘Columnaris’

92. Rhamnus frangula ‘Ron Williams’