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Cercis Canadensis - Eastern Redbud

Family: Sapindaceae - Soapberry

Native region: Eastern Central Europe

Landscape uses: Invasive, do not use

Height and Width: 50-70′ Tall 30-50′ Wide

Zones: 3-9

Drought conditions: Moderately

Transplants: Yes

Preferred Growing Conditions: Easily grown in average, medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist soils, but shows somewhat surprising tolerance for poor dry soils.

Tree & Plant Care: Without proper and frequent pruning high winds and ice can cause limbs to break. Prune in summer. Drought sensitive, provide supplemental water in dry periods. Many authorities recommend against planting silver maple.

Disease, pests, and problems: May be weedy, spreading many seedlings in lawns and gardens. Weak wooded and is prone to storm damage. Has a vigorous root system that can invade sewer pipes. Verticillium wilt,  anthracnose, tar spot, cottony maple scale, maple bladder gall.

Seal of Ian’s DISApproval: Not native and will kill any plant around it. The roots are too greedy and it covers too much with its shade. Invasive.

PLANT COMMUNITY !!!!!!

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canadensis

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Acer griseum - Paper-Barked Maple

Family: Sapindaceae - Soapberry

Native region: Central China

Landscape uses: Specimen, Shade, Mixed Border, Patio

Height and Width: 20-30′ Tall 10-30′ Wide

Zones: 5-8

Drought conditions: No

Transplants: Yes

Preferred Growing Conditions: Easily grown in average, slightly acidic, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, well-drained soils. Intolerant of drought.

Tree & Plant Care: Avoid pruning maples in spring as they are 'bleeders' and will lose large amounts of sap. Tolerates clay soils and high pH. Propagation is difficult (approximately 95% of seed produced is not viable). Woody cuttings are difficult to root, but juvenile cuttings are easier to root.

Disease, pests, and problems: Verticillium wilt (fungus) is a potential problem for maples.

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Acer sccharinum - Silver Maple

Family: Sapindaceae - Soapberry

Native region: Eastern Central Europe

Landscape uses: Invasive, do not use

Height and Width: 50-70′ Tall 30-50′ Wide

Zones: 3-9

Drought conditions: Moderately

Transplants: Yes

Preferred Growing Conditions: Easily grown in average, medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist soils, but shows somewhat surprising tolerance for poor dry soils.

Tree & Plant Care: Without proper and frequent pruning high winds and ice can cause limbs to break. Prune in summer. Drought sensitive, provide supplemental water in dry periods. Many authorities recommend against planting silver maple.

Disease, pests, and problems: May be weedy, spreading many seedlings in lawns and gardens. Weak wooded and is prone to storm damage. Has a vigorous root system that can invade sewer pipes. Verticillium wilt,  anthracnose, tar spot, cottony maple scale, maple bladder gall.

Seal of Ian’s DISApproval: Not native and will kill any plant around it. The roots are too greedy and it covers too much with its shade. Invasive.

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Pinus cembra - Swiss Stone Pine

Family: Pinaceae - Pine

Native region: Eastern Europe

Landscape uses: Specimen, Shade

Height and Width: 30-40′ Tall

Zones: 3-7

Drought conditions: Tolerant

Transplants: No

Preferred Growing Conditions: Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates some light shade. Tolerates a wide range of soils, but prefers sandy loams.

Tree & Plant Care: Transplants well, needs little pruning for a strong structure. Due to its slow growth rate, this is an excellent choice for small landscapes.

Disease, pests, and problems: Resistant to most pests and diseases.

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Magnolia virginiana - Sweetbay Magnolia

Family: Magnoliaceae - Magnolia

Native region: North America

Landscape uses: Specimen, Mixed Border, Sidewalk

Height and Width: 70-90′ Tall 35-50′ Wide

Zones: 5-9

Drought conditions: Intolerant

Transplants: No

Preferred Growing Conditions: Easily grown in acidic, medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, rich, organic soils, but, unlike most other magnolias, tolerates wet, boggy soils. Also does quite well in the heavy clay soils of Missouri. Appreciates a protected location in USDA Zone 5 where it is not reliably winter hardy throughout.

Tree & Plant Care: Requires a moist site in full sun to part shade. May need some winter protection, avoid sites that are cold and windswept in winter. Extrememly tolerant of wet conditions. Supplemental water in dry periods.

Disease, pests, and problems: Chlorosis (yellowing) may occur in high pH soils.

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Pinus banksiana - Jack Pine

Family: Pinaceae - Pine

Native region: Eastern North America

Landscape uses: Specimen, Windbreak, Shade

Height and Width: 35-50′ Tall

Zones: 2-6

Drought conditions: Tolerant

Transplants: No

Preferred Growing Conditions: Grow in average, medium moisture, well-drained sandy loams in full sun. Very little tolerance for shade. Best growth is in geographic areas with cool summers and cold winters. Tolerates a wide variety of soils.

Tree & Plant Care: Avoid wet soils.

Disease, pests, and problems: Windthrow can be a problem due to the shallow root system of this tree. Not as susceptible to pests as other pines, but sawflies, tussock moth and needle casts are potential problems.

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Pieris floribunda - Mountain Pieris

Family: Ericaceae - Heath

Native region: Eastern North America

Landscape uses: Mass planting, Specimen, Foundations

Height and Width: 3-4′ Tall

Zones: 4

Drought conditions: Tolerant

Transplants: No

Preferred Growing Conditions: Best grown in medium moisture, well-drained, acidic loams in full sun. Adapts to a wide range of soils. Established trees have some drought tolerance

Tree & Plant Care: Although some flowers may be lost, it is best to prune this tree as needed in late winter. Spring pruning should be avoided as it produces fresh, open cuts where fireblight bacterium can enter.

Disease, pests, and problems: Moderate disease resistance. Susceptible to apple scab, leaf spot, powdery mildew and fire blight. Potential insect pests are of lesser concern and include tent caterpillars, aphids, Japanese beetles, borers, spider mites and scale.

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Deutzia scabra - Fuzzy Deutzia

Family: Hydrangea - Hydrangeaceae

Native region: Japan

Landscape uses: Massing, Foundation, Mixed Border, Screen

Height and Width: 8-10′ Tall

Zones: 5-7

Drought conditions: Moderately tolerant

Transplants: No

Preferred Growing Conditions: Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Best flowering in full sun. Wide range of soil tolerance. Prefers moist, humusy soils. 

Tree & Plant Care: Best in full sun to light shade in well-drained soil, pH adaptable. Can be a coarse looking plant if not pruned regularly to maintain shape. Flowers on old wood so prune after flowering

Disease, pests, and problems: Leaf spots, leaf miner, powdery mildew

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Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' - Fountain Grass

Family: Poaceae - Grass

Native region: North America

Landscape uses: Specimen, Massing, Ornamental, Borders, Foundation

Height and Width: 3-5′ Tall

Zones: 9-10

Drought conditions: Tolerant

Transplants: No

Preferred Growing Conditions: Winter hardy to USDA Zones 9-10 where it is easily grown as a perennial in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best performance is in full sun.

Tree & Plant Care: it will not survive winter and is typically grown as if it were an annual. Although species plants can be grown from seed each year new plants are typically purchased from nurseries each spring for planting in the garden after last spring frost date. Technically plants can be dug in fall, trimmed and overwintered in greenhouses or indoors in sunny cool areas, but many gardeners simply prefer to purchase new plants each spring. Plants may need some staking or other support and should be sited in areas protected from strong winds. Provide consistent water throughout the growing season.‘Rubrum’ rarely sets seed.

Disease, pests, and problems: No serious insect or disease problems.

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Hakonechloa macra - Japanese Forest Grass

Family: Poaceae - Grass

Native region: Japan

Landscape uses: Massing, Foundation, Mixed Border, Patio, Container, Groundcover

Height and Width: 12-24″ Tall

Zones: 5-9

Drought conditions: Tolerant

Transplants: No

Preferred Growing Conditions: Best grown in humusy, consistently moist, well-drained soils in part shade. Tolerates close to full shade, particularly in the hot summer climates. Best growth occurs in climates with cool summer temperatures. Plant foliage will burn in full sun locations. Plant foliage will lose color intensity (particularly on variegated leaf cultivars) in full shade.

Tree & Plant Care: Japanese forest grass is relatively low-growing (1 to 2 feet tall), with arching leaves that provide a sweeping appearance as though the plants were flowing. The plant will spread by rhizomes, but very slowly. It can be used as a ground cover for this reason. This is a warm season grass, so its most active growth occurs in summer.  It will remain standing in winter and can act as winter interest. Since this grass remains attractive through winter, it should not be cut back until early spring, before new growth begins.  At that time, it can be cut down to the ground.

Disease, pests, and problems: No serious pest problems.

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Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' - Dwarf Fountain Grass

Family: Poaceae - Grass

Native region: North America

Landscape uses: Massing, Foundation, Mixed Border, Patio, Container

Height and Width: 1.5-2.5′ Tall

Zones: 5-9

Drought conditions: Tolerant

Transplants: No

Preferred Growing Conditions: Easily grown in average, medium to wet soil in full sun to part shade. Best in full sun. Tolerates part shade, but may not flower in too much shade.

Tree & Plant Care: This is a warm season grass, so its most active growth occurs in summer.  It will remain standing in winter and can act as winter interest, although the seed heads will begin to shatter in autumn. Since this grass remains attractive through winter, it should not be cut back until early spring, before new growth begins.  At that time, it can be cut down to the ground.

Disease, pests, and problems: Winter hardiness can be a problem in severe winters.

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Digitaria ischaemum - Smooth Crabgrass

Family: Poaceae - Grass

Native region: North America

Landscape uses: None

Height and Width: 6″ Tall

Zones: 2-7

Drought conditions: Tolerant

Transplants: Don’t

Preferred Growing Conditions: This weedy grass is typically found in full to partial sun, moist to mesic conditions, and a somewhat heavy soil containing loam or clay-loam. Because of its C4 photosynthetic metabolism, this grass is able to tolerate episodes of hot dry weather.

Tree & Plant Care: It can spread aggressively in lawns. Most vegetative growth occurs during the summer as the seeds are slow to germinate.

Disease, pests, and problems: Can spread aggressively in lawns.

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Hydrangea macrophylla - Big-leaved Hydrangea

Family: Hydrangea - Hydrangeaceae

Native region: China

Landscape uses: Specimen, Messing, Foundation, Mixed Border

Height and Width: 3-5′ Tall

Zones: 5-9

Drought conditions: Moderately tolerant

Transplants: No

Preferred Growing Conditions: Best grown in rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in part shade. Tolerates full sun only if grown in consistently moist soils. Soil pH affects the flower color (blue in highly acidic soils and lilac to pink in slightly acidic to alkaline soils).

Tree & Plant Care: Add aluminum sulfate to the soil to make the flowers bluer or add lime to the soil to make the flowers pinker. Begin soil treatments well in advance of flowering, as in late autumn or early spring. Plants generally need little pruning. If needed, prune immediately after flowering by cutting back flowering stems to a pair of healthy buds. Prune out weak or winter-damaged stems in late winter/early spring. Best to mulch plants year-round with 3" of shredded bark, peat or compost.

Disease, pests, and problems: No serious pests

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Acer rubrum - Red Maple

Family: Sapindaceae - Soapberry

Native region: North America

Landscape uses: Specimen, Shade

Height and Width: 40-60′ Tall 35-45′ Wide

Zones: 3-9

Drought conditions: Intolerant

Transplants: Yes

Preferred Growing Conditions: Easily grown in average, medium to wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Tolerant of a wide range of soils, but prefers moist, slightly acid conditions. Very cold hardy.

Tree & Plant Care: Maples are considered 'bleeders' and are best pruned in early winter or during summer. Red maple does not tolerate heavy pollution.

Disease, pests, and problems: Verticillium wilt (fungus) is a potential problem for maples; maple bladder gall, leaf hoppers. Chlorosis symptoms (pale green leaves with dark green veins) can be a problem in high pH soil and drought conditions.

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Pinus rigida - Pitch Pine

Family: Pinaceae - Pine

Native region: Eastern North America

Landscape uses: Specimen

Height and Width: 20-80′ Tall

Zones: 5-9

Drought conditions: Tolerant

Transplants: Yes

Preferred Growing Conditions: Dry acidic sandy uplands and swamplands.

Tree & Plant Care: Can survive in many poor conditions

Disease, pests, and problems: No serious problems

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Ammophila breviligulata - American Beachgrass

Family: Poaceae - Grass

Native region: Eastern North America

Landscape uses: Dune stabilization, revegetaion

Height and Width: 2.5′ Tall 

Zones: -

Drought conditions: Tolerant

Transplants: No

Preferred Growing Conditions: Grows on beach where there is little water or soil. Can reach below roots and collect water on thick leaves

Tree & Plant Care: Unavailable

Disease, pests, and problems: No serious problems