Juglans nigra (Black Walnut) Photo: F.D.Richards, SE Michigan, 4/2021 - Black Walnut, Mature size: 75x75', Green, USDA Hardiness Zone 4, In Garden Bed K1* for 24.0 YEARS (Native). Planted in 1997.

Missouri Botanical Garden: Juglans nigra, commonly called black walnut, is a large deciduous tree typically growing 75-100' (less frequently to 125') tall with and an oval to rounded crown. Mature trees characteristically have long trunks, often with an absence of lower branching. Fissured, sharply ridged, dark gray-black bark forms diamond patterns. Black walnut is native from Massachusetts through southern Ontario to South Dakota south to Florida and Texas. In Missouri, it typically occurs in rich woods, in valleys along streams and in open upland woods throughout the state (Steyermark). Features odd-pinnate compound leaves (to 24" long), each with 13-23 oblong to lanceolate leaflets. The terminal leaflet is often missing. Leaves are late to emerge in spring and early to drop in fall. Leaves are strongly aromatic when crushed. Fall color is an undistinguished yellow. Yellow green monoecious flowers appear in late spring (May-June), the male flowers in drooping hairy catkins and the female flowers in short terminal spikes. Female flowers give way to edible nuts, each being encased in a yellow-green husk. Nuts mature in autumn, falling to the ground where the husks blacken as they rot away. Kernels are edible but hard to extract. Black walnuts are harvested for commercial sale. The wood from this tree is highly valued for a number of commercial uses including cabinets, furniture, gunstocks and fine veneers. It is perhaps the best furniture wood available from any native American tree. Overharvesting of trees for the wood has greatly reduced the native populations in the wild. Native Americans used the nuts for food and boiled the tree sap for syrup. They also reportedly threw the husks into ponds to poison fish, making them easier to catch.

Black walnut roots produce chemicals called juglones which are very toxic to certain other plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons, blueberries, peonies and solanaceous crops (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes). Most of the toxicity is limited to within the drip line of the tree, but the area of toxicity typically increases outward as the tree matures.

Additional photos of this plant from 2015, 18, 21:

https://www.flickr.com/search/...

Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea 'Rose Glow' 4/2021 Barberry- () Japanese Barberry, Mature size: 2', red leaves, USDA Hardiness Zone 4, Michigan Bloom Month 4-5, In Garden Bed S2,3b for 24.0 YEARS (Lowes?). Planted in 1997.

Missouri Botanical Garden: 'Rose Glow' is a dense, deciduous cultivar which grows 3'-6' tall. First leaves are purple, but new shoots emerge as a rose-pink mottled with bronzish to purplish red splotches. Leaves are of variable sizes (.50" to 1.25" long). Many branched, reddish-brown stems have sharp thorns. Tiny, yellowish flowers appear in late April to early May, but are often hidden by the foliage and are not considered showy. Bead-like, bright red berries form in fall and often last through the winter. The berries are attractive to birds.

Severe trim 10/15/2018. Found tag. Growing back nicely in 2019.

Photo by F.D.Richards, SE Michigan. Additional photos of this plant from 2015, 17, 19, 21:

https://www.flickr.com/search/...

Striking shrub!

Planted lots of trees and shrubs over the years.

Early bloomer...

Viburnum carlesii 4/2021 Koreanspice Viburnum- () Koreanspice Viburnum, Mature size: 8x5, White, USDA Hardiness Zone 3, Michigan Bloom Month 5a, In Garden Bed j2,10 for 6.8 YEARS (Lowes,). Planted in 2014.

Missouri Botanical Garden: Viburnum carlesii commonly called Koreanspice viburnum is a slow-growing, upright, rounded, deciduous shrub which typically matures to 4-5' tall but may reach a height of 8' in optimum growing conditions. Red buds open in late March/early April to pink-changing-to-white flowers which are arranged in snowball-like clusters (hemispherical cymes) to 3" across. Flowers are very fragrant. Flowers give way to non-showy, berry-like drupes which mature to blue-black in late summer. Broad ovate, serrate, dark green leaves (to 4" long) are infrequently flushed with copper. Foliage usually turns dull red in fall, but may sometimes display attractive shades of wine-red to burgundy.

Specific epithet honors William Richard Carles (c. 1867-1900) of the British consular service in China who collected plants in Korea.

Photo by F.D.Richards, SE Michigan. Additional photos of this plant from 2017, 18, 19, 21:

https://www.flickr.com/search/...

Viburburnum.. one of my favorites, the color combo is quite striking.
Viburnum, cherry, and Stella magnolias

Cercis canadensis 'Little Woody' 5/2021 Redbud- (Woody, Paul Buddy Ewing, 1821 Indian Trails, Morganton, NC, US) Dwarf Eastern Redbud, Mature size: 10x8', tiny, purplish, pea-like flowers, USDA Hardiness Zone 5, Michigan Bloom Month 5a-, In Garden Bed H1,4c for 6.8 YEARS (Duvall). Planted in 2014.

Missouri Botanical Garden: 'Little Woody' is a dwarf, vase-shaped cultivar that typically matures to 10-12' tall and to 8-10' wide. It is distinguished by its dwarf habit, vase shape and small heart-shaped leaves. It requires no pruning to maintain its vase shape. Clusters of tiny, purplish, pea-like flowers bloom for 2-3 weeks in early spring (March-April) before the foliage emerges. Thick, rounded, ovate-cordate leaves (to 2.4" long and 2.8" wide) are dull green in summer but turn yellow in fall. Fruit/seeds are rarely produced. 'Little Woody' was selected in 2000 by Paul Woody from a mass planting of Cercis canadensis at Morganton, North Carolina. U.S. Plant Patent PP15,854 was issued on July 12, 2005.

Not much in the way of flowers in 2015 or 2016. Purchased from Propagator Andy Duvall in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

2020 note: about 7 feet tall and wide. Very little flowering in the spring like other redwoods.

Photo by F.D.Richards, SE Michigan. Additional photos of this plant from 2014, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21:

https://www.flickr.com/search/...

BB Code:

Pistachia chinensis
#1 full tree in fall color
#2 spring flowers are forgettable
#3 but the tree shows off in the fall
#4 fruit in the fall
#5 fruit

Aesculus x carnea Ft McNair
A medium sized tree with beautiful pink bloom in spring

Broussenetia papyrifera
A golden-leafed deciduous tree with fascinating sculptured leaves
Forgettable flowers.
Interesting striped bark.
Hardy in Zone 6.
Makes a nice foliar contrast to a red Japanese maple.

Is it a mulberry?

It's called 'paper mulberry'.
I'm not sure if it's genetically related or not.

Cladrastis kentukea
Beautiful trailing white flowers in spring

Cladrastis kentukea comes in a pink-flowered version as well.
The cultivar name is 'Perkins Pink'.

Very nice tree... gorgeous blooms.

Picea abies 'Rubra Spicata' 5/2021 Norway- (Sweden 1970s) Red Tipped Norway Spruce, Size at 10 years: 8x3', new foliage scarlet, USDA Hardiness Zone 3, Michigan Bloom Month 5a, In Garden Bed N3,04 O for 6.8 YEARS (Stanley). Planted in 2014.

American Conifer Society: Picea abies 'Rubra Spicata' is a upright-growing, tree form of Norway spruce, growing slightly slower than the type, but otherwise, has species typical structure, branching and foliage with one exception — it's spring flush of new growth is deep scarlet red, later fading to muddy brown, then finally to dark-green. The duration of this summer spring display is entirely weather dependent. If given a cool, damp spring, the red flush will last up to a couple of weeks. If it's hot and sunny, the red lasts for only a couple of days, if that.

After 10 years, a mature specimen will measure 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and 4 feet (1.3 m) wide, an annual growth rate of 6 to 8 inches (15 - 20 cm).

This cultivar originated at some point at the Botanical Garden of Gothenburg, Sweden and first propagated in the early 1970s by Tage Lundell of Helsingborg. Wansdyke Nursery of Devizes, Wilts, United Kingdom is credited with promoted it and widely introducing it to the nursery trade. Unless the cultivar name can be proven to have been published by the Botanical Garden of Gothenburg prior to 1959, it must be considered to be illegitimately named. "Rubra Spicata" translates into "Red Tipped" in the Latin language.

An upright plant with new foliage coming out scarlet, fading to muddy brown, then finally to dark-green. Plant grows about 1 foot a year. Small needles, like orientalis. Planted 2014.

Photo by F.D.Richards, SE Michigan. Additional photos of this plant from 2014, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21:

https://www.flickr.com/search/...

An unappreciated attribute of Picea abies is the sometimes very colorful new cones.
These are the cones of Picea abies Pusch in spring - as pretty as any springtime flower!

Viburnum sargentii Onandaga
Flat flower clusters with fertile white florets surrounding reddish sterile flower buds.
Supposedly doesn't like hot summer climates but does fine here.

Spiraea japonica 'Gold Mound' 5/2021 Japanese Spirea- (Spirea) Japanese Spirea Goldmound, Mature size: 2x3', chartreuse leaves, pink flwr, USDA Hardiness Zone 3, Michigan Bloom Month 6, In Garden Bed Y1 a75 for 21.1 YEARS (Meijer,). Planted in 2000.

North Carolina State University: Goldmound Spirea is a cultivar deciduous shrub in the rose family with characteristically golden colored leaves. It is a hybrid cross between S. japonica 'Alpina' and S. japonica 'Goldflame'. Compact in habit, this shrub boasts showy small pink flowers that appear in late spring and attract butterflies. Plant in the full sun, in moist well-drained soils. It will tolerate very light shade and a wide range of soils but prefers organically rich loams. Prune in the late winter to early spring as flowers appear on new wood.

Its chartreuse leaves make an excellent contrast to other landscape plants and it can be used as a specimen, planted in small groups in a shrub border, along a foundation or as a low hedge. Plant in large containers on a patio or use in a cottage or rock style garden. This plant is resistant to damage by deer. Propagate by dividing the root ball in the spring or fall or by soft wood cuttings in the summer.

Spiraea × bumalda (S. japonica × S. albiflora) Spiraea japonica is one of the parent plants of Spiraea x bumalda. Some of the cultivars noted may be found sold as cultivars of both species.

Photo by F.D.Richards, SE Michigan. Additional photos of this plant from 2013, 15, 20, 21:

https://www.flickr.com/search/...

Lots of trees and shrubs. Thread leaf golden cypress. Arborvitae. Australian pine.