Provenance is very important whenever considering any tree, or for that matter any plant. Nurseries should know where the trees were raised or the origin of the seed or cultivar. As you may know, most plants evolved over a wide range of conditions, extending not only east to west, but also north to south. It should be logical, that those originating from the southern extant of their range may not be as hardy as those originating from their northern range. Many cultivars are based on local variations within the plant’s population.
While temperature is always a consideration, soil type, moisture regimes, soil structure, environmental exposure, soil nutrients, a soil’s acidity/alkalinity and other factors weigh in heavily as to your success or failure. Swamp loving plants rarely survive atop a gravel hill.
When in doubt, hire a knowledgeable environmental/plant person to help guide your selections. Since 1973, I have been professionally selecting plants for our area and have firsthand knowledge with nearly every reviewed Small Ornamental Tree in this list.
Niwaki is the pruning of trees in the landscape that is reminiscent of bonsai. However, bonsai means dwarfed in a container. Niwaki represents character pruning in the landscape.
For further information Niwaki: Pruning, Training and Shaping Japanese Garden Trees by Jake Hobson ISBN-9780881928358.
Acer buergerianum - Trident Maple from China and Korea slowly matures at about 20-30’ for most specimens. A Light shady to full sun environment is preferred. The new growth is often a rich bronze to purple, maturing to a wonderful smaller glossy dark green in summer. The wonderful exfoliating bark ages to a gray-brown-orange platy, scaly character for wonderful winter interest. While autumn color is wonderfully variable in the yellow, orange and red, it’s handsome later than most other woody ornamentals. Prefers moist well drained acidic soils and once established is remarkably drought tolerant. Many miniature bushy forms are also available.
Cultivars include:
‘Streetwise’ is more reliably burgundy in the autumn and with enhanced exfoliating bark. More lustrous dark green leaves in summer.
‘Goshiki kaede' has striking white and pink irregularly variegated leaves. Otherwise its growth habit is like the species.
‘Small Leaf Variegated' Irregularly white splashing on smaller handsome green leaves give an enhanced airiness to the garden. It is smaller growing than the species and a wonderful form for garden Niwaki.
‘Tancho' The first viewing of this form, I was immediately hooked. The green leaves are smaller than the species. However, a small fraction of the leaf’s surface area and only the borders are rolled up, inward about half-way and not tightly. This exposes a border with the lighter undersurface of the leaves and provides the small tree a great garden presence.
A. campestre - Field Maple from Europe and the Near East slowly matures at about 25-35’. Very clean smaller dark green summer foliage commonly provides a persistent nice golden-yellow color in the autumn. I have seen some autumn colors with handsome brown venation. Very adaptable to most landscape conditions preferring full sun to light shade in alkaline to slightly basic pH soils. Easily pruned and maintained in the landscape.
Cultivars include:
‘Carnival’ is a very slow growing very small form with handsomely white, occasionally blushed pink, border milky green leaves. Evenly moist conditions and light shade is preferred for this bushier growing form. If too hot and or dry, the borders may scorch, and if not severe, it recovers very nicely. While growth reversions to solid green may occur, they are easily pruned out, maintaining the extremely handsome variegated form.
‘Postelense’ is a glorious golden yellow leafed form maturing in the summer to a lighter green. The autumn color is a richer golden yellow. In spring it looks like the whole tree is in yellow flower. It is a bit smaller growing than the species.
‘Pulverulentum' has green leaves sprinkled with irregular and various sized white dots and splashed. I nice form, especially when treated as a garden Niwaki. It may require pruning out of the reversions and is slower going than the species.
‘Queen Elizabeth’ I planted a group of this cultivar in Madison, near Gammon Rd and Old Sack Rd., in hard clay soils, and it convinced me that this cultivar is one tough queen. After 20 years, it has a natural lollipop growth form and has matured out at about 30’. Its bark tissue is wonderfully corky, bubbly and furrowed, providing good winter interest. The autumn color is quite variable with some years showing little and in others, a bright golden yellow. It prefers full sun in almost any soil other than gravel.
‘Royal Ruby’ has wonderful spring growth of ruby red that age to a nice deep green. The leaves are smaller than the species. Autumn leave color is variable.
‘Streetwise’ is a broad columnar form maturing a bit taller, about 40’, than the species.
A. carpinifolium -- Hornbeam Maple Occasionally we are able to offer this maple that has leaves the look like our native Carpinus-Hornbeam. Here in the Midwest, this maple matures to about 25’. Its dark green leaves put on a rich gold-brown autumn display. The smooth gray bark provides good season interest. Hornbeam Maple prefers moist well drained acidic soils in a shady landscape.
Acer caudatum subsp. Ukurunduense--Arahaga Maple is native to Ku rile islands, Korea, SE Siberia and Manchuria. It is a close relative of our native A. spicatum. Maturing to about 30-35’, this open growing maple has attractive vertical spikes of near white flowers. The new branches are attractively blushed red, especially in the winter, and maturing to a wonderful coppery honey color and ultimately to a flaky fissured gray-brown. This maple prefers open forest conditions with well drained soils in a circum-neutral pH. It is very tolerant of a wide range of conditions. The new foliage emerges green with yellow to brown fuzz, tomentose, on the lower surface. Autumn colors are a bright yellow.
A. griseum--Paperbark Maple is one of the prized small trees for the mature landscape, slowly maturing to 20-30 feet high and wide in many years. While Paperbark Maple prefers rich moist well drained soils in a ph range of 6 to nearly 8, it is fairly tolerant of more clay type soils. The foliage is a flat green to bluish-green. Native to open forest environments, the autumn color is highly variable, ranging from spectacular bronze-reds to fire-red and yellows. The rich brown to cinnamon colored bark exfoliates and flakes providing one of the crowing glories of the Paperbark Maple.
Cultivars include:
‘Cinnamon Flake’ is a hybrid A. griseum x A. maximowiczianum. The foliage is darker green and less lobed than the species and the bark tissue exfoliates in smaller strips giving the appearance of cinnamon colored corduroy. It is very handsome.
‘Girard's Hybrid’ is a hybrid Acer griseum x nikoense. It is like the typical Paperbark Maple, but with finer textured dark cinnamon bark.
‘Gingerbread’ is a hybrid Acer griseum x A. nikoense. ‘Gingerbread’ matures in a more upright oval pattern of 25-30 high but only 15-20’ wide. Its bark is similar to ‘Cinnamon Flake’. Autumn colors are more in the orange to red.
‘Sugar Flake’ is a hybrid Acer griseum x A. saccharum (Sugar Maple). This new hybrid shares many aspects of each of its parents including growing larger than Paperbark Maple but not nearly as large as a Sugar Maple. Wonderful autumn colors and exfoliating bark give this 30 to 40 foot tree a nice presence in the landscape.
A. henryi -- Henry’s Maple is an uncommon tri-foliate maple from Central China. Having grown specimens in Madison, WI for over 20 years, Henry’s Maple is an interesting in a number of factors. The new growth emerges brilliant red to purple, maturing to a medium rich green. The bark is a beautiful smooth gray. This maple is one of the latest color-up in the autumn with variable colors ranging for yellow to orange and rich red. While tolerant of many soils, it prefers rich loamy soil in neutral to acidic conditions. It performs best in full open forest conditions.
A. japonicum -- Fullmoon Maple is one of my favorite maples. Having grown this excellent maple in my garden, as the variety Dissectum for nearly 20 years, it never fails to please me. The new growth emerges clothed in silvery hairs amid purple red attractive mini-firework flowers. Its foliage matures to a rich green in 3-6” diameters changes to a bright yellow heavily blushed orange and red in the autumn. A. japonicum is best in open forest to forest edge environments with soil ph in the circum-neutral range. Fullmoon Maple matures in the 10 to 30 foot range, depending upon the cultivar. However, this maple is very easily pruned and shaped and maybe kept considerably smaller. Fullmoon Maple is native to Hokkaido and Honshu Japan.
Cultivars include:
‘Aconitifolium’ is one of the more beautiful forms of Fullmoon Maple. If never pruned, ‘Aconitifoium’ matures in the 15-30’ range after many years. The 4-8” diameter leaves have 7-11 deeply lobed sinuses, and are held in a lax position. Red flowers complement the foliage but are very few in fertile seed set. The autumn color is nearly indescribably beautiful with yellow centers blushing to intense red at the border. Mangificient.
‘Ao Jutan’ is a cascading deciduous 4-6’ high spreader with large green leaves dissected to the petiole and to the leaf-veins. Autumn color is in vibrant shades of gold, orange, red and purple
‘Attaryi’ is very similar to ‘Aconitifolium’ but with larger leaves up to 12” in diameter with the sinuses only to about half-way to the base of the leaf. The autumn color is more maroon.
‘Dissectum’ is the form that I have in my garden. The leaves are very deeply and finely cut to their base rivaling many of the A. palmatum Japanese Maples. Maturing in a more horizontal growth form 6-9’ high by 10-15’ width range, this smaller tree is axial in the mixed perennial garden. Its autumn foliage is carmine red in the veins with yellow on the blades, providing a wonderful pumpkin color. Stake the main branches for increased height.
‘Green Cascade’ is very similar to ‘Dissectum’ except it is smaller in leaf and growth form. ‘Green Cascade’s’ leaves are held a bit more horizontally and are a bit more snowflake-like. ‘Green cascade’ is also more horizontally growing, maturing in the 3-6’ high range. Stake the main branches for increased height.
‘Fairy Light’ is even similar to ‘Green Cascade’ but the foliage is even more finely dissected. Slowly maturing to maybe 10’ high. Stake the main branches for increased height.
‘Itaya’ is typically multistem with larger leaves than the species.
‘Meigetsu’ is a more open form growing to about 30’ high. Its leaves are up to 6” in diameter. The new foliage emerges bronze.
‘Giant Moon’ is a very large leafed from with the new foliage emerging tinged pink and clothed in silvery hairs. ‘Giant Moon’ matures about 25-30’ tall. Autumn colors are in the reds, yellow and oranges.
‘O isami’ or ‘Oh isami’ forms a very open canopy ideally suited for forest dwelling perennials under its canopy. Maturing at 30’ by 30’ its leaves are nearly round, strongly toothed and lobed about halfway to their base. The new foliage emerges soft olive green blushed soft copper-red. Autumn colors are scarlet, gold, yellow and orange.
‘Otaki’ or ‘Ohtaki’ is more shrub-like maturing about 15-20’ tall. ‘Otaki’s leaves rich dark green are closely packed, deeply cleft and toothed on thick short branches. Autumn color is similar to the species.
‘Oregon Fern’ is nearly identical to ‘Green Cascade’ in leaf with the shape of the leaf of `Aconitifolium’. The primary difference is the its sensational ruby-red autumn color.
‘Vitifolium’ is the largest of the cultivars, maturing to nearly40 feet. The new emerging leaves are brightly blushed scarlet rose in the spring with majestic autumn colors in reds, golds & oranges.
‘Wood’s #2’ is also one of the largest leaved Fullmoon Maples. With leaves as large or larger than a x-large hand and wwith the leaves dissected near ¾ to the leaf’s base, this maple puts on a stunning show. ‘Wood’s #2’ with it’s coarsely branched structure casts medium shade, providing excellent contrast to many of the neighboring plants as well as those growing beneath it. Autumn colors are in the reds & golds.
A. maximowiczianum (A. nikoense) -- Nikko Maple slowly matures to about 20-30 feet high. New emerging 3 parted foliage is bronzy maturing to medium green with blue-gray undersides which are thickly felted with stiff silvery gray hairs. Late Autumn colors are glorious yellows, reds and purples, intensifying with time. Native to Northern Honshu Japan and central China, Nikko maple enjoys well-drained, loamy, moist slightly acidic soils. Smooth gray to brownish gray bard compliments the garden.
A. miyabei –Miyabe’s Maple is similar in shape to Sugar Maple but much smaller and with rounded tips. Miyabe’s Maple is one of the few maples that has a milky sap in the leaf stalks. Young leaves are covered in silver hairs, losing them and becoming a matt olive-green upon maturation. Maturing in the Midwest to 30-40 feet, Miyabe’s Maple prefers moist, slightly acidic well drained yet diverse soils. One of the last maples to turn buttercup yellow in the autumn.
A. palmatum -- Japanese Maple – Momiji has more cultivars than nearly any other single species of plant. Well over 500 named cultivars exist for this maple that has been cultivated for more than 1500 years. Momiji has been part of the Japanese culture as shown in Man-Yoshu, published in 614 A. D. In 1695 the first book was published on A. palmatum and its cultivars. Of all of these cultivars, only a few are durable enough to thrive in Madison, WI. The tallest that I have had experience with f. atropurpureum is over 25 feet tall in Monona, WI, making this the ideal smaller tree our landscapes. A. palmatum is native to Japan, Korean and China, and therefore varies significantly in its hardiness. Some cultivars are barely frost hardy while a relative few survive below -20F. A. palmatum is an open forest dweller, preferring partial sunny, light shady conditions with well drained yet moist, humusy rich acidic soils. The summer foliage is translucent, glowing in sunny conditions. Autumn colors vary from purest yellow to orange to pink to red. All are easily pruned, with sterilized tools.
Cultivars include:
forma atropurpureum vary a fair amount in their retention of their burgundy-crimson summer color. Most of the burgundy foliage forms are derived from f. atropurpureum. This is a wonderful small tree with great form and glorious autumn colors in the red, oranges and yellows. ‘Bloodgood’ is one of the most popular burgundy-crimson leaved cultivars in the Midwest. ‘Bloodgood’ was supposedly selected at Bloodgood Nurseries from a seedling of f. atropurpureum in the 1970s. Holding its red to purple-red foliage better throughout the summer is one of the primary reasons for its popularity. Its growth, to over 30’, is more upright than wide spreading with attractive tiers of branches. The brilliant red seed pods add attractive summer color with minimal viable seed. Autumn color is typically a bright crimson.
‘Crimson Queen’ is a wide spreading finely dissected leaf form rarely growing to more than 10 feet tall but 10-15 feet wide with age. The burgundy color of the leaves is maintained all summer and even tolerates full sun, as long as the soil conditions are conducive. Autumn color is deep red aging orange-red.
‘Emperor 1’ is supposedly a cultivar of ‘Bloodgood’ discovered by Richard Wolff of Red Maple Nurs. PA. It leafs out a bit later than ‘Bloodgood’, therefore avoiding late frost. The form is for upright, and holds its summer burgundy color better than ‘Bloodgood’. The foliage is also thinner than ‘Bloodgood’ giving it a more translucent look, but is therefore more easily tattered. ‘Red Emperor’ and ‘Wolf’ are considered to be the same.
‘Inaba shidare’ is similar to ‘Crimson Queen’ with darker deeper purple-red foliage. Autumn colors are more in the brilliant crimson.
‘Moonfire’ is a selection with purple-red selection of f. atropurpureum making it a strong upright grower maturing at about 25’. Autumn colors are in the crimson spectrum.
‘O sakazuki’ is an famous old cultivar maturing at 20-25’ tall. Rich green summer foliage with near black stems enhances the open airiness of this sturdy form. The autumn color rivals nearly anything the landscape in intense translucent crimson. Glorious!
‘Tompenburg’ is a wonderful deeply lobed form with each of the leaf lobes help in a near perfect circle and convex along the leaf’s individual veins, almost forming a round finger. The purple-red leaves are held by red stalks, further enhancing the form. Maturing about 25 feet high 15 feet wide, this strong upright form compliments the garden with Autumn colors in rich crimson.
‘Viridis’ encompasses most any of the finely dissected green leaved palmatum maple. Bright green summer foliage turns gold blushed crimson. ‘Viridis’ matures about 10 feet tall and 10-15’ wide. ‘Ever-red’ is very similar, but with burgundy-red foliage.
A. pensylvanicum – Striped, Moosewood or Goosefoot Maple is native to the rich very moist acidic forests of Northeastern USA, Southern Canada to Minnesota. Moosewood matures to about 30’ or so in most of its native area. Typically, Goosefoot Maple is low branched, thereby providing a secondary canopy in the forest environment.
Ideal in naturalized forest landscapes, where Striped Maple will show off its wonderfully green and near white vertically striped bark tissue. On the current year’s growth, the striped bark turns bright red and gray. Magnificent! Bright green leaves give way to a vibrant yellow autumn colors. It thrives in Madison is supplied with ample moisture.
A. pseudosieboldianum -- Korean or Purplebloom Maple is a wonderful maple native to Korea, China and Manchuria maturing at 20-30 feet tall. Korean Maple prefers open forest environments common in the older parts of our urban areas, with well drained circum-neutral ph humusy soils. Purplebloom Maple has reddish-purple flowers. Autumn colors are in the yellow to orange and reds, very handsome and persistent for weeks.
A. shirasawanum—Shirasawa’ Maple or Fullmoon Maple is one of my favorite maples, thriving in my Madison landscape for about 20 years. Shirasawa honors the famous Japanese landscape artist. Native to the Honshu and Shikoku Island of Japan, this maple slowly matures at about 20-30’ (So far about 10’ tall in my garden). Fullmoon maple prefers slightly circum-neutral pH in humusy moist well-drain soils in open forest environments. It holds its flowers of white petals and red sepals upright along with its seeds, for an interesting look. Spring foliage unfolds yellow-green and matures to horizontally held translucent green leaves, that glow in the sunlight. Autumn colors slowly turn yellow to orange to pumpkin-red. Gorgeous!
Cultivars include:
‘Aureum’ is the cultivar in my garden and pictured on our home page. Growth is like the species, however slower and a bit more bunched. Its spring foliage unfolds in a bright chartreuse-yellow occasionally blushed red, maturing to a wonderful greenish translucent yellow. Watching sun filter through its leaves is awesome. Its autumn colors are coppers, oranges, yellows and reds.
‘Autumn Moon’ is a form of ‘Aureum’ with its newly emerging golden yellow spring foliage blushed with burnt orange-copper and rose. The branches are open tiered, holding the foliage in their best viewing angle. The autumn foliage is rich orange to red. ‘Autumn Moon’ is a bit more site demanding than the species. Soil must be moist and rich along with an open forest environment.
‘Johin’ (Elegant) with its burnish dark coppery red leaves with yellow green veins is a show stopper in the garden. The leaves are dissected midway towards the base of the leaf and slight rolled convex. Autumn colors are in the oranges and reds.
‘Lovett’ leaves and stature are smaller than the species. The leaves are more pointed than the species. The new foliage emerges a lighted green blushed rose. Autumn color is in the oranges and red.
‘Sensu’ (A moving fan) leaves emerge in light yellow-green wonderfully blushed with orange-brown-copper, especially along the margins. The leaves are delicately divided nearly to their base, providing grace and elegance. Maturing to a translucent medium green, the summer leaves give way to pink-red to orange leaves with yellow-green centers.
A. sieboldianum – Siebold’s Maple is very similar to A. pseudosieboldianum but Siebold’s Maple has yellow petaled flowers with red sepals. This wonderful maple has bright green leaves on a 25-35’ mature single to multi-trunked tree. Native to Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, Japan, its new leaves unfold reddish pink with a soft silvery down on ruddy colored stems. Siebold’s Maple prefers moist well-drained rich forest type soil with ph in the circum-neutral range. Autumn colors are typically brilliant scarlet.
Cultivars include:
‘Sode no uchi’ is a wonderful dwarf form in its foliage and structure. Rarely growing more than 10’ ‘Sode no uchi’ is a wonderful form readily adapting to Niwaki. Growth is about 4-6” or so per season. Its medium soft green leaves are about ¾” to 2” in diameter and are held nearly horizontal. Autumn colors are crimson-red to yellow.
A. spicatum – Mountain Maple is native to northern USA and southern Canada, including Wisconsin and northern Minnesota. Growing to 35’ or so, this understory maple has green bark, occasionally striped, and prefers very moist humusy well-drained forest soils and environments; ideal in rain garden areas. The new foliage is blushed a rich red and matures to a dark yellowish-green. Autumn gives way to yellow, orange with red. Mountain Maple is a wonderful native.
A. tataricum spp. ginnala -- Amur Maple is from Central and Northern China, Manchuria & Japan and enjoys our northern climates. Depending upon cultivar, Amur Maple is highly variable and matures from 6’ x 6’ to 25’ x 10’ to 25 to 30’ high.
Amur Maple is tolerant of most soil conditions including a good tolerance of acidity/alkalinity, making it a good candidate for newly landscaped sites, varying from full sun to medium shade. Autumn color is highly variable but typically in the fiery reds, oranges, golds, and yellows, and best in full sun. Flowers are nicely fragrant. Amur Maple is extremely tolerant of pruning with many of the bushy taxa being able to be pruned into interesting Niwaki forms.
Some tree form cultivars include:
‘Beethovan’ is a wonderful tightly branched columnar form maturing at 20-25’ high by 10-15’ wide making it ideal along lot lines and other tight locations. Creamy-white fragrant flowers, bright red samaras, glossy deep green summer foliage and gold to red autumn colors, makes this a good choice for the landscape.
‘Mozart’ is just like ‘Beethovan’ but wider growing. ‘Mozart’ matures 20-25’ by 15-20’ wide.
‘Red Rhapsody’ matures 25-30’ high and wide, a bit smaller in height if allow to be a multi-trunk specimen. ‘Red Rhapsody’ has glossy green summer foliage and great autumn red foliage.
A. tegmentosum -- Manchustriped Maple is native to China, Manchuria, Korea and Russia. The new foliage unfolds a lighter green maturing to a medium green with a slight bluish cast. A. tegmentosum prefers forest environment with moist humusy rich soils with a more acidic ph. Manchustriped Maple’s new branches are covered in a silvery waxy bloom which it losses as it mature slowly to about 35’. Its autumn color is golden yellow.
Cultivars include:
‘White Tigress’ is a hybrid between A. tegmentosum and another maple. Never-the-less, it is a magnificent striped maple with large leaves and green bark striped near white. ‘White Tigress’ has wonderful yellow foliage in the autumn.
‘Wilson’ Leaves are larger than the species
A. triflorum--Three-Flowered Maple is named for its flowers occurring in clusters of three. Native to Northern China, Manchuria and Korea, this hardy tree matures out about 35-40 feet. The Three-Flowered Maple’s spring leaves emerge blushed coral rose and mature to a leathery rich green. The bark tissue exfoliates in vertical scales of reddish gold to golden butterscotch brown. Outstanding! Autumn colors vary with rich reds, salmons, yellows and oranges. It’s always a pleasure in the landscape.
A. tschonoskii spp. koreanum – is native to the Sorak Mountains in northeastern South Korea. Maturing to about 30-35 feet, this maple has reddish bark with yellow-green stripes in the summer turning coral red in the winter. It’s stunning on the younger branches. Tschonoski Maple prefers moist well drained soils in a circum-neutral pH. Autumn color arrives late in yellows, oranges and occasional blushes of red.
Aesculus pavia – Red Buckeye is a small tree maturing to about 20-35’high. Red Buckeye has very handsome lustrous dark green palmately compound up to 12” in diameter. Tolerant of many soils, but prefers moist, well-drained, circum-neutral pH conditions in open forested light to medium shady conditions. Red Buckeye in not prove to the severe mildew infections that afflict many other Aesculus species. In May, the Red Buckeye radiates with panicles up to 8” high and 3” wide of masses of red flowers. Stunning! Autumn colors are minimal. It is native from Pennsylvania to Illinois and southeastern USA.
Amelanchier arborea—Downy Serviceberry, amongst many common names, is native to most of the Eastern US. Maturing to about 25-35’ in height with many of the cultivars being selected for not only their flowering, leaf color, growth structure but commonly for their Autumn coloration. Amelanchier are one of our first trees to bloom in the landscape with white sweet to faintly malodorous pendulous racemes. The fruits mature from a green to red to purplish black and are delicious for both human and many other forms of wildlife. Preferring open or forest edge habitats, most Amelanchier prefer moist, well drained, acidic pH forest type soils. Even though Amelanchier are prone to numerous pests and diseases, they are very popular in the landscape. Fire blight is a problem and should be pruned out with a sterilized pruner/saw as soon as it’s manifested.
A. laevis –Allegheny Serviceberry is a very close relative of A. arbores but differs with the new foliage emerging with a bronzy color, darker and sweeter fruit and other minor differences. It hybridizes readily with A. arborea forming Amelanchier x grandiflora – Apple Serviceberry. The following list of cultivars, with various parentage, is just a few of the 30 or more that may be found in commerce. Many cultivars are shrubs and not tree forming.
Cultivars include:
‘Autumn Brilliance’ is one of my favorites either as a multi-trunked or single trunked 20-25’ tree. Floriferous, disease resistant foliage, delicious fruits and excellent red, yellow and coppery autumn colors make this a standout.
‘Cole’ is a handsome tree form with exceptional orange-red autumn color and improved glossier foliage.
‘Cumulus’ grows to about 30’ tall with fleecy white flowers and more bright yellow to orange-scarlet autumn colors.
‘Rainbow Pillar’ is typically a columnar multi-trunked form maturing in the 25-30’ range. White flowers with bright green, mildew resistant foliage, that turns on autumn with a bright rainbow of yellow, orange and red.
Betula nigra – River Birch is one of the largest and longest lived birches, maturing out at more than 70 feet high and wide. Native to Wisconsin and the eastern USA, River Birch prefers moist to river bottom soils with an acidic pH. While tolerant of other conditions, it is intolerant of alkaline conditions. This is one of the most trouble free birches for our landscape. Rich green leaves give way to clean bright yellow autumn colors. River Birch’s bark tissue is one of its very fine attributes peeling and exfoliating into creamy to brown papery sheets revealing white, caramel and salmon colored smooth bark. While a few cultivars exist as large trees, only a few are dwarf.
Cultivars include:
‘Shiloh Splash’ matures to a 15-20’ high small tree. Its leaves emerge bronze-pink-green and mature to clean crisp green centers and white margins; excellent peeling bark, makes it a standout in the garden. Solid green revisions will need to be removed, but on a small tree, this is fairly easy. Yellow autumn colors with creamy yellow border. It enjoys moisture so it is ideal in rain gardens and similar conditions.
‘Tecumseh Compact’ is nice compact form of the species maturing to about 30’ or so with excellent peeling bark.
C. caroliniana-- American Hornbeam, Ironwood, Musclewood is native to much of Eastern USA and the Southern areas of Canada. Slowly maturing in the 30-40’ range, this handsome tree has smooth gray fluted bark, hence its common names. New growth emerges bronze-purplish-red and matures to a lustrous dark green and intimately to a nice yellow, red, orange and even purplish been in the Autumn. Flowers with one bract, pendulous green catkins resembling hop flowers. While not very showy, they are unique and therefore interesting. C. caroliniana prefers deep, rich, moist and slightly acidic soils in full sun to forest shady locations. Ironwood is wonderful native plant. A few cultivars are beginning to make it onto the market, but uncommonly available.
Cultivars include:
‘Palisade’ a tight columnar form with dark green foliage and good autumn color 30’ tall or so but only 15’ wide. ‘Palisade is ideal for narrow locations.
‘Schmidt #6’ is a horrible name for a fine cultivar with an excellent habit, and bright red autumn color.
C. japonica – Japanese Hornbeam matures about 20-30’. The handsome foliage unfolds like origami pleats, to a rich green culminating in yellow blushed red autumn colors. Bark is thinly furrowed and scaly. Typically Japanese hornbeam forms a multi-stemmed wonderful small canopied tree. It is best grown in rich moist soils, however quite tolerant of poorer soils as long as it is moist and drains well in open forest type conditions.
Cercis canadensis – Red Bud is one of the spring delights in our landscape. To enjoy this fine small tree maturing to 20-30’ high and wide, one should acquire stock grown from either from Columbus, WI or the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum see stock. The seed trees at the MN Landscape Arboretum originated in Columbus, WI. While Cercis is not a long lived tree, about 15-25 years, is certainly provides years of quality color, structure and form for the landscape. Redbud flowers are born in tight fascicled or racemosa clusters right off the branches or even quite old trunks. The cauliflower appearing clusters outline the branches providing a very unique display. Seed pod production is variable with some years the tree being adorned with the flat 2-3” long x ½” wide flat pods. Preferring well-drain moist soils, but Cercis is quite adaptable except to wet conditions. It tolerates a wide range in pH and full sun to light shade. Autumn colors are in the bright yellow to muddy yellow, depending upon season and strain. Prone to co-dominant and bark inclusions, early health and structure pruning is highly recommended. Cercis is ideal in the established and naturalized landscapes.
Cultivars include:
‘Alba’ (forma alba) is a white flowering form. The dark gray to blackish limbs and the closely held white flowers provide a distinctive look in the spring. ‘Royal White’ is a fine larger blooming white flowering selection originating from the open Illinois plains in Bluffs, IL.
Columbus Strain are raised from seed originating in Columbus, WI. Maturing at closer to 20-25’ high and wide, these strains are ideally suited to our gardens. Flowers are slightly smaller than the southern non-hardy cultivars.
Covey ‘Lavender Twist’ was discovered growing at Connie Covey, garden in Westfield, NY. This is a great weeping form. The 30 year old parent plant is about 5’ high. However, you may stake it to whatever high you desire.
‘Forest Pansy’ is being widely sold but not by us. Originally I planted one in McFarland, one in Madison, and one in Token Creek in the 1980s. Within a few years they were all dead. However, there is a fine plant at the Chapel next to James Madison Park that has been thriving for years. Go figure!
‘Hearts of Gold’ is a chartreuse leafed form with flowers like the species. The new foliage emerges yellow with a tint or red-purple, maturing to pure chartreuse yellow and gradually to a bright summer green. Stunning! It matures more at the 20’ range.
Minnesota Strain or ‘Northland Strain’ is a cold hardy seed-produced strain growing for many years at the U of MN. It supposedly originated from seed collected in Columbus, WI.
Chionanthus retusus -- Chinese Fringetree is a fine relative of our native Fringe Tree. C. retusus matures to about 25’ with peeling or ridged-furrowed handsome bark. The one in my landscape peels with caramel colored tones. Lustrous leathery green leaves are held until the bitter end with soft yellow autumn color. The white flowers are born more erect than C. virginicus and are also more delicate. Small ½” dark blue fruits are born on the female trees and ripen in late summer or early autumn and are relished by birds and other wildlife. Chinese Fringetree prefers rich moist well drained soils with near neutral pH. The one in my garden is on the north corner of my home and is unfazed with winter temperatures for nearly the past 10 years. It comes from the northern provenance of China as typified by its longer pointed leaf and exfoliating trunk form. Cultivars are beginning to show up but are very uncommon at this time.
C. virginicus -- Fringe Tree is native to the eastern US from New Jersey to Texas. While native to the south east, our native Fringe Tree is fully hardy in the MN Landscape Arb. Slowly maturing to 10-20 or more in the landscape, Fringetree is ideal for the small residential garden with its open architecture. White fragrant dangling skinny ¾ to 1¼ in long by 1/12” wide petals provide a fleecy soft texture to the May garden. Stunning! The green leaves begin to emerge just as the flowers fade, maturing into vibrant green simple foliage. Autumn color is a translucent yellow to butterscotch yellow. Fruits, on the female trees, are a dark blue 1/2” or so egg-shaped ‘plum’. These provide great avian fodder. Provide full sun to partial shade in well drained fertile acidic soils for optimum growth, however, it is extremely adaptive except to extreme soil conditions.
Cultivars include:
‘Black Stem’ is a wonderful cultivar with larger glossier lustrous green leaves and longer wider flowers. The bark tissue is more caramel colored with the newer stems being nearly black. This could be another name for ‘Prodigy’.
Cornus alternifolia -- Pagoda Dogwood is another fine Wisconsin native arborescent shrub. Maturing out at 15-25’ high and 15-20’ wide with each iteration or trunk living about 15-20 years before canker invades and kills the older trunks. The plant commonly produces replacement trunks to provide many more years of delight. With its sympodial growth pattern and fine horizontal branching habit, Pagoda Dogwood is appropriately named. New stems are typically shiny chestnut colored with the newly emerging leaves blushed with purple. The very fragrant creamy white flowers bloom in May or Early June in terminal flat-headed upright cymes, reminiscent of Queen Ann’s Lace. These are followed by green aging to red and finally bluish black ¼” or so berries with pinkish red stems. They are a bird’s delight. Autumn colors are quite variable and range from reddish-purple on the outer leaves with golden yellow on the interior ones. I have also seen autumn colors of apricot blushed red. Our Pagoda Dogwood is tolerant of almost any of our soils except extreme wet or dry conditions in sun or full deciduous native shade.
Cultivars include:
‘Argentea’ is truly a wonderful site to see. The leaves are much smaller with bold undulating margins of white with centers of milky green, occasionally blushed red or pink when young. Multi-tiered growth provides a perfect foil for these delicate leaves. Flowers are white and much smaller than the species. Berries are not commonly produced. It is slower growing and prefers well-drained rich soils. ‘Argentea’ is a stunning site in the garden.
‘Golden Shadows’ was discovered by Walter Stackman on a branch of a dogwood growing next to his deck in Illinois. How fortunate he saved it. While growth and its leaves are like the species in size, the new leaves emerge yellow with a blush of red, maturing to cream, yellow and green. Very handsome! Some sun and good growing conditions provide the best coloration and form.
C. asperifolia var. drummondii – Roughleaf Dogwood is a little known Midwestern native 15-30’ tree, tolerant of most or our soils except poorly drain wet or drought conditions. Flowering during June & July with small four petaled white flowers born in loose heads atop rich green rough textured foliage, this dogwood may be seen growing along the shady borders of our forests. Its autumn berries are beloved by numerous birds. Trained as a tree, our Roughleaf Dogwood is a tough small tree for the residential garden.
Cultivars include:
‘Lemon Drops’ is a wonderful tree form with creamy yellow flowers, yellow fruit and dark green foliage.
C. florida –Flowering Dogwood is considered by many to be the premiere small tree for the residential landscape. This tree is native to the E. USA except Wisconsin. Go figure. Growing to 20-40’ high and sometimes greater in width in its native haunts, this tree doesn’t grow to that size in Madison. The oldest tree that I know of in Madison is about 15’ high and just under 20’ wide. C. florida prefers moist well-drained acidic cool humus rich soils in open forest conditions. Poor health and diseases are the bane of those being grown in less than quality environments. The long lived mid-spring 4 white bracts are the main show with the flowers being tiny greenish yellow in their centers. Each bract is pinched at its tip giving the bract a lobed outer margin. The simple elegant green leaves emerge as the bracts begin to fade. Autumn colors are red to reddish-purple. Late frosts may damage the bracts, resulting in two bracts or bractless flowers. Simply a wonderful garden tree if you have the correct conditions. There are many cultivars, but alas, few are tolerant of our Wisconsin low temperatures, as the spring blooming flowers are formed before the onset of winter. So, conditions in summer and autumn of the previous year and winter’s climate all come to bear on its ability to glorify our landscapes.
Cultivars include:
‘Spring Grove’ is white with bud hardiness about -26F.
‘Prairie Pink’ has pale pink blushed on white flowers from Kansas. Supposedly bud hardy to -22F.
C. kousa var. chinensis -- Kousa Dogwood is a wonderful small tree for our area. Blooming in June with wonder four pointed 3-4” diameter long lasting bract flowers in white or pale pink, Kousa Dogwood brightens up the landscape. Varieties originating from the chinensis group seem to be a bit hardier in our area. Kousa Dogwood matures out at about 20-30’ in our area with glorious multi-colored tan-brown-gray exfoliating bark. This dogwood prefers sunny to light to moderately shady locations and well drained yet moist soils with circum-neutral pH. Pinkish red edible (I don’t care for them) fruits up to 1” in diameter are produced in late summer and are quite handsome but may be messy if planted near walkways. Rarely do the seeds produce off spring in our area. Summer foliage is dark green, however occasionally some variations may occur with blushes of red or gold. Autumn color is yellow to red and all colors in between. Marvelous! Many cultivars are on the market and vary in their bud hardiness. The following are those I have had experience with.
Cultivars include:
‘Avalanche’ is just like the species but with supposed bud hardiness to -30F
‘Milky Way’ is one of the older cultivars on the market. It is marked by its increased floriferous habit. Since ‘Milky Way’ is not a true cultivar but represented by approximately 15 different clones, variability is inevitable. However, with this being the case, they still seem to be all very floriferous and excellent trees.
‘Galilean’ is characterized by larger dark green leaves, bright white large flowers and red fruits. It also has improved winter hardiness.
‘Heart Throb’ see ‘Miss Satomi’
‘Prophet’ has starry-shaped creamy white numerous flowers on a more upright tree.
‘Rosabella’ see ‘Heart Throb’
‘Miss Satomi’ is a larger flowered, up to 4”, form with deeper red flowers and brilliant red foliage. I started ‘Miss Satomi’ in my garden nearly 20 years ago as a 12” sapling. Once it reached flowering age, if has yet to fail to impress me with its summer flowers, autumn foliage and more recently, with its maturing exfoliating bark. ‘Heart Throb’ and ‘Rosabella’, according to Michael Dirr, may be the same.
‘Samaritan’ touts milky green centers with cream-white margins. They leaves are more folded than the species. Slow growing form with a vase-shaped habit. ‘Samaritan’ should be planted in some shade along with good moisture.
‘Wolf Eyes’ is similar to ‘Samaritan’ but it’s more compact and slower maturing more in the 6-10’ range. Its autumn color is pinker to red.
xrutgersensis is a group of hybrids between Cornus florida, C. kousa and C. nuttalli. My experience as not been good in our area. I any of you have any of these hybrids thriving in our area, please let me know.
C. mas – Cornelcherry Dogwood is a wonderful smaller and usually multi-stemmed (although it is easily shaped to a single trunk) tree maturing to about 25’ high. Experiencing it glorious yellow ¾” diameter tufts of flowers on leafless branches in Late March or Early April is a stunning site. Bright red fruits adobe the tree in mid-summer, and when they are slightly to somewhat soft (before this, they are not ripe, acidic and sour) are particularly delicious fresh and may be used in preserves and the like. Dark green somewhat glossy summer foliage commonly gives way to yellow blushed purplish red autumn foliage. C. mas is tolerant and adaptable to many soil types, pH, but prefers well drained mediums. Full sun to partial shade C. mas is comfortable in nearly any landscape.
Cultivars include:
‘Aureoelegantissima’ (‘Elegantissima’) is a very slow growing form with yellow borders on green leaves.
‘Flava’ is a yellow-fruited form with sweeter and larger fruits. Very tasty!
‘Golden Glory’ is a more upright form with abundant flowers.
‘Redstone’ was selected for heavy fruit production and improved disease and insect resistance. Since the species is very pest-free, I am not sure if this is a significant improvement in our area. Variation has been noted in this cultivar due to it being raised from seed.
‘Variegata’ is a very slow growing form with stunning irregular creamy-white margined medium green leaves. It prefers a bit more moisture and better soils.
C. officinalis – Japanese Cornelcherry is a close relative to C. mas sharing many of its fine attributes. C. officinalis blooms a bit earlier with more flowers and with its not as tasty fruits ripening a bit later. Its exfoliating bark is a bit more handsome with richer grays, browns and oranges. Other factors and growing conditions are the same as C. mas.
C. racemosa – Gray Dogwood is represented by a number of tree forming cultivars that are very handsome. Gray dogwood matures to about 15’ with dull gray-green to dark green summer foliage aging to purple with its interior yellow autumn leaves. Most of the shrub forms form suckering colonies so selection is critical. Very tolerant of almost any soil conditions and thriving in full sun to even deep shade, Gray Dogwood has a wide landscape use. Creamy white heads of flowers born in L. May or E. June are followed by white/bluish-white berries on reddish pink to orangish pedicels that a relished by 100s of birds.
Tree cultivars include:
‘Snow Mantle’ (‘Jade’) has rich deep blue-green disease resistant foliage that turns handsomely purple in the autumn. It is a heavy flowering and fruiting form with bluish-white berries and glow in the evening light.
Cotinus obovatus – American Smoketree is a wonderful native tree to Tennessee, Alabama, and Edwards Plateau of Texas. American Smoketree matures at about 30’ high with the record being 59’ in Warren, TN. One of the oldest specimen I know of in Madison is found on a homestead on the near southwest area of Madison, approximately 90 years old and about 25-30’ tall. Magnificent! The bluish dark green foliage turns magnificent yellow, orange, red to purple and every shade in between. Dioecious late Spring - early Summer flowers are hairy inflorescences giving the appearance of red-purple blushed smoke. Very tolerant of soils, even gravely types, provided they are well drained, they hate heavier wet soils. pH tolerant in sunny conditions.
Cultivars include:
‘Flame’ is a hybrid between this and C. coggygria. ‘Flame’ has pink flowers and brilliant orange red autumn coloration.
‘Grace’ is another hybrid with C. coggygria. ‘Grace’ has massive up to 14” high x 11” wide ‘smokes’ on 20-25’ trees. The leaves emerge light red-purple aging to a blue-green. Its autumn foliage glows with red, orange & yellow.
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