Archive for the ‘Magnolia grandiflora’ Category

Prepare For Storm Damage

A snow/ ice storm is both a beautiful and horrific scene in a landscape. Costly tree/shrub breakage, downed power lines, and subsequent utility shutoffs may be staggering results. Don’t feel powerless! Prepare and take action.  During the storm, do nothing / “hands off”. Working near an active electrical line is deadly. After the storm you should immediately […]

Twenty Highly Dependable Small Landscape Trees

In small landscapes, where growing space is limited, a number of outstanding trees may be planted. Several are also examples of great spring or summer flowering trees. U.S. native species are designated N. Additional landscape traits include: Grow under 30 feet in height and underneath power lines). Winter hardiness across the U.S. (USDA hardiness zones […]

Trees That Age Gracefully

Trees transition from youth (seedling), middle age and old age (maturity) before requiring a chain saw and replacing. Some age gracefully, actually appreciating in $$ value. Many ginkgo, hickory, beeches, sugar maples, and Southern magnolias live 100 years plus. Oaks such as such as white (Q. alba) and live oak (Q. virginiana) mature in majesty  over several hundred years.   It’s […]

Prevent Leaf Burn on Evergreens This Winter

Winter foliage burn on evergreens is often most prevalent on boxwoods (Buxus), hollies (Ilex), rhododendron, and many kinds of conifers. Symptoms often develop when temperatures warm up in late winter and early spring. This type of winter damage is often misdiagnosed as an infectious disease or damage from excessively cold temperatures. Evergreens transpire (lose water […]

Common Street and Landscape Trees

Across the U.S. and Canada, city planners, landscape architects, and property owners now enjoy a wide selection of landscape trees to plant on city streets, along roadsides, and in yards and gardens. Over the past half century new and improved varieties (cultivars) are disease and pest resistant and exhibit better branching and architecture. We now know to avoid […]

Live Cut Foliage And Berries For Home Holiday Decorations

Many conifers make great cuts for indoor and outdoor Christmas decorations. Foliage choices: Eastern red cedar and many other junipers, white pine, Norway spruce, Colorado spruce, Balsam fir, Canadian hemlock, Arizona cypress (and cultivars ‘Carolina Sapphire’ and ‘Blue Ice’),  and False cypresses (C. pisifera). Needle retention varies among species. For example, Norway spruce and balsam […]

How Drought Affects Our Landscape Trees*

Long term drought can be devastating on landscape and woodland trees. An environmentally stressed tree must expend additional energy to survive. Extremes of drought leads to decreases in trunk diameter and height growth, declining resistance to pests and diseases, less food production via photosynthesis, and in flower and fruit production. Symptoms of drought stress include wilted […]

Small Southern Magnolia Cultivars

Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is one of nature’s magnificent landscape trees (USDA hardiness zones 6-9).  This reliable large tree, native to the Southern U.S., is at home in well-drained clay soils and hot summers. The species typically grows to 60-80 feet tall with a pyramidal (young) to a rounded crown (mature tree). It is not uncommon […]

Should You Plant In Fall?

            Should you plant in the Fall? It depends what region you live in, what month in fall, and what species you’re planting. If you live in the mid-Atlantic, coastal New England, or Southeastern U.S., fall is an excellent time to set most hardy plants. Most (not all) trees, shrubs, perennials, […]

Popular Landscape Trees Deer Don’t Like

This title is somewhat misleading. Deer will eat or sample (nibble) on any landscape plant, particularly if they are hungry enough. Deer also do not read lists of plants they’re suppose to leave alone. The following list of deer resistant plants is a sampling from reports across the U.S. It does not include every tree […]