Green Thumb Corner

The Okame Cherry tree, Prunus Okame, is one of the earliest of the flowering cherries. Its carmine-pink petals, with rose-red calyx and reddish flower stalks, open fully before leaf break. It has a very consistent year-to-year blooming habit. The rosy

The Cherry, Sargent, Prunus sargentii, is not only the hardiest of the ornamental cherry trees, but also one of the largest and most beautiful. The tree's abundant spring flowers are deep pink and appear a week or so before most double-flowering cherries. Black fruits, beloved by birds, appear in summer. The Sargent cherry tree has polished, chestnut-brown bark and dark green deciduous leaves that turn red in fall. Plant Sargent in full sun in well-drained soil. It is not difficult to transplant, and lives longer than other cherry trees, sometimes more than 50 years. Cherry trees can be used as specimens and shade trees on larger properties.

The Gourmet Dwarf produces medium sized fruit that is greenish yellow to yellow in color. It has a thick but tender skin. The flesh is yellowish, crisp juicy and very sweet. It is a perfect pear to serve for dessert. The 'Gourmet' is pollen sterile, which means that it cannot be used to pollinate a second pear tree. The Gourmet trees are upright and medium in size.

The Pear, Kieffer, Pyrus communis, has a crisp, juicy, white flesh that has a coarse texture. It is a consistent, heavy bearer that ripens late September-October, and it is highly resistant to fire blight. Kieffer Pear is very hardy and tolerates hot climates. It is a medium to large rich-yellow pear, and since the pulp of the Keiffer pear is rather coarse and hard, it is preferable for pear preserves, and freshly cooked pear sauce. Fruit should be picked hard-ripe and allowed to reach its flavor peak stored in a cool place. Kieffer Pear trees are easy to grow, and adapt to most conditions.

The Pear, Orient, Pyrus communis, is good for cooking as well as having great landscape value as a flowering spring tree. The trees grow huge, as do the fruits. The Orient pear ripens in August, having the reputation of being the heaviest bearing pear tree. The Orient pear tree is very large in tree size and usually grows 20 feet tall in standard sizes. Pears have shiny deep green leaves offering summer shade and are covered with white blossoms in the spring. Well-drained sandy loam soils are preferred, but pears will grow on many soil types if good drainage is provided. Pears will grow more vigorously and produce more fruit in full sun.

The Crimson King Maple, 'Acer platanoides' 'Crimson King', is a red-leaved cultivar of the Norway Maple and it is noted for its rich maroon leaves throughout the summer. The Crimson King grows best in a well drained area and is very tolerant of drought and urban pollutants. It often used as a specimen tree for the landscape and it provides dense shade.The smooth bark, straight trunk, and strong branching, provide for nice winter interest. This tree is easily transplanted and is adapted to a wide variety of soils including alkaline, sand, clay and acid soils. Uses include bonsai, medium sized parking lot islands, median strip plantings, and residential shade and street tree.

The Sherwood Moss Arborvitae, Thuja occidentalis 'Sherwood Moss', is a dwarf, cone-shaped Arborvitae with unusual soft, feathery foliage. It requires sun and deep, well-drained soil. The unique texture makes this a very unusual variegated plant that shines in winter with its bronze winter color. It is not a globe, not a pyramid, but a well shaped mound that has no equal. Arborvitae is one of the most versatile, easy-to-grow evergreens suited to cold, northern landscapes. They are often used as specimen plants, hedges, foundation plantings and windbreaks. Arborvitaes are highly adaptable plants.>/p>

The Teddy Arborvitae, Thuja occidentalis 'Teddy', is a tiny, globe-shaped evergreen with finely textured, almost feathery foliage. The blue-green needles take on a bronze tint in winter. It is a loveable, huggable dwarf globe with soft juvenile foliage. The foliage is so soft, it almost feels like fur! Gently shear for perfect spheres to look its best, or allow it to mature naturally into an oval shape. It requires full sun to partial shade, and it is best to follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. This arborvitae lends itself well as an easy care plant that can be used as an accent plant in borders, containers or rock gardens. It is also deer resistant.

The Prairie Dream® Paper Birch, Betula papyrifera 'Varen' (PP15,768), is a beautiful, stress-tolerant selection from North Dakota. The snow white bark exfoliates with age, adding a great deal of winter interest. It displays an attractive, bright golden-yellow autumn color. It is resistant to bronze birch borer. Prairie Dream has a semi-pyramidal to upright-oval growth habit, becoming broadly-oval with age. This deciduous birch is easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. This easy to grow tree will add color and interest to any yard. This is a clump version of the tree.

The Sugar Tyme® Crabapple, Malus 'Sutyzam' (PP7,062), is a disease resistant crabapple that was a 1999 Michigan Growers' Choice Award winner. It has crisp green foliage and pale buds that open to masses of gorgeous, fragrant flowers snowy flowers in May, which completely cover the tree. The Sugar Tyme Crabapple has large, deep red berries that ripen in fall and persist through winter. Vigorous and very disease-resistant, it forms an upright, oval shape and is a bit smaller than some other flowering crabs. Sugar Tyme is spectacular in the landscape since the rich red fruits remain on the tree all year. This tree does well in most soil, but will be more attractive if fed peat and compost.

The Autumn Blaze Pear, 'Pyrus calleryana 'Autumn Blaze', is a cultivar with a distinct beautiful rounded, spreading habit that distinguishes it from other pears. The most cold hardy of the Calleryana cultivars, it has white flowers in spring, dark glossy foliage, and brilliant red fall color. Autumn Blaze's spectacular crimson fall color defoliates by mid-October, allowing Autumn transplanting. It prefers moist, well-drained soils of average fertility in full sun, but is adaptable to poor soils, compacted soils, dry soils, and heat. Its round pome fruit is not ornamentally significant and is covered in russet dots that are olive-brown to tan color. This three season tree (spring flowers, fall color and unique winter habit) is used for a great specimen street tree, excellent for small residential landscapes, a screen, or for mass groupings.

The Blue Nest Spruce, Picea mariana 'Nana', is a slow growing, dwarf, globe-shaped evergreen with blue-green foliage and a dense compact habit. It is an excellent specimen for the landscape or rock garden, so Blue Nest would be a standout your rock garden. This dwarf plant displays an attractive broad dense globe of blue-gray needles and requires practically no maintenance. It is also great in shrub borders. The Blue Nest Spruce prefers a sunny location and a well-drained soil, but can tolerate poor soil. This is an excellent plant for adding structure, color and texture to your yard or garden. It attracts wildlife and is deer resistant.