Keep Your Eye on Red Buckeye

Spring blooming Red buckeye

Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) is a large shrub or low branched tree maturing to a 15 - 20 feet in height and spread. This southeastern U. S. native is becoming more recognized as a good selection in small urban landscapes.

The red buckeye tree flowers young, either in full or partial sun. Numerous 5- to 9- inch long floral heads sit at the ends of branches like decorative candles in late April and May. Flowers open just before the leaves begin to emerge. Flower color on individual trees varies from dark pink to scarlet red. A yellow flowering form is known to exist. Hummingbirds arrive to pollinate the individual funnel-shaped blossoms.

Lovely dark green, palmate compound leaves clothe the branches in the spring and early summer months. The polished dark buckeye seeds fall from the tree beginning in late September, quickly grabbed up by squirrels and others. Seeds are poisonous.

Disease and insect problems are of little consequence in the spring and early summer months. Disease blotched foliage that may also be scorched on the edges, the result of dry summers, results in a premature leaf drop by late August and September. Expect little to no autumn foliage color as branches are typically bare.

Diseased Resistant Flowering Dogwoods

'Appalachian Joy' at NC Arboretum, Asheville, NC

Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) is a small spring flowering tree that typically grows 15-30 feet tall. It is generally  low-branching, and with a flat-topped canopy.

This beautiful native tree grows best in a moist well-drained soils in 3/4 day sun to light shade. Maintain a 2-4 inch mulch layer around the tree to keep roots cool and moist. It rarely requires pruning, except to remove a broken or dead limb.

Concerns about planting flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida) have calmed over the years  with the introduction of five disease resistant dogwood varieties from the University of Tennessee. Spring availability should be good and come in larger landscape sizes in containers and balled and burlapped (b&b).

Anthracnose resistant cultivar: 'Appalachian Spring'

Powdery mildew resistant cultivars: 'Appalachian Snow', 'Appalachian Blush' and 'Appalachian Mist'.

Additionally, 'Cherokee Brave', with dark pink flower bracts, has proven to exhibit exceptionally good powdery mildew resistance.

Flowering dogwood performs best in southern New England and mid-Atlantic states, eastern Mid-west states (Illinois to Ohio), and southeastern U.S.

Awesome Ornamental Peach

Photo is an 18- year old ornamental peach tree in Columbia, Tennessee. This tree blooms with 4 different colors bright pink, pink, peppermint, white each year. The tree is full of bloom and obviously well-pruned and cared for.

It may have been a "5 in 1" grafted tree that the home gardener purchased years ago. Ornamental peach is very challenging, susceptible to numerous diseases and insect pests. I congratulate the homeowner for keeping the tree healthy all these years.