Coneflowers

'Showoff' Echinacea at Kingwood Center, Mansfield, OH

Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.) have undergone great improvements over the past quarter century. Varieties are now available in many color shades and plants flower for longer periods. Recently introduced cultivars also grow alot shorter. On the negative side, some hybrid forms have been disappointing, barely surviving 1-2 years in the garden.

For overall dependability, Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is my #1 favorite for dependability (USDA hardiness zones 3-8). The species is native to most of the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. They bloom in July, August, and into September, their nectar-filled flowers attract  butterflies and bees, and their winter seed heads provide food for birds and other critters.

Yellow Coneflower (Echinacea paradoxa) is native to the Ozark region in Missouri and Arkansas. The yellow blooming E. paradoxa have been bred with E. purpurea. Flowering starts in June, and puts on a long show even as the petals fade. This species has a small geographic range due to habitat loss.

Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida) are native from the central U.S. Petals tend to be long, narrow, and droopy along with washed out lavender color. Leaves and stems are particularly fuzzy. They bloom from June to July and grow in most U.S. gardens under proper care.

Tennessee Coneflower (Echinacea tennesseensis) are native the state, but their habitat has been in decline over the past half century. Only recently has it been removed from the endangered species list. This mid-summer bloomer grows 2 to 2 ½ feet tall.

Coneflowers perform best in full sun and within a low to moderate range of soil fertility. While good soil drainage and watering during prolonged dry spells are good practice. Keep in mind that most coneflowers establish deep taproots and resent constant irrigation and over-feeding. To insure winter survival, coneflowers should be planted before July 1st.

Summer Garden Phlox

Proper siting - full to partial sun and humus-rich soil - are key to successfully growing garden phlox (Phlox spp.) (USDA hardiness zones 3-8). Phlox ask for minimal care of seasonal fertilizing, mulching, and supplemental watering in periods of drought. Deadheading also extends the plant's flowering potential.  Select truly superior cultivars and never over-irrigate the garden bed. Finally, avoid overcrowding plants which may result in outbreaks with powdery mildew disease.

2015-17 MT. Cuba Center's Phlox Trial in Greenville, DE. The best performing cultivars of Phlox paniculata are: P. paniculata ‘Jeana’, ‘Glamour Girl’, ‘Delta Snow’, ‘Lavelle’, ‘Robert Poore’, ‘Dick Weaver’, ‘David’, ‘Ditomdre’ (Coral Crème Drop), and ‘Shortwood’.

The best performing selections from other species and hybrid phlox are: Carolina phlox (Phlox carolina ssp. carolina) ‘Kim’ (light pink), Phlox glaberrima ssp. triflora 'Bill Baker', sweetly aromatic, reddish purple flowers  (P. glaberrima ‘Morris Berd’), purplish-pink flowers of P.  x ‘Forever Pink’, P. amplifolia, and P. x ‘Minnie Pearl’ (pure white).

Three P. paniculata favorites:
‘David’ - large, pure white, fragrant flowers; foliage is highly mildew resistant; 2002 Perennial Plant of The Year
'Delta Snow' - grows 3-4 feet tall. Fragrant, snow white tubular flowers with purple eyes; mildew resistant foliage.
‘Jeana’ - long blooming summer phlox cultivar; deep green foliage is topped by conical lavender-pink flowers and mildew resistant foliage.

All three varieties make colorful additions to cut flower arrangements.

Pruning Time For Oakleaf Hydrangeas

Native oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia) are pruned as their summer flowers start to declines in quality around late July. The main pruning time for oakleaf hydrangeas is from mid-June thru mid-August. At this time, make the big cuts to reduce shrub height and width, if needed. Secondly, remove or “deadhead” all withered or faded flowers.

A frequently asked question is "should I prune my oakleaf hydrangeas coming out of winter"? My general response is no, because you will be reducing the flower count in June. However, if you missed making last summer's cutbacks (or cleanups), you may remove 20-25% of the dormant branches and only sacrifice a few flowers. Broken, diseased wood, plus bottom suckers may be removed to improve the appearance of the overall plant.

Oakleaf hydrangeas set their flower buds for next spring on both old or current season’s growth on the terminal bud. Do not practice pruning in the fall as it may stimulate new soft growth which dies over a cold winter. Make all cuts 1/4 inch above the last set of leaves or cutback flush to a main branch.

Summer pruning improves the health of oakleaf hydrangeas and stimulates new vegetative growth. On older 4-5 year old hydrangeas, remove larger, thicker canes and prune them at the base of the stem.

What about old neglected oakleaf hydrangeas? Remove one-quarter to one-third of these older branches. In 3-4 years the shrub will be completely rejuvenated.

Dead, dying, diseased stems, and old flower heads can be removed at any time of year.

Silberlocke Korean Fir

Dwarf cultivars of Korean firs (Abies koreana) are favorites among many conifer collectors (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). Four ultra-dwarf varieties grow inches per year. Horstmann’s Silberlocke’ is the leading Korean fir variety among conifer collectors. To encourage a deep extensive root system, extra care (TLC) is needed the first 2-3 years after planting in the garden.


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Abies koreana  'Horstmann’s Silberlocke’

'Horstmann’s Silberlocke’ The German word silberlocke means "silver locks of hair". The needles on the branches curl on the tops exposing the white underside of the needles, resulting in a frosted look. Annual growth rate is 6 - 8 inches (15 – 20 cm). Over the years, 'Horstmann's Silberlocke' will develop into a small 12 feet high x 8 feet wide landscape tree. The curling needle trait is often lost as the plant age. ‘Silberlocke’ also produces purple/tan cones on young plants.

Plant in a humus-rich, acidic, well-drained soil and in a sun to partial shade garden bed. Mulch with acidic organic compost such as pine needles, shredded pine bark, or chips. Irrigate once or twice monthly during periods of drought, heat or high winds.


Korean fir appears to be more heat tolerant than other firs, but it prefers cooler regions of the U.S. As with most firs in the South, Korean fir will often fail if too hot and will fail in wet soppy soils. In the warm humid southeastern U.S. environment, Korean fir should be grafted on Momi fir (Abies firma) rootstock. Dwarf forms make great additions to a small urban garden, a rockery, or a large container. Korean fir is rated as deer resistant.


Because of their rates of growth, super dwarfs are investments in the future. A plant with some size will likely command a premium price.

List Of Weeping Tree Forms

The following is a list of currently 26 species of landscape trees which lists one or more weeping cultivars. over time, more tree genera will be added:

Weeping willow (Salix)

• Weeping Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum) –‘Ryusen’, 'Matsukake', 'Omuyarama' and 'Green Cascade' among others

• Weeping river birch (Betula nigra ‘Summer Cascade™’)
• Weeping birch (Betula pendula) 'Youngii’, 'Dalecarlica', 'Golden Cloud', 'Gracilis', 'Laciniata', 'Purpurea')
• Weeping katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) 'Pendula', 'Tidal Wave', 'Amazing Grace'
• Weeping redbud (Cercis canadensis) ‘Traveller’, ‘Ruby Falls’, Lavender Twist® (‘Covey’), ‘Whitewater'
• Weeping Blue Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) ‘Pendula’

Weeping mulberry (Morus)

• Weeping Himalayan cedar (Cedrus deodara ‘Pendula’)
• Weeping beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Pendula', 'Atropunicea', 'Atropurpurea', ‘Purpurea Pendula’
• Weeping Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi 'Pendula')
• Weeping crabapple (Malus x ) ‘Red Jade’, 'Louisa', 'Luwick', Molten Lava™ (‘Molazam’), 'Royal Fountain', several others
• Weeping white mulberry (Morus alba ‘Pendula’ (female clone –sets fruits); 'Chaparral’ (male clone – no fruits)
• Weeping blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica) ‘Autumn Cascade’
• Weeping Norway spruce (Picea abies ‘Pendula’)
• Weeping Serbian spruce (Picea omorika ‘Pendula)
• Weeping white pine (Pinus strobus ‘Pendula)
• Weeping Flowering Apricot (Prunus mume 'Pendula')
• Weeping cherries (Prunus serrulata 'Kiku-shidare-zakura')
• Weeping Higan cherry (Prunus subhirtella 'Pendula', 'Pendula Alba', and 'Pendula Rubra')
• Yoshino cherry (Prunus x yedoensis ‘Snow Fountains’)

• Weeping willow (Salix spp.) – many weeping cultivars; Contorted leaf willow (Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa')
• Weeping Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonicus) ‘Fragrant Fountains’, ‘Marley’s Pink Parasol® (‘JL Weeping’); Carillon’
  
• Japanese Pagoda Tree (Styphnolobium japonicum 'Pendula')
• Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) – ‘Cascade Falls’, ‘Falling Waters’ (both grafted shrub forms that may be trained into small weeping tree forms)
• Little leaf linden (Tilia cordata) - 'Pendula Nana' and 'Girard's Pendula Nana' (both are dwarf forms)
• Weeping Silver Linden (Tilia petiolaris ‘Pendula
• Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) ‘Pendula’ –several weeping shrub forms
• Camperdown elm (Ulmus glabra 'Camperdownii')
• Weeping Alaskan cedar (Xanthocyparis nootkatensis 'Pendula', ‘Jubilee’, ‘Strict Weeping’)

New Osage Orange Trees Are Gamechangers

Osage Orange replaced with thornless, fruitless varieties

Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) has been declawed and neutered (USDA Zones 5-9). A member of the mulberry family (Moraceae), this tough prairie tree species is native to south Central states. The medium-sized 35-40 foot tree grows fast @ 2 ½ to 3 feet per year. It is also called Bois D’Arc (pronounced “bow-dark”).

‘Wichita’ and ‘White Shield’ are fruitless and thornless (male) selections. Both cultivars develop into attractive landscape trees with deep green shiny foliage that turns a beautiful fall pale to golden yellow in fall. ‘Wichita’ grows slightly taller than ‘White Shield’, and its branching is slightly more upright.  ‘White Shield’ forms a rounded canopy, averaging 35 feet in height and spread.  Mostly inconspicuous tiny green flower clusters appear in late spring.

Osage orange, aka "hedge apple" is a dioecious species. Male trees make effective landscape shade trees. Female trees are generally not recommended for landscape use because their fruits pose a considerable litter problem. Mature tree bark is deeply fissured, with an orange-brown inner wood peeking through. In the early years, pruning helps to develop a well-branched tree.

Hedge apples, i.e. large 4-6 inch wide yellowish green fruit, weigh 2 to 3 pounds each. Fruits on female trees fall from the tree in October and are a huge maintenance headache. Female trees need a male tree pollinator in order to produce fruit.

Fierce ½- inch long thorns, hidden within the dense branches, can do lots of harm, even puncture a vehicle tire. The tree’s wood is hard and does not split easily.

Osage orange is easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. The tree grows almost anywhere, in poor infertile, acid or alkaline soils, and dry or wet fields. It also tolerates drought, heat, cold and wind. Disease and pest problems are practically non-existent. Its foliage is tolerant of urban air pollutants.

Both cultivars are good choices planted on large residential or commercial properties, city parks, and golf courses. Also, plant under high power lines or utilize as a deciduous windbreak.

Red Dragon™ Contorted Filbert

Red Dragon filbert in Columbus, Ohio garden

Red Dragon™ is an outstanding red leaf selection of contorted filbert (C. avellana Red Dragon™). This unique landscape shrub grows 6 - 8 feet tall and 5 - 6 feet wide. It is a perfect size for most urban gardens (USDA hardiness zones 4-8).

This red-leaf shrub was developed by the Oregon State University filbert breeding program. Currently, gardeners are losing the popular green leaf variety "Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick" (C. avellana ‘Contorta’) to Eastern filbert blight. Red Dragon filbert demonstrates superior resistance to this disease. It also replaces ‘Red Majestic’, another red leaf variety also susceptible to Eastern filbert blight.

Red Dragon grows best in moist, organically rich, well-drained soil and in full sun to partial shade. It tolerates average garden soils. Prompt removal of root suckers improves shrub appearance by avoiding a buildup of thickets.

Autumn leaf drop exposes the unique contorted branching and ornate floral catkins in early days of spring. Filberts are monoecious, e.g. individual male and female catkins (flowers) develop on the same plant in late winter to early days of spring (March-April) before leaves emerge. The 2-3 inch long yellow male catkins (flowers) are showier. The 4-inch elliptical or ovate leaves are doubly serrate.

Red Dragon retains its burgundy red leaf color into early summer. The foliage is also partly curled. Leaves are coated with tiny hairs and appear dusty by the end of summer. Fall leaf color is variable, often with tinges of yellow. Smooth light bark is gray-brown.

Nuts appear in terminal clusters of 1-4 and are half covered in ragged husks. Nuts ripen in late August and September which the neighborhood squirrels and birds should enjoy.

Red Dragon filbert may also be grown in containers. Disease and pest problems are few. Japanese beetles may vigorously attack the foliage in some areas. Scale may also occur.

Red Dragon™ is mostly sold grafted and available from specialty nurseries online. It requires little to no pruning; remove root suckers and keep the shrub well mulched. ‘Red Dragon’ is sold either grafted or not. It is sold primarily by online nurseries.