Profiles Index

Jacaranda - Growing Jacaranda Mimosifolia
The jacaranda tree is a tropical beauty with its clusters of fragrant, purple, trumpet-shaped blooms. It makes an excellent shade or street tree.

Pomegranate - Punica Granatum
Pomegranate shrubs are one of the easiest fruits to keep, since they are usually not affected by many pests or diseases. The fruits are full of antioxidants and thought to have many health benefits.

Japanese Maple - Acer Palmatum
The Japanese maple is a small tree that will fit into almost any yard. They are prized for their striking leaves. Japanese maple trees are often used for bonsai and in Japanese gardens.

Blueberries - Vaccinium spp.
Blueberries are great because they have fewer pests than most of the other fruit trees and shrubs. The key to their success is making sure they are grown in acidic soil. With varieties as small as 6" high, they can be grown in any size garden or planted in containers.

Sunset Hyssop - A Natural Hummingbird Attractant
Learn the growing requirements and some design tips for using Agastache rupestris, sunset hyssop, in your garden.

Angel's Trumpet - Brugmansia spp.
The show-stopping hanging trumpet-shaped flowers of angel's trumpet make this a delight for any garden. It is tropical and grows best in gardens in Zone 9-11, but it certainly can be used as a container plant and brought inside when cool. Angel's trumpet can be either a shrub or a small tree. Be careful - it's poisonous!

Purple Smoke Bush - Cotinus Coggygria
Purple smoke bush is often used as a garden specimen due to the purple-pink plumes and the purple leaves on some cultivars. It is highly drought tolerant.

Black Walnut - Juglans Nigra
Black walnut trees are commonly found in the Eastern United States. They are widely used for food and lumber, and make stately shade trees. Black walnut is an alleopathic tree - it produces juglone, a chemical that is toxic for many plants.

Banana Tree - Musa Spp.
Banana trees are one of the common trees that come to mind when dreaming of the tropics. However, did you know that it's not really a tree? It is actually the world's largest herb. Still, due to its size, it is commonly thought of as a banana tree. No matter what size your yard, there is a banana tree to fit it. While this grows best in the warmer climates, there are cold-hardy varieties and otherwise they make good houseplants with enough light and water.

Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo biloba is sometimes called a "fossil tree" since it is the last of its kind, with no close relatives. It works well in the urban landscape because of its high tolerance to a wide variety of conditions.

Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar - Cedrus Atlantica 'Glauca Pendula'
Growing facts about weeping blue atlas cedar

Bearberry - Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi
Bearberry is a small evergreen shrub often used as a groundcover. It is an excellent choice to provide winter interest with the tiny leaves that turn bronze in the fall, and the small red berries that last until spring. Bearberry is also useful for drought and salt-tolerant landscapes.

Paper Bark Birch - Betula Papyrifera
Paper bark birch is a lovely medium-sized deciduous tree native to northern North America. The most distinctive characteristic of this tree is the white peeling bark.

Princess Flower - Tibouchina Urvilleana
A native of Brazil, princess flower (Tibouchina urvilleana) is a glorious addition to tropical and sub-tropical gardens. Its large purple flowers and soft hairy leaves add interest and a burst of color to any landscape. Also can be used as an indoor container plant in cooler regions, if full light and warmth is provided.

Witch Hazel - Hamamelis Virginiana
Most people are familiar with witch hazel because of its use in skin care as an astringent. It is a large shrub that is noteworthy for being one of the last species to flower. Witch hazel also adds winter interest with leaves that turn yellow in the fall, and is moderately drought tolerant.

Tri Color Beech - Fagus Sylvatica 'Roseo-Marginata'
Tri Color Beech is a striking tree that you won't soon forget. It is often used as a specimen tree due to its variegated leaves that may come in many shades of green, pink, and white. They later turn copper in the fall.

Currant - Ribes Spp.
Currants have long been grown for their use in jams, jellies, syrups and preserves. It is an attractive shrub that is especially suitable for colder climates.

Purple Leaf Plum - Prunus Cerasifera
Purple leaf plum is a small deciduous tree commonly planted for its deep reddish-purple leaves and white/pale pink flowers that are among the first to appear in spring. Although it is short lived, it is fast growing and great for use as a specimen or shade tree.

Rose of Sharon - Hibiscus Syriacus
Rose of Sharon will help bring a bit of tropical beauty to more temperate climates. The blooms that arrive later in the summer will help revive your garden after the flurry of spring flowers.

Tulip Tree - Liriodendron Tulipifera
Tulip tree is named for the flowers and leaves that resemble tulips. It grows rapidly, and is useful as a large shade tree.

Dawn Redwood - Metasequoia Glyptostroboides
Dawn Redwood is a curious tree. It is one of only a few deciduous conifers. Dawn redwood is a large, fast growing tree, so make sure it will fit in your location.