KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Week of October 31 2009 Crabapple Don Wymann

Crabapple 'Don Wymann'

It seems aging has few advantages unless you are an elderly crab apple tree with outstanding employee performance record. If that is the case, and your name is Malus ‘Don Wymans’, be proud of your lifetime achievement as a reliable and disease resistant performer!

The passing of multiple seasons can be the enemy for any weak crabapple selections. It can also be the tie breaker for the few tree cultivars who don’t fail every year, but instill uneasy feelings of “caretaker’s regret” at least every few years. For a special few crabapples, Time is a good friend, as it points to those who deserve our highest regard with the passing of years.

I myself have forged a fair weather friendship with this Steady Eddie of crabapple world, ‘Donald Wyman. He has made every day seem better and fairer than it would have been without him. Don has been employed near my residence for many years as shade reliever, bird feeder, and erosion controller. He has also taken on the added responsibility of providing a very handsome privacy screen.

His hardy and easy going nature impresses me annually. He offers a great flower display, consistent fruit production, and all without complaint. He retains his only slightly marred foliage all summer long as proof that he has met his disease and fungus foes, battled it out and won the right to remain steadfast in the landscape. (Many crabs are burdened with the embarrassment of diseased foliage. Frequently they completely defoliate. They drop their leaves to the ground in mid to late summer in an attempt to disclaim their disease ridden history ) Not Don, he holds on to them as an admission pass to Fall’s color parade. He is proud to wave his banner of amber gold.

He has earned my respect. He has demonstrated an awesome ability to ignore the ruined, sadly compacted, post construction clay soil that surrounds his roots. He bears the scars of poor pruning practices left by the well intentioned maintenance man. (I have since made amends to Don with a few apologetic re-pruning corrections and I am always looking for opportunities to share my conservationist views with anyone that appears determind to alter Don's ability to perform his assigned tasks. This is my attempt to protect him the best I can and also to thank him for being part of my everyday landscape)

I am glad he was somehow able to forgive the landscape installer who disregarded any Best Management Practices Guidelines for tree planting, including spacing. I have come into Don’s life too late to reverse the damage this has done, but at least he shows no”malus” or ill will toward the “oh no that’s too close” roof line and the crowding ash tree who also has also suffered from various forms of early childhood horticulture abuse. I find myself thankful to the long gone installer who made such a good choice-even if it was by chance.

You too may know Malus ‘Donald Wymann’. He is not a stranger to the St. Louis area. He is frequently an esteemed member of the landscape community in many of the more fortunate landscapes installed around 15-20 years ago. Recognized early because of his good health and work ethics, he can be traced back to when he was just a chance seedling discovered at the famous Arnold Arboretum. He was named after Donald Wyman who served as Arnold Arboretum horticulturist.

Be sure to look closely in less likely places as well. I doubt my Don is the only misplaced workhorse who deserves recognition for managing a tough job without at least minimum benefits! (by the way, he doesn’t seem to mind my affectionate shortening of his proper name).

Care Factor Rating: 2 This member of the apple family needs adequate drainage and surely will not thrive in soggy soils. He needs to be watered regularly till established and during excessively long drought periods.

He does not require pruning when given adequate space! His very small but very attractive cardinal red fruits persist, staying in place on the tree well into winter. They provide an extra season of interest that rivals and maybe surpasses the oohs and ahhs from onlookers gazing at the pretty peppermint candy color combination of rose colored buds and white blossoms.

The fruit is reliably heavy each year, offering an extended period of striking color from fall till winter. These tiny apples are a mainstay for many song birds. This tree truly provides “cheep” entertainment, as long as the fruit lasts!

Watersprouts (Suckering at the base) is not a major problem with this cultivar of crabapple. Should sprouts appear, remove using a small hand pruner or pruning saw. Be careful not to injure the trunk / bark. No chemical control for sprouting is needed. Sprouts should be removed if and when they appear. Check for rubbing-crossing branches and remove these as blooming ends mid-late spring but before June. Dead or damaged branches can be removed any time of the year. There are reports that minimized pruning contributes to the heath of the tree and may also decrease stress and disease factors.

Additional information: Malus 'Donald Wyman'

KTRS 550 Plant of the Week October 24 2009 Hydrangea quercifolia

Hydrangea quercifolia

Hydrangea quercifolia, an American native, is best known by her common name Oakleaf hydrangea.

She has a strong upright well rounded figure that makes onlookers smile. She is blessed with an abundance of bold, well textured leaves that are notable on their own, but they become more of a backdrop midseason as an abundance of rather oversize mounds of flowers develop mid-season.

Her girlish bouquets of blossoms are the softest shades of white when first exposed to the elements but as the many appreciating glances follow, she flushes to an embarrassed pink. Passing from that first awkward moment through weeks and weeks of admiring stares, she eventually grow accustom to the attention and her flowers fade to a charmingly casual shade of dusky rose.

Once fall arrives, she could easily begin a modeling career. Her distinctive oakish shaped forest green foliage takes on a closet full of stylish autumn colors. Price tag worthy, these are designer shades of metallic bronze, crimson lip reds and velveteen purples.

Age must be of no consequence when good genes are present. (Apparently the clock can be kind!) Nature insists that Oakleaf Hydrangea releases her leaves back to the soil. As her reward, the Wind begins a therapeutic massage and the exfoliating rituals begin. At some point the thin layer of outer bark begins to shed, revealing a soft mink brown inner skin that looks warm on the coldest of days and beautiful all winter long.

When given a choice, she likes to keep her toes dipping into rich moist but not saturated soil. She enjoys just relaxing in full sun to part shade. The reward for this minimal is baskets full of blooms every single year-regardless!

Care Factor Rating: 2 This hydrangea must be watered regularly till established and occasionally during excessively long drought periods. She is a reliable bloomer as she blooms on new wood. The flowers are most attractive through summer and into fall. The flowers then fade to a silvery beige color for the winter landscape. Leave the flowers intact till leaf buds break usually mid-March / early spring, for a more manicured but still casual look.

She does not require pruning when given adequate space. The naturally habit is broad and mounding. There are many cultivars available that have been bred for different habits, flower type and size allowance. Removal of the occasional damaged or dead branch can be done any time of the year.

A blanket of mulch or a burlap wrap after leaf drop is usually sufficient while she is getting established and whenever winters are extremely harsh. When she is very stressed such as container living or suffering from root disturbance such as ball and burlap growing, she may develop temporary leaf spotting / blight. This resolves with the next set of leaves ,once she has wiggle room and the growing situation has stabilized.

Perfectly well behaved in a family gathering or in a plant community setting such as rain gardens, stream beds, informal hedge, woodland settings and transition zones, she can be grouped with other plant families or with or more of the same!

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show for Saturday October 17th 2009 Plant of the Week Shumard Oak

Easy Love but hard to find Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii) is an easy fast growing and long lived shade tree. She is a member of the wonderful red oak family but almost “forever young” in habit and lack of nut production.

She holds on to her youthfully slim shape and waits till she is of legal age (21 or older) before she even thinks of starting a family! Even the acorns are less of a problem than some other nut producing trees since her acorns need two years to mature before they drop!

Her glorious spreading “crown” or upper growth/leaf canopy comes along only with the advancement of age. By the time she is giving thought to her retirement years, her investment in crown growth has begun to pay off in respectability. Frequently a mature Shumard oak specimen is so notable that her only real competition comes from the magnificent Burr Oak.

As for bark and foliage, Shumard oak dresses with flawless good taste. She retains her youthful luminous gray pin-striped silk textured bark for years till the inevitable furrows develop. This is the first tell-tale sign of her age.

Her glossy well lobed forest green leaves are attractive all season but as Autumn begins her color parade, this oak’s foliage gets her a pass to front of the line. Her leafy tresses of henna red and burnished copper with bruised purple undertones will slow rush hour traffic if given the chance!

She is native to central and southern Missouri. Her fondness for periodically wet/dry cycles makes her a perfect choice for low spots in the landscape. She has no problems dealing with occasionally waterlogged soils or stopping erosion.

She naturally likes clay soil. She is a good choice for shading man-made or natural occurring stream beds or creating a backdrop for beautiful rain gardens.

She is energy conscious and adaptable too! She is well employed as the shade queen of outdoor living spaces as well as the nuturing mother of some pretty edgy offspring. Shumard oaks are sometimes found thriving on dry and rocky hillsides-particularly ones with a view!

(photo credit to Kansas City's Botanical Garden Powell Gardens /Alan Branhagan)

Care Factor Rating: 1 This oak must be watered regularly till established and occassionally during excessively long drought periods. She does not require pruning when given adequate space!. The acorns are not produced before maturity, usually after 20 years or more. Also they take two years to mature and drop. Remove only the occasional damaged or dead branch any time of the year.

For other reliable fall color choices check out: Hackberry, Black Gum, Ginko, Serviceberry, Hickory, Witchhazel, Rusty Blackhaw Virburnum, Spicebush. Some crab apples and even dogwood color up very well!)

Show Me Smart Gardening! Educated Use of Flower Trials Using Plant Resources

Ornamental plant introductions, particularly annuals have been increasing at a steady pace over the last 20 years. Although marketing and breeding has changed the names and altered the faces and form and in some cases even the recommended use, they still are the tools of our trade.

We are all affected by the popular trend as well as the environment, seasonal shifts and who knows what’s normal fluctuation. We are at times the ones who receive pats on the back or are left standing with either a wilted calling card or sometimes even worse a blank and faceless plot connecting our name or business to a pitiful situation. Good or bad- this is the green path we as an industry professional may have chosen to follow. It is my hope to find green ways to reach sustainable success (People, Prosperity and the Planet)....

Most plant categories have had their time in the spotlight. Whether its been trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, ground covers tropicals or annuals, each community of plants has had their glory days and line pass to the front line of industry and public for center stage exposure.

Testing, trials, programs, marketing, branding, trade marking and glorification take place at an amazing rate for these plants. Many are brought to market and continue to be great ambassadors for growing “green” and others slip into the shadows.

How to sort through all the banners and tag lines- for me is all about “Show Me” –regional, practical examples through out the season so we can all grow “Smart” hence my “Show Me Smart Gardening “ motto.

Having worked personally on trial criteria, judge standards and season long data collection, I know the importance of follow through for market-led selections of new plants. These recognition program selections can be both pricy and profitable. However understanding the marketing of plants requires a regional approach because marketing only has merit if the product can be repeatable and reasonably reliable- annually!

This is a listing of some of the annual flower marketing programs. My advice- become knowledgably about the company, their product, their mission, their testing methods and grade scales, their plant trial set-up location, the judges and the criteria! (watch Cuphea-they are coming and you might be 'Totally Tempted' to try them all! )

All America Selections allamericaselections.org
Proven Winner provenwinners.com
Plants that Work Novalis.com
Simply Beautiful simplybeautifulgardens.com
Athens Select athensselect.com
Prairie Star Flowers prairiestarflowers.com
MBG Kemper Trials Plants of Merit plantsofmerit.org

A Few of My Favorite web sites, gardens and plant trial locations:
MaryAnnFink.com
St. Louis Community College / Meramec
Missouri Botanical Garden Trials
Powell Gardens
Mizzou Botanic Garden
Hartley Selections Garden

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Plant of the Week October 10 2009 Winterberry

Going Out on a Limb for a Berry Nice Plant!

Ilex verticillata (Yes, I have been caught stalking plants to talk about for the KTRS Inside Out Show! Punishment awarded for that crime is a minimum of 100 community service hours maintaining my role as special agent in charge of finding great plants that thrive in the KTRS station’s listening range (all while trying to be informative and polite to hosts, John Shea and Jim McMillian-( this is not hardly hard time-but don’t tell that to my parole officer!)

The word “holly” usually causes the average homeowner to think about holiday greens with berries or the bushes and trees sometimes used in foundation plantings, but as you will see this is not always so…

The winterberry is a well mannered holly that loses its leaves in the fall. Because it is naturally found thriving in poor drainage situations where moisture fluctuates considerably, it is perfect for solving soil erosion issues. She performs well in challenging sites where easy attractive plant options are as important as soil stabilization, water conservation and sustainable landscaping!

As beautiful as she is polite, she slowly develops a substantial well-rounded form with maturity that helps her become an outstanding upright member of her landscape community.

Not overly eager to start a family, she will eventually settle down and embrace her maternal instincts if conditions are right. She does this by developing strong offshoots that carry her same great looks. She will continue this process eventually surrounding herself with a nursery full of baby hollies!

Although she pales to a soft butter color with first chilly breeze, it is the perfect compliment to the jelly red color of her berries. If Autumn’s in the perfect mood, she might spreads a thin layer of color that hints of raspberry red and merlot wine across the winterberry’s leaves.

Not so notable are the shy greenish-cream flowers that hide in the leaf axils in late spring. These girl flowers share the responsible job of berry production with their "oh so necessary" male companion, the boy flowering winterberry holly. Only if properly pollinated, will there be a crop of cherry red berries! Check with local nurseries to find the best match for your little holly girl! )

There are so many great cultivars now available of this American Beauty, including precious little ‘Nana’ RED SPRITE or show stopper ‘Winter Red.’ Both, of these easy going girls are like all the rest of the berry producing hollies that are “seeking” attractive male hollies to assist with berry production. Heights and growth habit as well as berry color differes with different cultivar/ selections so chose carefully for just the right “fit” for your location.

Care Factor Rating: 2 Winterberry must be watered regularly till established. She does not require pruning when given adequate space! Flowers and berries develop on the new growth so gently prune to shape in the early spring before new growth appears. Never remove more than 1/3 of the total growth. Otherwise remove only the occasional damaged or dead branch any time of the year.

This is a cane shrub that spreads by increasing from the crown / base by producing new shoots from the base annually. This makes her a perfect choice for hedge use or screening. If her individual personality is to remain defined, consider limiting the basal area / spread of this shrub in early spring before the leaves develop.

Remove the excess shoots with a pruning saw. Cutting around the base with a sharp shovel may also be necessary. Remove any excess root and woody material and replace-refill any hole area created with fresh soil to protect roots. This activity will slow the gradual expansion of the primary clump. Maintaining base area spread for each individual shrub to a minimum of 2-3 feet wide. This will permit the shrub to appear balanced by keeping the height and width somewhat equal.

Do not start this process until the shrub is well established and has shown normal annual growth. Occasional suckering may occur during the season. Remove these as they occur as they use energy and detract from the naturally attractive growth habit.

She has no enemies, such as any serious insect or disease problems. Although she is best known for her fall and winter looks, don’t forget her use for stabilizing and reducing soil erosion. She is one of my favorite winter food sources for song birds! (Image is 'Red Sprite' from Missouri Botanical Garden's Bird GArden)

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Saturday September 19 2009

Ginkgo biloba Maidenhair Tree 'Princeton Sentry'

The beloved Ginkgo, commonly cultivated in North America for over 200 years, is the link and sole represenative of a group of plants that lived throughout parts of the world 150 million years ago.

As hard as it is to believe how very unique and old the Ginkgo is, almost as difficult to understand his botanical classification. He is a deciduous conifer. In simplified terms, he is a conifer that is not evergreen. This tree is the ultimate definition of durable, long lived, easy care, disease free and non-invasive. He is a unique sun or light shade choice for cultivated and natural spaces.

The Ginkgo tree selections most commonly available are male (fruitless) and available through reputable nurseries. This distinction is an important feature to be aware of because the fruit bearing female trees produces stinky, messy fruit –like fleshy, seed pods.

He features the most well known trait of this species; the interesting and very easy to identify double-lobed fan-shaped leaves. These leaves have a unique vein pattern as well as a rather thick leather-like appearance. This only adds to his tough guy appeal.

He is available through most reputable nurseries. He has established a good reputation for himself. His employment history includes urban street tree use, municipal settings, commercial and private properties.

'Princeton Sentry', is my favorite cultivar. A manly tree, he can reach a mature height of 40’-50’ which is fairly representative of his family (the species.) He also has retained upright, narrow conical habit. And just like his grandpa always did, he flushes his leaves a bright polished gold as the season draws to a close. When the leaves do finally drop, they drop almost in one day, creating a blanket of gold that reaches from trunk to drip line.

Care Factor Rating: 1 (must be watered regularly till established and does not require pruning! Remove only the occasional damaged or dead branch) Perfect for urban situations and municipal park use. He has no enemies-pest disease or otherwise! Expect a moderate growth rate that slows and fills out wonderfully with age!

550 KTRS Inside Out Show September 12 2009

Nyssa sylvatica

Nyssa sylvatica is a handsome moderate to slow-growing ornamental native tree that is also known as Black gum and Sour gum (but not a relative of the messy sweet gum! )

As a common resident of Missouri’s southern lowlands and dry rocky slopes, the Black gum demonstrates the versatility needed to thrive in Missouri’s ever changing seasons. He is happy with the wide range of soil types including clay and inconsistant, sometimes boggy moisture levels. This makes him a perfect choice for energy conscience landowners who want an easy tree as well as water conservationists looking for a tree that handles the rainfall issues common in the span of a season!

He a perfect mixer for natural and cultivated situations such as the perimeter of a low spot or even a rain garden. He is also just as well suited as a featured specimen in a formal setting. He is so good looking, that he perfect whenever more is better! Consider planting your own woodland sanctuary with him as a main component. He is as truly as handsome as he is versatile!

His has a naturally beautiful posture with a straight trunk that supports a well defined rounded crown fit for a king by the time he reaches maturity. In the meantime, his silhouette is more pyramidal as he focuses all his effort on stretching up to a significant height. Eventually he is likely to reach 30-50' tall, though there is an occasional boast-filled report of trees reaching an estimate of 90'. With these good genetics- anything might be possible! What a sight that would be to lean against such a trunk and gaze upward into such a glorious canopy.

He does produce rather small, greenish-white that are packed with nectar for beneficial pollinators including bees. These modest flowers are then replaced by tiny energy snack fruits attractive to song birds. This tree has it all- including tumbling fall colors that swirl hypnotically in the sun, creating a kaleidoscope of scarlet, orange and red in the autumn sky!

Care Factor Rating: 1 (must be watered regularly till established and does not require pruning! Remove only the occasional damaged or dead branch) Perfect for urban situations and municipal park use.