KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Plant of the Week December 26th 2009 Christmas Fern

Christmas fern

Missouri’s evergreen fern is called Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides). She is a perfect choice for shady doorstep and woodland gardens. More tolerant of fluctuating dry/ moist conditions and clay soil than other ferns, she is the absolute happiest when allowed to put to use her many talents in the average landscape.

A natural conservationist, she is great at protecting the ground from drying out. She prevents soil from washing away and she creates the perfect setting for leaf composting and wildlife support. Especially song birds, who instinctively know to look under her pinwheel blanket for food!

Christmas fern is adaptable. She is well suited for the easy life in a cultivated shade garden but she also does well as a work horse when stabilizing the sloped sides of shady rain gardens or natural stream banks.

A Missouri native, she is use to normal wet / dry season cycles. So she looks good as long as she has moisture periodically and the drainage is good. She is very drought tolerant once established.

She does change her posture significantly through the season. In the spring, her last season’s growth, still green, hugs the ground as the new growth emerges from the center like a silvery fist. Gradually the core cluster of leaflets becomes individualized. Each frond independently unfurls, reaching skyward and maturing to apple green.

By mid-summer, the frilly fronds have all stretched to their max and have started to relax and bend outward. This creates a casual bouquet of sword shaped leaves. Finally, Autumn signals Christmas fern, now a deep forest green, to hug the ground like a blanket to warm and protect the decomposing leaves. These reclining fronds, still green, stand out in the stark winter landscape providing color and interest in the cold.

Christmas fern is never aggressive in the landscape. She holds her place and just extends her reach gradually over time. She provides an important habitat role by protecting the soil from wind, drying out, or washing away. This assists with process of natural leaf composting and habitat support for insect feeding song birds. She is a preferred nesting site for turkeys and usually quite deer resistant!

Care Factor Rating: 1 (She must be watered regularly till established but is very drought tolerant.) Very little care is required unless used in a very tidy landscape. For a manicured look, manage mature plants once annually in early spring and growth cycle begins but before crown growth becomes pronounced. Do this by lifting last season’s growth together and trim just above crown height. Be careful not to damage the crown while handling as it is very soft and tender at this time.

Note removal of the old growth reduces ground protection for wildlife and is not necessary in an informal setting. Divide in the spring after new growth extends. Division is not necessary unless greater spacing is desired or for propagation. When dividing, it is best if entire clump is lifted, divided and reset in the ground. Re-establishment is same as transplanting care. Adequate water must be provided during root trauma. This includes planting, transplanting and re-establishment. Do not drought stress until established. Many plants appear most balanced if the height and width are somewhat equal. When including this fern in a design, consider leaving a 2’ minimum footprint.

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Week of Dec 12 2009 Capitata Yew

Salute Japanese yew (Taxus) as a worthy addition to the water smart landscape! ‘Capitata’ translated means “Captain" The dictitionary defines captain as “a figure in the forefront; a leader”. This is a perfect definition for this classic landscape standard that is once again being called to serve on the front lines in our battle for wise water use.

The Captain is both duty and conservation oriented. He prefers no more water than average water and once established, he can survive on extended periods of water rationing if necessary.

He has endured grooming torture to the max. He has been taken well beyond the “High and Tight” military standard for hair cuts to extreme makeovers including fanciful topiary’s strictest manicure regime. However, the truth is he craves the opportunity to "grow out on a limb" and show off his personal best which includes his soft but natural good looks.

The Captain is a yew that can stretch tall, well beyond the confined box space or ball shape he is usually allotted. His branches have a natural arch to them, giving him an overall gentle layered appearance. He grows Chritmas tree- like when he is young with a broad base that gradually tapers toward the top. He usually has a single main trunck. Left on his own, he naturally spreads and rounds out. His potential height could easily exceed 20’. This offers an opportunity to really see his handsome bark that lies beneath his green exterior.

Once he reaches a mature size (optimization at its best) consider the impact of removing some of his lower branches to create a living shade structure. Depending on location, and placement, this could create a great evergreen umbrella that cast an amazingly uniform and cooling shade!

Although not native to USA, this yew has proven himself to be a good American Ally. He is noninvasive, energy conscious if not over pruned and very native plant community compatible. He is also habitat friendly. His fleshy red fruits are tasty to song birds but toxic to humans and livestock. He is also frequently listed as "deer resistant." The evergreen foliage provides protection and shelter and can be a valuable part of a habitat corridor for wildlife.

He does tolerate shade and is frequently the preferred choice for an evergreen for shady conditions. In his native setting he prefers quick draining sandy loams. He has no tolerance for soggy soils. This can be fatal!

He likes the city life / urban conditions where soil fertility is average, pH fairly neutral and there is wind break protection from drying winter winds.

Care Factor Rating: 2 Japanese Yew ‘Capitata’ (Taxus cuspidata ‘Capitata’) must be watered regularly but not excessively till established. It is considered best to plant him in the fall or late spring.

Minimize any pruning till he is well established. Envision the natural plant shape. Selectively cut back only out-of-place branches and random shoots. Cut at the branch node with hand pruners. This will help preserve the natural outline. Do not cut all branches back to the same length or the natural shape of the plant will be lost. Damaged or dead branch can be removed any time of the year.

If hedge pruning is done, minimize scorch by pruning after the new growth turns mature green (this is usually early June in Missouri.) If done too late the newly exposed foliage tends to get sun scorched.

This very hardy shade tolerant yew does not have any really serious insect or disease problems. He is great looking whether in the sun or the shade. However, if planted in unprotected sites there is a potential for winter sun burn or wind burn if he is overly exposed. Root rot will occur if a yew is planted in poorly-drained soils.

550 KTRS Inside Out Show Plant of the Week November 28 2009 Southern Magnolia

Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)

The Southern Magnolia is a true American classic. He is also known as the Bull-bay Magnolia, but no matter the name, he is the epitome of refinement and considered the most widely grown evergreen in the world!

He has an almost tropical look so it may not be a surprise that he is mild mannered and intolerant of weather extremes. He is a lowland forest resident, frequently found naturally situated comfortably alongside his much tougher cousin sweet bay magnolia on moist woodsy banks in a community of maturing trees anywhere from North Carolina to Florida and west to Texas. He is a grower's challenge for Missouri.

His big shinny leaves are present in winter so he classified as an evergreen, but he is a little tender skinned and can suffer from wind burn. When he does shed his leaves, it is usually a sign that spring is in full swing! Some leaf drop in the fall is natural too. Quite a few more leaves will fall during and after especially harsh winters. The leaves are so large it is easy enough to make a game of picking them up.

He has the potential to grow to an old age, fairly fast growing in his youth and very tall when perfectly sited in his prefered zone/ growing range. Some speciems are well over 40' tall. Many cultivars are now being selected for particular attributes including winter hardiness, narrow profile, urban pollution tolerance and short more compact habit than the species. S. m. 'Bracken's Brown Beauty' is reported to be the most winter hardy for Missouri.

His huge white water lily looking flowers with” lemon pudding cooking on the stove” fragrance makes any special site planning and soil preparation worthwhile! He is perfectly suited for rain garden borders and wildlife habitats. The attractive red seed cones that mature in late summer are a favorite of many songbirds.

Care Factor Rating: 1 Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) must be watered regularly till established. It is considered best to plant magnolia in the spring as growth begins. Some leaf drop may occur during transplant transition. To maintain his natural multi-stem branching habit, minimize any pruning to the removal of only the occasional damaged or dead branch. This can be done any time of the year.

Foliage harvested for holiday decorating will impact flower and seed production the following season. Buds form primarily at branch tips in the fall. He is normally pest free and without any significant disease issues.

photo credit: Missouri Botanical Garden Plantfinder Glenn Kopp

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Plant of the Week November 14 2009 Smoke bush

Smokebush (or Smoke tree) is a clay friendly shrub and a distant relative of our native American Smoketree. Her botanical name is Cotinus coggygria. She has many different looks depending on the cultivar name she is wearing. Regardless of her name, she can be a worthy addition to any green space.

In general, cultivar names indicate that a particular form of a species has some special quality. ‘Velvet Cloak’ (also known as ‘Royal Purple’) has many special qualities and is the purple leaf form. There is also a yellow leaf form called ‘Golden Spirit’, a green leaf form named ‘Grace’ and an "always petite" version that goes by the name ‘Young Lady’. Regardless of the name the performance is unique and impressive!

I prefer her when she is dressed in shades of deep rich purple foliage. Then she goes by the name ‘Velvet Cloak.’ In this form she is a delightful and perhaps at her extreme best.

With a sense of style and casual elegance, she sports a champagne mink bark imbedded with soft charcoal flecks-trimmed with dark burgundy foliage-a total designer look!

It is her bark, its coloring and the way it fits her that made our first meeting so memorable. A major part of her charm is her light complexion of bark. It contrasts so well with whatever color foliage she wears.

Her naturally well tapered stems are remarkable too! Some say it is her best feature. Another trait is her “good bones”- her vertical branching. I love the way her skyward reaching limbs are grouped. It is like several candelabras stacked, welded together and carefully balanced on a stout but strong base trunk. Although she develops this characteristic in her youth, it improves with age till she becomes living art.

Her candle-like stems are like the intense young mothers that practice mall walking and child rearing. It is a challenge of mastering of motion and motherhood. Each flexible branch has a repeating series of leaf clusters that encircle the mother-like stems. However each leaf appears to be resentful of close quarters and the wind that tries to move them. They strain not to touch and stand firm where they are, as if committed to forever standing apart.

This little scene repeats along sections of stems, leaving each foliage family a preplanned amount of living space. This creates a high rise effect, with the most fortunate leaf clusters having the benefits of penthouse living! Eventually ‘Velvet Cloak’ stretches to the heights of 12’ or more. The over all effect is not too crowded, pleasantly organized and uniquely smoke bush.

She does have very tiny clusters of yellow green fairy size flowers. These are suspended by puffs of filament hair that remains and ages to mauve pink. This creates the billowy clouds of “smoke” that inspired her common name of Smoke bush.

She “steps out” again by autumn, after changing her attire to shades of gold, copper orange, red and purple. She could compete on the “Best Dressed List ” with her distance relative Sumac (Rhus). She sometimes comes that close to stealing the show.

She is polite, not invasive and has a minimalist's expectations. Less than average soil is ok with her, as long as it is well drained and not soggy. She likes sunshine. She is also a great soil stabilizer because of her fibrous root system.

Care Factor Rating: 1 Smoke bush ‘Velvet Robe’ (Cotinus coggygria) must be watered regularly till established. To maintain her natural branching habit, minimize any pruning to the removal of only the occasional damaged or dead branch. This can be done any time of the year. She is normally pest free and without any significant disease issues.

If blooming is not a concern, and her height must be regulated, stems may be cut back hard in early spring each year before leaf break. This will induce a surge of vigorous new growth with slightly larger than normal leaves. This will also change her form. This annual hard pruning will control size to some degree. It will also create a “smoke free” environment with no flowering. This care technique increases her care factor rating to 3 as it creates a high maintenance situation that is not needed for the health or ornamental appearance of the shrub. Over time this pruning method could cause some stress, affect her over all vigor and her winter appeal.

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show hosts John Shea and Jim McMillian Help Backstoppers!

The 24th Annual Old Webster Christmas Open House was a Big HIT!

November 8th was a great success however it seemed that Fred Bird stole the show when he got the best of both John Shea and Jim McMillian. Here is Jim McMillian missing Fred's pitch during Rolling Ridge’s special fundraiser booth “Batting for Backstoppers.

100% of the donations plus an extra $1.00 for every hit was donated by Jim McMillian and his gang!

We all had a great time while helping out! Debbie, John's assistant and myself ganging up on poor John! (what's new!)

KTRS 550 Inside Out Show Week of November 7th 2009 Plant of the Week Redtwig Dogwood Cardinal

Redtwig dogwood ‘Cardinal’ is an easy fast growing shrub that is related to the native redtwig dogwood found in Missouri’s natural plant community. He is quite adaptable. He is so handsome that he is defiantly doorstep worthy.
A master of versatility. He is ready to mix it up with boggy buddies ‘Henry Garnet’ Sweetspire, ‘Little King’ River birch and ‘Morton’ Arrowood viburnum. If there is a touch of shade, let sweet little Christmas fern and her friend Geranium maculatum play too! They can romp around the base of these bigger guy to make a beautiful layered combination!

Redtwig dogwood ‘Cardinal’ is good at making friends, so plant him anywhere that has at least average soil and moisture. Although very tough and drought tolerant, to look his best, give him little extra water if it gets really hot and dry!
His bright red color in his stems goes away in the growing season so he can be focused on being more service oriented. It is then when he works to take up excess run off water, especially in early spring.

He does a fine job as a soil anchor. He reduces erosion while he feeds nectar to the local butterflies! He does have rather nice lacey looking white flowers. He also makes very small blue berries, a favorite of song birds.
By mid-autumn, his foliage turns hues of black-eyed purple- just to hint that there is much more to come. By the time the leaves dropped, the twigs have renewed their deep red pigment. This lasts till spring. Like most Redtwig dogwoods, he will stretch up to 6’ and can be kept to that height with ease.

Care Factor Rating: 3 Redtwig dogwood ‘Cardinal’ ( Cornus sericea) must be watered regularly till established. To maintain the best stem color, prune all stems close to the ground in early spring every 2-3 years. This is likely to disrupt flowering and fruit production just for that season. This will also encourage the mature height to stay just below 6’. This pruning method is easier than trying to remove 20-25% of the oldest stems each spring. Otherwise remove only the occasional damaged or dead branch any time of the year.

Although he does like to spread outward from his base but he is controllable and well mannered when given boundaries. Once established, remove any excess shoots with a pruning saw. Cut around the base with a sharp shovel and 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.

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

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'