Selections for 2023
2023 Tree Selection
Trident Maple
Trident maple or three-toothed maple is native to China, Korea, and Japan. It is an
attractive, small, rounded, deciduous tree that typically grows rather slowly to 20-25’.
This tree tends to grow as a multi-stemmed, low-branching specimen, but it can be
pruned to a single stem. Triangular, three-lobed leaves are glossy green above and
pale green beneath. It has interesting flaky bark revealing an orange-brown inner
bark on mature trunks. Variable but usually attractive fall color features shades
of dark red and orange.
2023 Shrub Selection
Winterberry Holly Dwarf
Common winterberry is a deciduous holly native of Eastern North America. Inconspicuous
flowers are followed by dense clusters of bright red berries that persist on branches
throughout winter providing a spectacular winter display. The species is a globular,
upright, medium-sized shrub, typically 6-10 ft. tall, but dwarf cultivars have been
developed which are perfect for small spaces and containers.
2023 Perennial Selection
Turk's Cap
This native perennial grows 2-3’ high (sometimes higher) and 3-5’ wide. The species
has bright-red, pendant, hibiscus-like flowers that never fully open with petals overlapping
to form a loose tube said to resemble a Turkish turban, hence its common name, Turk's
Cap. Red flowers usually are produced in showy profusion during hot weather at the
end of summer and early fall. White- and pink-flowered cultivars and a variegated
form available. Turk’s Cap is a good ornamental for shady sites. Good nectar plant
for hummingbirds, butterflies, moths, and other insects, Fruit are attractive to birds
and mammals. The fruit is edible either raw or cooked, tasting rather like apple,
hence its Spanish name, Manzanilla (Little Apple).
2023 Annual Selection
Cape Plumbago
Cape plumbago or cape leadwort, is native to South Africa. It is a weak-stemmed perennial
evergreen shrub that grows 6-7’ tall and 8-10’ wide in its native habitat but is treated
as an annual where it more typically grows 1-3’ per year. Cape plumbago can be grown
in containers and moved indoors during the winter. It is often kept relatively compact
through periodic pruning and/or a hard annual pruning if grown in a pot and moved
indoors during winter. Clusters of pale sky-blue phlox-like flowers bloom freely throughout
the growing season. ‘Alba’ is a white flowering form, ‘Imperial Blue’ has large clusters
of deep sky-blue flowers, ‘Monott’ has huge clusters of vivid deep blue flowers. Flowers
attract butterflies.