Annual Plant Pre-Sale and Talk, Sunday, April 6, 1 p.m., Dale/Engle/Walker House

Talk: “The Future of Native Trees in Pennsylvania”
by John Portzline, PA Bureau of Forestry.

TREES

1)Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) A major tree of the east coast with a slow growth rate.  It prefers a moist soil but can tolerate drought.  The large leaves turn bight yellow, orange or red in the fall. Tolerates sun to partial shade. 

2)Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)  A small multi-trunked tree (20’) with a smooth gray trunk and leaves with a silvery underside.  It produces fragrant creamy white blossoms in the spring. Prefers full sun to partial shade and a moist soil but is highly adaptable to various soils.

3) Black Birch (Betula lenta) This birch, can grow to 40’ in height and has twigs and foliage with a wintergreen odor and flavor when crushed.  It is also known as sweet or cherry birch and prefers moist, well-drained soil but tolerant of dry soils.

4)River birch (Betula nigra) This average sized tree (50’) has a cinnamon-colored exfoliating bark and is tolerant of both wet and dry soils.  It has a medium to fast growth rate and does well in full sun or partial shade.

5) Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)  A fast-growing tall tree with golden foliage in the fall and tulip-shaped flowers in the spring.  It has moderate water requirements and thrives in full sun or partial shade.

6) Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) – An ornamental, small- to medium-sized deciduous tree looking shrubby in its youth but reaching 50’ at maturity.  Tree features attractive greenish-yellow flowers.  Full sun to partial shade.

SHRUBS

1)Grey Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) Deciduous shrub growing 10-15’ tall and featuring white flowers on red terminal stems.  Whitish clusters of berries in the fall.  Full sun to partial shade.

2)Red Osier Dogwood. (Cornus sericea) A multi-stemmed shrub with bright red stems and clusters of white flowers in the spring followed by white to bluish berries in the fall.

Requires sun to partial shade and a moist soil.

3) ) Buttonbush(Cephalanthus occidentalis) – A coarse deciduous shrub with an open-rounded habit that typically grows 6-12’.  Features white, fragrant, pin-cushion-like flowers.  Full sun to part shade, and wet to medium-wet soil.  Bloom time: June - July. 

4) Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) - A slow-growing, deciduous holly shrub which typically grows 3-12’ tall.  Full sun to part shade and wet to moist soil.  Greenish-white flowers in June-July and bright red berries in late summer to fall. 

5) Northern Bayberry  (Myrica pensylvanica) – A dense branching deciduous shrub, rounded habit, reaching 6-10’ tall.  Yellowish green flowers and spicy scented leaves.  Full sun to part shade.  Bloom time: May. 

6) Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) A showy shrub with spirea-like flowers which give way to reddish inflated capsules.  Easily grown in average, dry to medium well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. 

7) Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) A multiple-stemmed shrub with large pinnate leaves, dense flat topped clusters of white flowers and juicy berries.  Grows best in sun or partial shade and moist soil.

8) Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) A medium-sized shrub with shiny leaves, creamy white flat-topped flowers and bluish-purple berries.  Full sun to partial shade.  Highly adaptable to poor soils but prefers moist well-drained soils.

9) American Cranberrybush (Viburnum trilobum) A medium-sized shrub with white lacecap flowers followed by bright red translucent berries.  Leaves are maple-like. Full sun to partial shade and moist well-drained soil. 

10) Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) – A deciduous shrub with a broad, rounded habit which typically grows 6-12’ tall.  Full sun to part shade.  Greenish-yellow flowers in early spring and spicy scented leaves.

PERENNIALS

1)Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)  Clusters of small nectar-filled orange flowers.  Enjoys full sun and dry soil.  Blooms May to September.

2)Bottle Gentian ( Gentiana andrewsii)  Features tight clusters of tubular deep blue flowers which never open in late summer.  Best grown in moist well-drained soils in partial shade. Will form large clumps if left alone.

3)Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)  A small spreading herbaceous plant which emerges in the spring  with palmate scalloped leaves centered around a striking white flower. Leaves continue to grow during summer.  A forest floor plant which prefers partial shade or full shade and medium moisture.

4)Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)  A long-lived and slowly-spreading plant forming beautiful clumps of blue pink flowers.  Does best in partial sun to shade and medium to moist soil.

5)Bellwort or Merrybells (Uvularia grandiflora)   A clump-forming erect plant that grows to 2’ high and features long, pendulous bell-shaped yellow flowers.  Medium moisture and partial shade to full shade.

6)Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya) A tall Liatris with a impressive spike of clustered lavender flowers.  Best in full sun and does well in moist clay soils.  Excellent cut flower.

7)Ox Eye Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) Bright yellow 2-3” flowers in early to midsummer.  Full sun and tolerates most soils. Grows 3’ tall and becomes bushy in open sites.

8) Ramp or Wild Leek (Allium tricoccum) A plant with broad lily-like leaves and a 12” high globular cluster of white flowers in the spring.  Bulbs are edible.  Needs moist organic soil and partial shade.

9) Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) A member of the bleeding heart family with pantaloon-like flowers and deeply cut graceful leaves.  Blooms early in spring.  Prefers a well-drained soil with average moisture and partial shade.

10) Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) A nice clump-forming plant producing clusters of white 1” tubular flowers pointing upward on one- to two-foot stems.  Requires a moist soil and partial shade .

11)Wild Blue Lupine (Lupinus perennis) Blue pea-like flowers on spikes that are from 1-2 feet.  Blooms midsummer in dry open areas.

12) Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) Low growing (4-6”) and spreading to 12-18”.  Blooms for much of summer with bright yellow daisy-like flowers.  Prefers partial shade and an organic moist soil.

13) Blackeyed Susan ‘Goldsturm’ (Rudbeckia fulgida) The most popular and adaptive of the native Black-eyed Susans. Tolerates full sun or partial shade and clay soils and mild droughts.

14) Hyssop ‘Golden Jubilee’, (Agastachefoeniculum) Leaves have scent of licorice-mint and flowers are a favorite of bees. Grows to about 24” in average soils and tolerates dry conditions  but needs full sun.

15)Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata) Low growing (3-6”) rapidly-spreading plant with lilac-colored flowers.  Best grown in moist well-drained soil in partial shade.

16) Bee-Balm ‘Raspberry Wine”(Monarda didyma) A clump-forming perennial with red blooms that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.  Grows to 3-4’ in full sun and average to moist soil. Aromatic foliage.

17)Bee-Balm “Petite Delight’(Monarda didyma) A dwarf compact cultivar (12-15”) with lavender-rose flowers which bloom much of the summer. Aromatic foliage.

18)Echinacea ‘Sundown’ A warm orange cultivar of the popular purple coneflower which grows to 35” in most soils and needs little water.

19)Echinacea ‘After Midnight’ A dark magenta cultivar of the purple coneflower but also of shorter height (12”).  Will grow in any well-drained soil and tolerates drought once established.

20)Goldie’s Wood Fern (Dryopteris goldiana) The largest species of our native wood ferns ( up to 36”).  Grows in shade to partial shade and average soil.  Forms slow creeping clumps that require moderate moisture.