AWESOME FALL FOLIAGE MADE IN AMERICA, AND IN JAPAN

Cornus controversia ‘variegata’ Just because it is a Cornus (Dogwood) does not mean that it comes from North America- this cornus comes from the woodlands of Japan.

 I think that we often dont think about circumpolar autumn, but in Japan, Korea, China, Switzerland, germany, Russia, Finland – it’s also autumn, and so many of our garden plants come from around the world.

The ‘Lily of the Valley’ tree, or Oxydendrum arboreum, also known as the Sourwood is a small America native perfect for small gardens has outstanding foliage in the fall.

The ‘Lily of the Valley Tree’, Oxydendrum arboreum reminds me my early college horticulture classes while attending the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at UMASS (I later transferred out of the program to attend Unity College in Maine). It was back in the 70’s, and this tree one that I had wanted so badly after seeing it in bloom that later summer while working as a gardener at an estate. A pretty little tree, it seems to grow no taller than 15 or 20 feet from what I can tell, most seem to mature at around 12 feet.

Oxydendrum is one of our great native trees which many seem to pass over for Japanese or other Asian plants, but it is a choice specimen tree if sited well. A great foundation tree for a large puddle of low shrubs that might need a focal point which is not a dogwood. The flowers every-so-slightly resemnle those of the lily of the valley, one might say that they look like 7 or 8 lily of the valley floral stems affixed to the end of each branch and allowed to droop elegantly.  My tree is still young, and has not bloomed yet so I have any photos to offer.

Aesculus parviflora var. serotina ‘Rogers’ – not your average horse chestnut with surprisingly golden fall foliage

Aesculus parviflora var. serotina ‘Rogers’

This bottlebrush buckeye which is native to the woodlands of the southeastern US is rarely seen in gardens, and in most garden centers but it is worth seeking out for it’d overall form which is anything but tree like, more like a dense, deciduous multiple stemed shrub clad with these large palmate leaves, and showy panicles of white flowers – more like a delicate oak-leaf hydrangea presence than an horsey-horse chestnut. This selection is more choice than the typical species, native to Alabama, and it can grow a bit taller than the species with larger inflorescences, and who wouldn’t want that! This plant is still young – I planted it two years ago, and it needs to have some time before it generates enough stems for form a dense mound. The foliage is surprisingly bright and beautiful though, don’t you think?

Aralia spinosa – the Devil’s Walking Stick is native to Eastern North America – but is it garden worthy?

 If you grow this beast, you might be saying ‘Matt? Why are you showing this as fine shrub?” The ‘Devil’s walking stick, Hercules’ Club, Prickly Ash — you start to get the picture. This is one prickly plant with most every surface covered with sharp spines – even the large, compound leaves. Invasive almost to a point (get it?). It also runs, so be careful – this one requires a woodland site.

Yet, I really enjoy this shrub in the garden. The term shrub can be misleading, it more of a multistemmed small tree in most locations. The leaf, which I said it compound, a botanical term for many leaflets on a long petiole – this shrub has the largest compound leaf of any North American tree, with the entire leaf structure often reaching 3 or 4 feet long, even though the individual leaflets are only 2 or 3 inches long. Of course, all are covered with razor sharp spines. Proceed with caution.

If one chooses to masochistically grow this shrub, it’s for those large compound leaves, and perhaps the large panicles of blossoms in the summer followed by clouds of deep violet berries (drupes actually) which with all honesty are rather un exciting. The flowers on a large specimen in July and August can be striking, but one plants this shrub more as a textural novelty than anything else. That is until autumn when those large compound leaves turn an amazing gold with a Macintosh Apply reddish bloom. There is no other way to describe it.

All Enkianthus are worthy landscape plants, but few match the autumanl color of Enkianthus perulatus.