A New Tree

The past few days while I've been at work, Husband has been going around looking at different clump trees. I wanted an understory tree for a spot between my forsythia where there is a hole.

5 or 6 nurseries later, we finally narrowed the group down to about 6 or 8 different varieties. The original thought was for a Service Berry. I like this tree because it is native and is a big draw to some small birds such as wrens and buntings. I like the tiny but distinctive white flowers early spring and the medium green leaves in the summer. The fall color is yellow.

Other varieties we looked at were the Ironwood tree, not a clump but with an interesting red flower very early. Several different clump dogwoods including a very rare but extremely lovely yellow dogwood, clump maple, clump lilac, and clump hawthorne.

The one clump dogwood we found that was the right size for us to handle turned out to be a Kousa dogwood, probably the one variety of dogwood that I don't really like. My reason for not liking this dogwood is because the flowers come out so late in the season and are lost in the dense foliage of the tree. The flowers are generally a creamy color and just not as showy nor does it have that wonderful open branch pattern or the deep dark bark as the florida species. The Cornus florida has more problems with canker, sun scorch, blight and scale, but it is an earlier bloom and an extremely showy plant.

There was a wonderful yellow Cornus florida, which I'd never seen before. This was a strong contender. It was the species of dogwood that I really liked, but it was an earlier bloom (starting now) than the other dogwoods and to put it in a row of forsythia, I was afraid it would get lost with the color. The flowers are approximately the same color as the forsythia flower and to bloom at the same time in the same area..... However, I've not forgotten this beauty. If I decide on another understory tree, this one will be given first consideration. It is a beautiful conversation plant.

I didn't like the Ironwood tree all that much. Very early spring (now), it bursts into these tiny red brac type flowers. Though not big, they are somewhat showy, but get lost in a mess of strangling branches. Even with the exfoliating winter bark, this tree just gets lost with no attractive branch pattern. An open branch pattern would be nice to see this wonderful exfoliating winter bark and to show off those wonderful ruby red flowers.

The clump redbud is a lovely small tree that has these really showy pink/fushia colored flowers that stay very close to the gray/black bark of this tree. Yet, the open branch pattern is designed to really show off this very early color. However, I drag my with this beauty because I had one just a couple of years ago that simply dropped dead after 4 years. It was never discovered why this tree died and that makes me nervous. Still, it remains a favorite for me. The dark bark, open branch pattern, multiple trunks and those very tiny but plentiful fushia pink flowers make this tree a real eye catcher. Put it over top those yellow forsythia flowers and you will have the color that will stop traffic.

So the picture above is the tree we picked. I went back to my original desire for a clump service berry. It should bloom tiny white flowers just as the forsythia are finished with their blooms extending the flowering on my side yard to the entire summer, coming to an end about the time the roses begin. And then a mid summer show a nice crop of purple fruits which the tiny birds will fight over. The fragrance of this small tree is also a huge asset. With it right at my office window, I should be able to enjoy this wonderful fragrance on nice days when I have my window open.

The Service Berry in the picture is the one we chose. The nursery will call us when they dig it so we can collect it and plant it ASAP. They will probably dig it before the end of the week, since we were told it is becoming the end of the season for digging the early flowering trees. There has been so much rain lately that the nurseries haven't been able to dig these early gems this year and are struggling to get them balled and ready for sale.

So now it has come to the conclusion that I am a fuss budget when it comes to my trees. It takes a lot out of us to choose a tree. It must be the right tree for the right spot from the right nursery. But then, trees are long lived, and an asset to a property, offering shade and protection from the elements as well as food in more indigenous cases and shelter for animal life.