Trees

[McDonough]

Even rock gardeners plant trees, either for shade or for ornamental purposes in their gardens.  I'm starting this topic to explore favorite ornamental trees and shrubs that we might consider adding to our gardens.

I start with Magnolia tripetala, a southeastern USA species.  The USDA Plant Profile link shows its native distribution as including New England and Massachusetts, whereas the Flora of North America does not, it shows a more limited southerly range.  Regardless, this "giant leaf" magnolia is perfectly hardy here.

Magnolia tripetala, umbrella magnolia, umbrella tree (Syn. Magnolia virginiana var. tripetala)
USDA Plant Profile shows a distribution including Massachusetts, but the Flora of North America does not show any distribution that far north, it shows a more limited southeasterly distribution.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=MATR
http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=6428&flora_id=1

What I show is a selection named M. tripetala 'Petite', selected on account of the bright red seed heads.  My tree grew to about 18', but snapped off at the base in an ice storm in 2008.  For the next 3 years I selected suckers to become the new tree, but each autumn the leader would break off. Finally in 2011, a new leader became strong enough to restart the tree.  It's a quick grower, with enormous tropical looking leaves, and immense blooms.

I was totally surprised today to see a single large bloom from my deck, hadn't even seen a bud before that.  The leaves can grow more than 2' long (70 cm), a leaf whorl is huge, with striking late blooming white flowers. When checking out the bloom, I was surprised that flowers smelled so bad, a weird hard-to-describe aroma, something like brackish fishy salt water. It is reported "the malodorous flowers of Magnolia tripetala are uniquely associated with this species".

Two views of the flower, about 8" across.  

   

[RickR]

Lirodendron tulipifera (Tulip tree) has the strongest coloring I've seen yet in my yard.  Too bad the flowers are so high up, but they are surprisingly discernable among the foliage.

          

[Hoy]

These are nice, Rick! I grow a specimen in my yard and it is about 15 years old but I've never seen flowers. I don't expect to see any either as the summers are too cool I suppose.

[RickR]

That tree is 20 years old from a 5ft tree.  It only began bloom in the last 5 years, so there is still hope for you, Trond.  Flowers are a bonus.  I was just happy it survived this far north!  Apparently, it needs a pollinator and I only have one tree, so seeds are non-viable. 

[Hoy]

Mark, I hadn't noticed your post on Magnolia tripetala
Magnolia is one of my favorite shrub- and tree genera However, I only have about 5-6 different species. I would love to grow M. tripetala but our summers are to cool, I assume. It wouldn't harden off in time for winter

[Afloden]

Magnolia tripetala should be hardy for you. Here it is a mountain plant or in shelter mesic areas. It is extremely abundant when found, but I cannot say I've seen any cones set this year so far. Fraseri should do well for you too. Your cooler weather may make it slower growing, but I doubt it would have much issue with hardening off properly.

[Hoy]

Thanks, Aaron. Now I need to get hold of seeds

[RickR]

Our Minnesota Arboretum had their Spring Expo this past weekend.  The staff always invites local plant societies to put up display tables (manned or unmanned) to promote their cause or even sell things.  I represented NARGS and the American Conifer Society.  I snipped a few conifers from my yard and made this bouquet.  In it you can see:
Thuja occidentalis 'Spiralis'
Chamaecyparis thyoides
Pinus strobus 'Wintergold'
Thuja koraiensis (green upper sides and white undersides)

I meant to make a more detailed photo, but I generally hate using flash and forgot to turn in on, so this will have to do.

          

As I talked with one of my friends (who knows there are pines that turn yellow in winter), I discovered that he still assumed the yellow was just a sickly color that was supposed to be green.  So I had to put a note with the arrangement that said:
"Wintergold White pine is supposed to yellow!".  

Better pics now:

             

[Gordon]

Rick, what a great selection of evergreens. We've grown fond of them in the lndscape, and are always looking for a few more interesting plants to add to the yard. It is funny how many folks think that evergreens with golden foliage are sickly, so they don't buy them. This year we are looking forward to see how much growth Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Goldrush' (also known as 'Ogon')puts on in a season. The photo of Goldrush below is credited to Alfred Osterloh- Hortipedia Commons.

Growing trees from seed is usually a trial of patience, but there are a few exceptions. Last year, we planted a seedling of Paulownia tomentosa. At the time of planting, it was little over 1 foot/ 30 cm high. By the end of summer 2012, it had reached about 9 feet, almost 3 metres high, with individual leaves that were 60 cm / 2 feet across. I collected some seed from a mature tree nearby, and now have a flat of seedlings. It will be interesting to see how quickly they grow from such tiny seeds.

[Hoy]

A nice bouquet, Rick! At least I can now match the Thuja koraiensis

Gordon, several years ago I did grow Paulownia from seed. Although they were quick to grow by our standards they couldn't beat yours! They lasted a few years but Paulownia doesn't like neither our summers nor our winters

[RickR]

Paulownia tomentosa is only root hardy here most years, and the few "established" ones that I've seen grow 10-12ft each year with multiple stems.

Some more pics of Thuja koraiensis:
http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=274.0;attach=13692;image

http://nargs.org/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=907.0;attach=25778;image

[McDonough]

Paulownia tomentosa is only root hardy here most years, and the few "established" ones that I've seen grow 10-12ft each year with multiple stems.

Paulownia tomentosa presents a paradox, a tree of great beauty in flower, and with a wide following because of its rapid growth rate (up to 18' a year) making it a valuable resource for rapid reforestation in its native China, the timber known for "rot resistance and a very high ignition point ensures the timber's popularity in the world market". The wood has some special properties (such as warp-resistant) that make it popular for making musical instruments, chests, surf-boards, mostly in certain geographical areas such as in Japan and Australia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulownia

If you google it in the context of Eastern United States, you'll find it is considered an invasive species.  In spring if I drive through States such as New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, it becomes obvious just how aggressively this tree has spread, miles upon endless miles of the highway periphery this tree is full glorious bloom, but that's worrisome.

In Massachusetts, it is hardy but seldom seen, in fact, I only know one place where it grows, at Mount Auburn Cemetery, a magnificent arboretum and cemetery very close to Boston, the first of its type in the United States.  Here are two photos showing a mature specimen in spring, just as a lilac tinge reveals the expanding buds high up in the canopy.  The second photo shows the bark on this impressive specimen.  This is growing in USDA Zone 5.

 

Some additional links:

Invasive status:
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pato1.htm
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/pautom/all.html

States where reported invasive (map):
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/map/pato1.htm

images of seeds and flowers (scroll down):
http://arbordayforum.com/showthread.php?8906-I-love-this-tree-but-don%92t-know-anything-about-it

flowers:
http://www.plants.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/paulownia-elongata1.png
http://worldtreetech.com/images/misc/product2.jpg

[RickR]

Quite unusual for such a fast growing tree to have such admirable wood qualities. 
In general, I think most of us think that fast growing trees tend to be junk.

For those who might be interested, I added some better pics of my conifer foliage bouquet in that post above.

[Hoy]

Although Paulownia is hardy to Z5 it does need a hot summer to get maximum cold tolerance. Most summers are too cold here.

Rick, your bouquet has a touch of Chinese (or do I mean Japanese) look

[McDonough]

Quite unusual for such a fast growing tree to have such admirable wood qualities.  
In general, I think most of us think that fast growing trees tend to be junk.

For those who might be interested, I added some better pics of my conifer foliage bouquet in that post above.

It is indeed a surprising tree in many respects, I suppose that is what makes it so interesting.  I find it fascinating that it can grow so darn quick initially, but once it reaches a certain size (whatever that size threshold is), it returns to growing and developing in more normal fashion.

Trond, it does seem a common thread, that certain plants actually need that summer heat and then proper hardening off periods of cold, to prove winter hardy. This fact became very clear the 4 years I lived near Seattle Washington, easily 3 zones more mild than where I lived in New England, but I had trouble overwintering a number of plants that easily sailed through New England winters without a blink of the eye.

Rick, I have said it before but I'll say it again, you have a real special knack for artistic arragements.