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YOUR GARDEN
A PLAN AHEAD to
ensure autumn
COLOR! Witch Hazel
Crepe Myrtle 42
ARLINGTON TODAY • December 2020 • arlingtontoday.com
s temperatures drop and tree leaves start to make their winter exodus, you probably aren’t thinking about a fall garden. But with gray days ahead, it might encourage you to envision a landscape full of autumn color next year, and Bottlebrush Buckeye to help you plan for just that, Wendy Pappas, Arlington Parks & Recreation Department’s Urban Forestry Land Manager, suggests five small trees you can add to get a jump on bloom-time beauty once the weather warms up. Flowering Dogwood The Dogwood tree is not only beautiful in the fall, but offers interest in every season all year long. In early spring, Dogwood can bloom in many different colors of white, pink, red and anything in between. In summer, leaves will turn bright green. Fall will bring another gorgeous range of leaf color from red to deep purple. In the winter, Dogwood will grow bright red berries that birds love to eat. This is an ornamental tree that can grow up to 40 feet tall in optimal conditions. Crepe Myrtle This Southern staple is a summer and fall favorite, and for good reason. This fastgrowing tree usually blooms from July to September, and flowers can range in color from white, red, pink, purple or even almost orange. Depending on variety, Crepe Myrtles have brilliant fall leaf colors, including red, orange and yellow. Winged Sumac Winged Sumac trees like full sun and can grow anywhere from 7-15 feet tall and 10-20 feet wide. Much like Dogwood, this tree offers year-round beauty. Sumac blooms clusters of white flowers in the summer and grows berries in the winter. This plant will reproduce rapidly if conditions are favorable. Witch Hazel While many people consider Witch Hazel to be a shrub, it can be grown as either a shrub or a tree. This plant prefers full sun or partial shade and has moderate needs for watering. Overall, Witch Hazel is a very low-maintenance plant, and you won’t need to prune very often. Bottlebrush Buckeye This small tree will grow up to 12 feet tall and 15 feet wide. It is suited for USDA hardiness zones 4-8 and cannot handle drought conditions, so regular watering is important. The Bottlebrush Buckeye tree will bloom white, wispy flowers in June and July, and leaves will turn a bright yellow color in fall. Full to partial shade is ideal for this tree, and you won’t need to do much maintenance. The Bottlebrush Buckeye is very resistant to disease.
Flowering Dogwood
Winged Sumac
