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AMAZING TREES A
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s my cabin fever starts to intensify with the end of winter, I start to get a little desperate for plants. My houseplants are bored with me and it’s too early to start seeds. The snow is still deep enough to hide any hints of spring growth, and the tree buds are still pretty tight. My imagination starts to run wild dreaming about spring. I mentally reorganize all the plants in my head and remember all of their great characteristics so I can match good plants with my clients’ yards. The more I thought about plant traits, the more it sounded like a dating app … so I present “Timber” … the app for trees that need to match with good gardens. (Yes, you should probably send someone to check on me if the weather hasn’t improved and the green hasn’t shown yet … I might be losing it!)
tall, stately and strong and my distinguished gray bark stands out in winter. I’m looking for the perfect midsize yard that I can grow and thrive in. Are you my match?
TIMBER PROFILE: TULIP TREE (LIRIODENDRON TULIPIFERA) Tall, dark and handsome, with lush green leaves, I’ll surprise you with flowers each spring. I stand
TIMBER PROFILE: ‘NORTHWIND’ KOREAN MAPLE (ACER X PSEUDOSIEBOLDIANUM) If you want a show in spring and fall, then I’m your guy. When my tender leaves unfold in spring, there is
HOME & LIFESTYLE MARCH 2022
TIMBER PROFILE: SWAMP WHITE OAK (QUERCUS BICOLOR) I get a bad reputation for growing slow, but that isn’t the case. I grow just as quickly as my counterparts, and I’m native so I’ve got that going for me. I have unique peeling bark that looks great in winter. My leaves are large with a bit of peach fuzz on the undersides that flickers in the wind. I do get acorns eventually, but that’s just one more way I help Mother Nature’s creatures besides being host to hundreds of pollinators and insects. I also survive in crummy soils or regular backyards.
a hint of red and orange. All summer long I bask in the sun and have large, lacy leaves. But fall is when I bring on the charm. My leaves will be a head-turning red, yellow and orange, and I positively glow in the warm sun of October. I’m smaller than other maples but still hardy (more so than my Japanese friends). Do you have a spot for me in your garden so I can brighten up your fall? TIMBER PROFILE: CRABAPPLE (MALUS SPP.) I have been a mainstay in the plant community for hundreds of years. I’m the old-fashioned, stop-yourcar-and-gawk-when-I’m-blooming, reliable friend you need in the garden. My old crab friends from back in the day don’t perform as well as I do (thanks to some great breeding!). So, no worries about bugs and disease — I’m tougher than I used to be! And sheesh — don’t forget my fruit! I hang onto it until winter and then all of your bird friends will clean me up before spring. If you want the prettiest show of flowers followed by food for wildlife, then find a spot in your heart and garden for me.
