SWIPE RIGHT FOR AMAZING TREES

As 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!)

 TIMBER PROFILE: TULIP TREE

(LIRIODENDRON TULIPIFERA)

Tall, dark and handsome, with lush green leaves, I’ll surprise you with flowers each spring. I stand 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: 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.

 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 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.

 TIMBER PROFILE: AMERICAN

HORNBEAM (CARPINUS CAROLINIANA) – NICKNAME: MUSCLEWOOD

Want a little muscle in your garden? Pick me to thrive in your understory or smaller yard. While I don’t have the fancy flowers of my spring friends, I am a native guy that will stand out in your garden. My small leaves hang nice and neat. Occasionally I get a small seed pod (that looks like hops) but nothing messy and the squirrels seem to like them. I show off a bit in the fall with a magnificent palette of red, burgundy, orange and yellow. And my smooth bark looks like human muscles that you can’t resist running your hands over. As I age, my bark gets even better. I’m short but I pack a lot of punch. Do you have room in your heart for this shy, native guy?

Meagan is the Senior Landscape Designer at Wasco Nursery in St. Charles. She can be reached at 630-584-4424 or design@ wasconursery.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!