Franklinia alatamaha- Franklin Tree 

in 2 gallon containers

Habitat

• native to southeastern United States
• zone 5

Habit and Form

•  a small deciduous tree
•  15' to 25' tall
•  almost as wide
•  slow growth rate

Summer Foliage

•  alternate leaf arrangement
•  simple, deciduous leaves
•  oblong leaf shape
•  4" to 8" long

Autumn Foliage

•  orange-red fall color
•  showy

Flowers

•  white flowers
•  blooms in late summer
•  fragrant
•  showy
•  3" in diameter

Fruit

•  dry rounded fruit
•  up to 1" in diameter
•  not ornamentally important

Culture

•  prefers well-drained, rich, acidic soil
•  needs moisture
•  partial sun to full

Liabilities

•  root rot
•  needs extra watering

Cornus florida - Flowering Dogwood

in 3 gallon containers

Habitat

• native to the eastern and central United States
• zone 5 with selection of proper genetic material
• grows naturally as an understory tree

Habit and Form

• a small deciduous tree
• grows to about 30' tall with an equal or greater spread
• shape is rounded to somewhat flat-topped

Summer Foliage

• opposite, simple leaves
• oval to ovate shape
• leaves 3" to 6" long

Autumn Foliage

• red or reddish purple
• generally quite showy
• colors early and color holds for an extended period

Flowers

• flowers are small and yellowish green
• bloom time is mid-May
• bloom is effective for 2 weeks
• flowering occurs before leaf out

Fruit

• bright, shiny red fruits
• held in tight clusters of 3 to 4
• each fruit is 0.33" to 0.5" long and elongated

Culture

• prefers a cool, moist, acidic soil that contains organic matter
• full sun promotes greatest flowering but tolerates partial shade well
• not tolerant of stresses such as heat, drought, pollution, road salt

Liabilities

• flower buds can be killed or injured by cold in zone 5
• dogwood borer
• dogwood anthracnose
• powdery mildew

Halesia carolina - Carolina silverbell 

in 2 gallon containers

Habitat

• native to southeastern United States
• zone 5

Habit and Form

• a small to medium-sized, flowering tree
• reaches 30' to 40' tall
• 25' to 35' wide

Summer Foliage

• alternate, deciduous leaves
• dark green color

Autumn Foliage

• yellow-green

Flowers

• pendulous, white, bell-shaped flowers
• in clusters of up to 5
• bloom time is early May

Fruit

• interesting four-winged, oblong fruit
• persists into winter
• 1" to 0.5" long

Bark

• attractive, smooth, muscle-like bark
• bark on twigs exfoliates slightly in fine silvery shreds

Culture

• full sun to partial shade
• prefers a moist, well-drained, acid soil

Landscape Uses

• for showy spring flowers
• as a specimen

Liabilities

• chlorosis on high pH soils
• twig kill in severe winters
• relatively pest-free

Oxydendron - Sourwood tree 

in 3 gallon containers

Habitat

• native to southeastern United States, as far north as Pennsylvania
• zone 5
• most often found on well-drained soils above rivers or streams

Habit and Form

• deciduous, small to medium-sized tree
• pyramidal shape
• drooping and swooping branches
• in the wild trees can reach 50' to 75' tall
• cultivated specimens typically reach only 25' to 30' tall
• growth rate is slow

Summer Foliage

• leaves are alternate
• shiny, bright green to dark green
• foliage is of high ornamental quality

Autumn Foliage

• very good for fall color
• a rich maroon, scarlet or plum color
• colored foliage persists late into autumn

Flowers

• small, white urn-shaped flowers
• 0.25"
• fragrant
• blooms in mid-July
• typically blooms heavily

Fruit

• 0.3" long dehiscent capsules
• eventually turning brown in fall
• persistent

Bark

• twigs are bright red and green and glabrous
• bark on trunks develops a blocky, alligator appearance similar to persimmon or flowering dogwood

Culture

• full sun to partial shade
• more sun translates into better fall color and more bloom
• prefers a moist, acidic, peaty, well-drained soil
• avoid polluted, urban locations

Landscape Use

• excellent as a specimen tree
• very useful for small residences
• along the edge of woods
• in small groves or clusters

Liabilities

• not pollution tolerant
• young or recently moved trees lack full cold hardiness in zone 5
• twig kill in severe winters
• fairly specific soil requirements for good growth
• slow growing
• few disease or insect problems

Cercis canadensis - Eastern Redbud: 

in 2 gallon containers

Habitat

• native to the southeastern and central United States, from New Jersey south
• hardy to zone 5 and protected, warm parts of 4

Habit and Form

• a  small, deciduous tree
• 20' to 30' tall
• 25' to 35' wide
• shape is rounded to broad and flat-topped
• main trunk is short, dividing into several large branches close to the ground

Summer Foliage

• alternately arranged, simple leaves
• wide, heart-shaped leaves
• leaves emerge bright green tinged red and mature to a dark green

Autumn Foliage

• color is yellow green
• can be a showy, bright yellow on some plants in some years

Flowers

• very showy
• small, purplish-pink pea-like flowers
• bloom time is late April to early may
• in clusters of 4 to 8

Fruit

• flattened legume pods
• 2" to 3" long
• changes from green to dark brown in October

Bark

• bark on stems is glabrous and reddish-brown to dark brown
• older branches have a scaly dark brown bark that exfoliates some to reveal orangish inner bark

Culture

• full sun to light shade
• likes a moist, well-drained, soil, but is adaptable to most soils that are not permanently wet
• avoid very dry and hot locations

Landscape Use

• specimen tree
• for showy spring flowering
• naturalized or woodland plantings

Liabilities

• lack of cold hardiness if proper genetic material isn't used
• twig kill and dieback in zones 5 and 4
• wood can be brittle with trees splitting at crotches
• canker

Amelanchier - Serviceberry: 

in 2 gallon containers

Habitat

• native to northeastern United States down through Florida and across to Iowa
• hardy to zone 4

Habit and Form

• a deciduous, small tree or large shrub
• 15' to 25' tall
• multi-stemmed
• rounded crown
• medium texture
• medium growth rate

Summer Foliage

• deciduous simple leaves
• alternate leaf arrangement
• elliptic leaf shape
• 1" to 3" long
• serrated leaf margin
• medium green leaf color

Autumn Foliage

• yellow-orange to red fall color
• colors early and leaves fall early

Flowers

• white flowers
• flowers borne in pendulous racemes
• 2" to 4" long
• blooms early spring
• showy but short-lived

Fruit

• red fruit
• pome fruit
• 0.25" to 0.33" in diameter
• ripens in June
• favorite of birds

Bark

• smooth, grayish bark
• "striped" with vertical fissures
• very ornamental
• olive-green young stems

Culture

• transplant from container
• prefers moist, well-drained, acidic soil
• full sun to partial shade
• tolerant of pollution
• thrives in wet site

Landscape Uses

• for bark effect
• specimen planting
• small grouping
• flower effect
• naturalized areas
• wet sites
• background or screen

Liabilities

• rusts, scales, aphids and mildews