Tree Finder

Live Oaks are native to Texas and grow throughout central Texas from Oklahoma to the Gulf Coast. Live Oak are beautiful trees with wide spreading canopies that have horizontal arching branches that tend to dip to the ground. Some of the most unique Live Oak in Texas have branches that spread outward and rest on the ground. Live Oak have dense canopies with dark green and waxy elliptical shaped leaves, 2 to 5 inches long, that are stiff and leathery and have a lighter grayish green color underneath. Live Oak trees shed their leaves every year in the spring which are quickly followed by new leaves giving them an evergreen appearance. Younger Live Oak trees light gray bark that is smooth and as they mature their bark becomes dark gray to black with ridges and furrows. Live Oak trees are amazingly adapted to drought and grow best on clay loams.

Common Names: Live Oak, Coastal Live Oak, Virginia Live Oak, Southern Live Oak

Eastern Red Cedar are attractive evergreens that are grown as a large shrubs or small trees with a dense pyramidal form. The Eastern Red Cedar is often used for windbreaks, screens and for median strip plantings in the highway. The Eastern Red Cedar will grow in a variety of soil types including clay and is very drought tolerant. The new foliage on an Eastern Red Cedar appears needle like with an attractive dark blue-green color. As the foliage on an Eastern Red Cedar matures they turn to a dark green color and appear scale like. The Eastern Red Cedar also has reddish-brown exfoliating bark that peels of in long vertical strips. In late fall the female Eastern Red Cedar produces an abundance of dark blue fruit.

Common Names: Virginia Juniper, Red Juniper, Pencil Cedar, Carolina Cedar

The Brodie Eastern Red Cedar (often referred to as Brodie Juniper) is one of the most popular cultivars of Juniperus virginiana because of its narrow pyramidal growth habit. Traditionally Eastern Red Cedar (parent plant of the Brodie Juniper) have not has as much popularity in smaller landscapes due to their mature width of 25’. Brodie Junipers will reach a mature width of 12’ which gives them more versatility in smaller landscapes and they are often used as privacy screens in narrower landscapes. Brodie Junipers have naturally dense canopies with dark green foliage that have a very smooth feel which differs from it’s parent needle like foliage. Another plus to the Brodie Juniper is the uniformity of their canopies since they are all taken from cuttings; its parent, the Eastern Red Cedar, has been known to have a lot of variance in the shape and size of their canopies. Brodie Junipers have proven to be extremely drought tolerant, disease resistant and able to handle a wide variety of soil conditions. In late fall they will produce an abundance of dark blue berries.

Common Names: Eastern Red Cedar ‘Brodie’, Brodie Juniper, Brodie Cedar, Virginia Juniper, Red Juniper, Pencil Cedar, Carolina Cedar

The Bald Cypress is native to central and east Texas and is one of only two species in the ancient Taxodium genus that now survives and the other species is Montezuma Bald Cypress found in south Texas. Bald Cypress trees grow in swamps and rivers and are excellent shade trees for areas with poor drainage or standing water. Bald Cypress trees maintain a straight trunk and layered branches giving it a pyramidal and moderately dense canopy. Bald Cypress trees have fine fern-like leaves giving it a graceful fine textured appearance. In autumn Bald Cypress leaves turn from deep green to a coppery-red color. Bald Cypress trees have cinnamon-brown colored bark with a thin and fairly smooth texture that exfoliates in long strips. Bald Cypress trees also produce small round cones that are blue-green and contain triangular seeds. Bald Cypress trees are fast growing, extremely long lived and relatively maintenance free.

Common Names: Bald Cypress, Southern Cypress, Swamp Cypress, Red Cypress, White Cypress, Gulf Cypress

The parent tree of the Allee Elm is located on the University of Georgia campus and is approximately 60 years old. The Allee Elm has a vase shaped form with long arching branches. The Allee Elm produces rich green and glossy foliage that changes to yellow during the fall. The Allee Elm has exfoliating bark which is outstandingly attractive. The bark on an Allee Elm peels off in a puzzle like pattern and exposes rich shades of gray, green, brown and orange. The best quality of the Allee Elm is its ability to withstand the harshest growing conditions by growing well in a wide range of soil types and in restricted soil spaces. The Allee Elm is also resistant to Dutch Elm Disease, Elm Leaf Beetles and Japanese Beetles.

Common Names: Allee Elm, Elm Tree, Texas Elm Tree

A popular cultivar of Red Maple due to its densely oval to rounded canopy, heat tolerance and dependable fall color. Very similar to the October Glory Maple, but the Brandywine will have a slightly denser canopy and a deeper red leaf color in the fall. The Brandywine Maple produces small red flowers and samaras (helicopter seeds) in the spring before the buds appear. When the star shaped leaves emerge on a Brandywine Maple they are tinged with red and then develop into a medium green color. In the fall Brandywine Maples produce a deep orange to red fall color that persists well into November. Throughout the growing season Brandywine Maples maintain a very dense canopy despite their vigorous growth rates due to the short spacing between the branch points. Brandywine Maple trees are adaptable to dry or wet soil conditions and are better adapted to the warmer Texas climate than any other Red Maple cultivar. The Brandywine Maple also has winter interest because the new branch growth retains a red color after the leaves drop.

The Cherry Laurel is a handsome pyramidal shaped evergreen tree that is often used for privacy screening. With smooth dark green leaves and a dark brown colored bark it makes for the perfect backdrop for landscapes. Inconspicuous greenish-white flowers about 3/16” wide appear in clusters for a short time in the spring for pollination, followed by blue colored berries in the Winter. Many species of birds enjoy the berries including songbirds and gamebirds. Inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers appear for a short time in the spring for pollination. They can adapt to many soil types from sand to well drained clay soils, and they can handle full sun, to partial shade.

Common Names: Cherry Laurel, Carolina Cherry Laurel, Laurel Cherry, Carolina Laurel Cherry

The DD Blanchard Magnolia has distinguished itself from other Magnolia grandiflora cultivars with its ability to maintain a straight central trunk, which allows the DD Blanchard to be grown full to the ground or be pruned into tree form with a visible trunk. DD Blanchard Magnolias maintain an upright pyramidal-oval form with well spaced major branches that yield a more open canopy. The DD Blanchard has leathery textured 5 to 8 inch oblong leaves that have a glossy, dark green appearance on top which creates a vibrant contrast with the fuzzy orange-bronze underside. In the spring and sporadically throughout the summer the DD Blanchard produces large fragrant creamy white saucer shaped flowers that are 8 inches wide. These qualities allow the DD Blanchard to be planted as solitary specimens, tall screens or framing accents.

The Lacebark Elm is native to China and is cultivated throughout the United States in areas with similar hot, dry summers and mild rainy winters. The Lacebark Elm is a medium sized tree that forms a graceful rounded canopy with long arching branches. The Lacebark Elm produces rich green and glossy foliage with serrated edges. The Lacebark Elm has exfoliating bark which is outstandingly attractive. The bark on a Lacebark Elm peels off in a puzzle like pattern and exposes rich shades of gray, green, brown and orange. The best quality of the Lacebark Elm is its ability to withstand the harshest growing conditions by growing well in a wide range of soil types. The Lacebark Elm is also resistant to Dutch Elm Disease.

Common Names: Lacebark Elm, Chinese Elm

The Little Gem Magnolia has an upright and oval rounded canopy. The Little Gem Magnolia is recognized for its prolific flowering that lasts 6 months of the year, which lasts from May through October. The Little Gem Magnolia produces large fragrant creamy white saucer shaped flowers that are 8 inches wide. The Little Gem Magnolia has beautiful shaped oblong leaves that are 5 to 7 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide. Little Gem Magnolias have leaves that are stiff and leathery with a deep glossy green color on top and a bronze-brown fuzzy underside. The Little Gem Magnolia differs from the Teddy Bear Magnolia in the following characteristics: Little Gem Magnolias have more open and rounded canopies, they produce a heavier volume of flowers, their leaves are narrower, and they grow faster than Teddy Bear Magnolias.

The Muskogee Crape Myrtle is a hybrid between the Japanese Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia faurei) and the common Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), which was developed by the US National Arboretum in 1978. The Muskogee Crape Myrtle produces long lasting clusters of light lavender flowers. Each cluster within the Muskogee Crape Myrtle has hundreds of lavender flowers and each cluster can range from 8” to 16” long. The Muskogee Crape Myrtle also has one of the longest flowering periods of any Crape Myrtle, 120 days. The Muskogee Crape Myrtle has a very tall and vigorous growing habit with small alternate leaves that are rounded at the base and are 1” to 3” long. The Muskogee Crape Myrtle has leaves that are glossy green in the summer and in the fall they turn yellow and red. Each summer the Muskogee Crape Myrtle exfoliates its cinnamon colored bark in thin strips to expose a smooth and light gray colored bark. The Muskogee Crape Myrtle is adaptable to a wide range of soil types, very drought tolerant and has a very good resistance to powdery mildew.

The Natchez Crape Myrtle is a hybrid between the Japanese Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia faurei) and the common Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), which was developed by the US National Arboretum in 1978. The Natchez Crape Myrtle was one of the first hybrids released and is certainly the most popular. The Natchez Crape Myrtle produces long lasting clusters of white flowers. Each cluster within the Natchez Crape Myrtle has hundreds of white flowers and each cluster can range from 8” to 16” long. The Natchez Crape Myrtle also has one of the longest flowering periods of any Crape Myrtle, 110 days. The Natchez Crape Myrtle has a tall and arching growing habit with small alternate leaves that are rounded at the base and are 2” to 3” long. The Natchez Crape Myrtle has leaves that are glossy dark green in the summer and in the fall they turn a vibrant orange-red. Each summer the Natchez Crape Myrtle exfoliates its dark cinnamon-brown colored bark in thin strips to expose a smooth and cream colored bark. The Natchez Crape Myrtle is adaptable to a wide range of soil types, very drought tolerant and has a very good resistance to powdery mildew.

The Nellie R Stevens Holly is a cross between the English Holly and Chinese Holly. The Nellie R Stevens Holly has a naturally dense broad pyramidal shape. The leaves on a Nellie R Stevens Holly are glossy with a dark green color and are among the darkest of any plant. The Nellie R Stevens Holly produces inconspicuous white flowers in the spring. The flowers allow the Nellie R Stevens Holly to pollinate and produce an abundant amount of vivid red berries that are very attractive. The Nellie R Stevens Holly is adapted to many environmental conditions with its superior level of shade and drought tolerance.

The Oakland holly is unique as its new growth emerges as a reddish purple and ages to an emerald green. They have an emerald green foliage and a unique oak-shaped leaf, and as it ages it matures from a more columnar to a pyramid shape. Another notable characteristic of the Oakland is that it is a hermaphrodite, and it will be self-fruiting without need for a male pollinator. Beautiful greenish-white flowers appear in the spring, and red-orange berries in the winter. They can adapt to many soil types from sand to well drained clay soils, and they can handle partial sun to full sun.

Most known for their showy red berries in the winter, the Possumhaw Holly is a great ornamental accent tree to any landscape. This holly is deciduous and has glossy deep green serrated leaves and pale gray bark. In the Fall the leaves will transition to yellow and shed, followed by a flush of beautiful red berries that coat the tree in the Winter. Many species of birds enjoy the red berries including songbirds and gamebirds. Inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers appear for a short time in the spring for pollination. They can adapt to many soil types from sand to well drained clay soils, and they can handle full sun, to partial shade.

Red Oak are native to Texas and grow east of Ft. Worth to Texas’ border with Louisiana and Arkansas. Red Oak are large stately and majestic trees with wide spreading canopies that become more rounded as they mature and when younger Red Oaks have a narrow and open habit. Red Oak are fast growing and high quality trees that are easy to maintain and require moderate amounts of fertilizer and moisture when established. Red Oak leaves are 4 to 8 inchs long, display 5 to 7 deep lobes and have bristles on the tips of each lobe. The leaves are glossy dark green with a lighter green underside and in the fall the leaves turn a brilliant red to red-orange color. Younger Red Oaks have a smooth light gray bark which turns dark gray to black with ridges and furrows as they mature.

Common Names: Shumard Red Oak, Shumard Oak, Swamp Red Oak and Spotted Oak

The Teddy Bear Magnolia was discovered as a seedling by Robert and Lisa Head in 1985 at their farm in South Carolina (Head-Lee Nursery). At an age of 26 years old, the mother tree of the Teddy Bear Magnolia stands at 26’ tall and 14’ wide and it has a very dense and upright pyramidal crown. The dense growth habit of the Teddy Bear Magnolia is self perpetuated by its multiple branching breaks from each spent flower giving numerous shortened branches. The Teddy Bear Magnolia has beautiful oval shaped leaves that are 5 to 8 inches long and 3 to 4 inches wide. Teddy Bear Magnolias have leaves that are dark green and glossy on top and the underside is covered with bronze brown colored fuzz and like all other grandiflora cultivars their leaves are thick and leathery. Starting in May and lasting through October the Teddy Bear Magnolia produces large fragrant creamy white saucer shaped flowers that are 8 inches wide. The Teddy Bear Magnolia differs from the Little Gem Magnolia in the following characteristics: Teddy Bear Magnolias have more compact and narrower canopies, they have stronger and more upright lateral branches, they produce fewer flowers, their leaves are wider, and they grow slower than Little Gems.

The Vitex ‘Shoal Creek’ has earned a dominant status among the Vitex agnus-castus cultivars and it has several unique qualities that are responsible for this popularity. This cultivar of Vitex was selected for it vigorous growth habit, large flower spikes and it produces the best blue-purple flowers. Vitex are large multistemmed shrubs that maintain fairly dense, symmetrical and rounded canopies. Vitex also have some spring interest because the new branch growth has a showy purple color that turns red-brown and lastly a pale gray color as the branch matures. Vitex have medium to fine textured leaves that are 3 to 4 inches long with 5 to 7 leaves per stem. Vitex have a gray-green leaf with a lighter silver-gray color underside and in the fall the leaves develop a purple tint. In early summer Vitex begin producing silvery gray buds on the tips of each stem that open to a beautiful display of lavender blue flowers that are extremely fragrant. Each cluster of flowers that the Vitex produces has dense rings of lavender blue flowers and each cluster can range from 8 to 12 inches long. Vitex continue this process over several weeks until the clusters completely blanket the entire canopy which are relished by butterflies and hummingbirds. The Vitex can tolerate most soil conditions, provided they are well drained, and will flourish in full sun. The Vitex is designated as a Texas Superstar Shrub by Texas A&M University.

The Eagleston Holly is a natural hybrid of the Dahoon Holly and American Holly. The Eagleston Holly is a beautiful evergreen holly that is grown as a large shrub or small tree with a pyramidal growth habit. The Eagleston Holly can be used for a variety of landscape settings as either a tall screen or a solitary specimen when grown with a single trunk in tree form. The Eagleston Holly has a dense canopy with small slender branches which are smooth and light to medium gray in color. The Eagleston Holly can adapt to both sandy and clay soils with a moderate growth rate. The Eagleston Holly has shiny medium-green leaves with multiple soft spines that are accented in the fall with clusters of bright red berries which persist throughout the fall and winter. The berries on an Eagleston Holly are very attractive to wildlife, serving as an excellent food source. The roots of an Eagleston Holly are rarely invasive due to their great number and relatively small diameter.

The Taylor Eastern Red Cedar (often referred to as Taylor Juniper) gets its name from where it was discovered in 1978 out of Taylor, Nebraska. This cultivar of Eastern Red Cedar was selected because of its narrow and upright growth habit which resembles the look of an Italian Cypress. For years Italian Cypress have been thrust into landscapes throughout Dallas Metroplex because of their unique shape but they have a lot of issues which include: Phytophthora Root Rot, Seridium Canker, Spider Mites and they are susceptible to cold weather. With this introduction of the Taylor Juniper all of those issues are solved while keeping the desired look of an Italian Cypress. Eastern Red Cedar (parent plant of the Taylor Juniper) are native throughout Texas and are extremely drought tolerant, disease resistant and able to handle a wide variety of soil conditions and all of these traits can be seen in the Taylor Juniper. Most landscapes incorporate Taylor Junipers by planted them as hedges in narrow areas between a pool and fence or as accent pieces flanking doorways.

The Eastern Red Cedar ‘Burkii’ are attractive evergreens that are known for their unique silver/blue green foliage. They have a dense pyramidal form and they are often used for privacy screen and ornamental accents in flower beds. They have a very smooth feel which differs from it’s parent needle like foliage. Another plus to the Burkii is the uniformity of their canopies since they are all taken from cuttings; its parent, the Eastern Red Cedar, has been known to have a lot of variance in the shape and size of their canopies. Burkiis are all females and they produce lots of blue green berries during the Fall. Burkiis have proven to be extremely drought tolerant, disease resistant and able to handle a wide variety of soil conditions. The Burkiis are the hardiest variety of the silver/blue trees on the market with the highest resistance to canker. Much hardier than the Blue Ice Arizona and Carolina Sapphire Cypress trees.

Common Names: Eastern Red Cedar ‘Burkii’, Burkii Cedar, Burk Eastern Red Cedar, Silver Cedar, Blue Eastern Red Cedar

The Scarlet Crape Myrtle was developed by Mitch Magee by cross-pollinating a Miss Sandra Crape Myrtle with an Ebony Flame Crape Myrtle. This new variety created a truly novel Crape Myrtle because up until this point there were limited options in terms of Crapes with deep red flowers. Most customers would go with Dynamite or Red Rocket Crape Myrtles if they wanted a deep red flower but they only reached a mature height of about 14’, they are very slow growing at about 1’ per year and they have a wider and bushier appearance. The Scarlet, however, grows about 2’ per year and they have more upright and rounded canopies like the Natchez Crape Myrtle which will get about 20’ tall at maturity. Scarlet Crape Myrtles also produce a deeper red flower without any of white flecks of flowers which are often produced by Dynamite and Red Rockets. On our farm, Scarlets have also shown a higher resistance to powdery mildew and more cold heartiness than Dynamite and Red Rocket.

The Thunderstruck Lavender Skies Crape Myrtle was developed by Mitch Magee by cross-pollinating a Natchez and a Best Red Black Diamond. This is a very interesting cross because the Natchez has white flowers and the Best Red has deep red flowers and we ended up with a Crape Myrtle that has light purple flowers with pink notes. Like the Black Diamond, the Lavender Skies has dark burgundy-blackish plum foliage but it has a much fuller, more upright and rounded canopy. It has a faster growth rate as well and at maturity it will reach 20’ tall much like the Natchez Crape Myrtle. At our farm, the Lavender Skies has shown much more cold heartiness than the Black Diamond series.

The Thunderstruck White Lightning Crape Myrtle was developed by Mitch Magee by cross-pollinating a Natchez and an Ebony Ivory Black Diamond Crape Myrtle. This cross resulted in a tree with very similar features to Ebony Ivory in that it has dark burgundy-blackish plum foliage and white flowers. The White Lightning, however, is a much faster growing at about 2’ per year and it reaches a mature height of 20’. It also has a more upright canopy and rounded canopy like a Natchez. At our farm, White Lightning Crape Myrtles have also shown much more cold heartiness than the Black Diamond series.

The Thunderstruck Ruby Crape Myrtle was developed by Mitch Magee by cross-pollinating a Purely Purple Black Diamond and a Scarlet Crape Myrtle. The unique combination created a Crape Myrtle with dark burgundy-blackish plum foliage and deep red flowers which is similar to the Best Red Black Diamond. The deep red and black colors are perfect for those looking to break up that “too much green” effect seen in typical flowerbeds. One major improvement of the Ruby vs the Black Diamond is that it grows about double the rate and they reach a height of about 20’ at maturity. The Ruby also has a more upright canopy which remains that way even when flowers are produced as opposed to Black Diamond which normally start to droop as the weight of the flowers pulls down the branches. At our farm, Ruby Crape Myrtles have also shown much more cold heartiness than the Black Diamond series.

In 1989, Mitch Magee found an openly pollinated seedling of the Mary Nell Holly on his farm in Poplarville, Mississippi and this new variety of Holly was given the name Liberty Holly. This new variety has a larger leaf than the Mary Nell and it also has more spines, which average between 15-20 around the edge of the leaf. The Liberty Holly also has a very dense, upright and pyramidal shape which is great for privacy screens in areas that are very narrow or even as solitary specimens. In the spring Liberty Hollies produce small creamy white flowers and in the winter orange-red berries will appear. They can adapt to many soil types from sand to clay and from moist to very dry. Liberty Hollies also grown well in full sun to part shade. Their disease and pest resistance are comparable to Mary Nell Hollies.

The Thunderstruck Purple Sage Crape Myrtle was developed by Mitch Magee by cross-pollinating Scarlet x black diamond purley purple.

More information to follow. This page is under development.

Blue Point Junipers are a cultivar of Chinese Juniper and they are known for their extremely dense canopy and beautiful blue-green foliage. Blue Points are produced from female cuttings so they all produce bluish berries which drop over the winter. They naturally maintain a broad pyramidal form with no pruning. Blue Point Junipers are able to withstand the alkaline soils of North Texas and is also quite drought tolerant. They perform best in full sun and in areas that are well drained. Blue Points are one of the smaller Juniper options at maturity so they can be used as accents and privacy screens where there is limited space.

The Spartan Juniper is a cultivar of Chinese Juniper that was selected by Monrovia Nursery. The Spartan Juniper has distinguished itself from other Junipers with its extremely handsome narrow pyramidal habit of growth. The Spartan Juniper has tight erect branches that allow it to naturally maintain a thick uniform shape without pruning. The foliage on a Spartan Juniper grows in dense sprays that are rich green in color and the individual leaves appear scale-like and are produced on rounded shoots. Spartans are produced from female cuttings so they all produce bluish berries which drop over the winter. They is able to withstand the alkaline soils of North Texas and is also quite drought tolerant. The Spartan Juniper performs best in full sun and in areas that are well drained. The Spartan Juniper can be utilized as a formal specimen in Mediterranean themed landscapes or to create formal hedges, screens and windbreaks for areas with limited space.

The Carolina Sapphire was developed by Clemson University in 1968 after selecting it amongst a group of Arizona Cypress which were growing at Tom Wright’s Christmas Tree Farm in Ward, South Carolina. They maintain a broad pyramidal shape and know to be fast growers. Carolina Sapphires have beautiful silvery-blue scalelike leaves that have a very pleasant aroma. Unlike Cedars and Junipers they do not produce berries but they seed cones which are about an inch in diameter. Carolina Sapphires perform best in full sun and in areas that are well drained. Its most common uses are as privacy screens or a specimen tree. There is a lot of confusion in the industry regarding the scientific name and you could see any of the following names being used: Cupressus arizonica ‘Carolina Sapphire’, Cupressus arizonica var. Glabra ‘Carolina Sapphire’, Cupressus glabra ‘Carolina Sapphire’.

The Blue Ice was discovered in New Zealand in 1960 which was growing naturally in the wild. This cultivar is known for its stunning frosty blue color and upright pyramidal growth habit. The Blue Ice are much slower growers as compared to the Carolina Sapphire and at maturity they will not get as tall or wide. Unlike Cedars and Junipers they do not produce berries but they seed cones which are about an inch in diameter. They perform best in full sun and in areas that are well drained. Blue Ice are most commonly planted as privacy screens or specimen trees. There is a lot of confusion in the industry regarding the scientific name and you could see any of the following names being used: Cupressus arizonica ‘Blue Ice’, Cupressus arizonica var. Glabra ‘Blue Ice’, Cupressus glabra ‘Blue Ice’.

The Hetzii Juniper, aka Green Columnar Juniper, is a cultivar of Chinese Juniper which is known for its rich bright green foliage and narrow pyramidal growth habit. Hetzii Junipers are produced from female cuttings so they all produce blue-green berries which drop over the winter. The leaves are very soft and the individual leaves appear scale-like and are produced on rounded shoots. Hetzii Junipers perform best in full sun and in areas that are well drained.  When compared to the Spartan Juniper it is smaller in height and width so they can be used as accents or privacy screens where there is limited space.

The Idyllwild Eastern Red Cedar is a unique cultivar of Juniperus virginiana due to their smaller stature and naturally dense canopies. At maturity Idyllwild will reach a mature width of 7’ and only 15’ in height and this offers customers a lot more flexibility in smaller landscapes. They have naturally dense canopies with upright branching and their foliage is deep green. Idyllwild are produced from cuttings and are all males which means they produce pollen in the spring and they have no berries. They have proven to be extremely drought tolerant, disease resistant and able to handle a wide variety of soil conditions.

Common Names: Eastern Red Cedar ‘Brodie’, Brodie Juniper, Brodie Cedar, Virginia Juniper, Red Juniper, Pencil Cedar, Carolina Cedar

The Glauca, aka Silver Eastern Red Cedar, is a cultivar of Eastern Red Cedar which is known for silvery blue new growth and narrow pyramidal growth habit. In the spring the new growth has a silver-blue color but fades slightly to blue-green as it warms up. Over the winter months it develops a purple hue like the Burkii and Taylor cultivars. Glaucas are produced from female cuttings so they all produce attractive blue-green berries which drop over the winter. They have a narrow pyramidal canopies and they are often used for privacy screen and ornamental accents in flower beds. Glauca and Burkii are the hardiest variety of the silver/blue trees on the market with the highest resistance to canker.

Common Names: Silver Eastern Red Cedar, Blue Eastern Red Cedar, Glauca Juniper

The Star Power Juniper was selected in 1998 at Johnson’s Nursery in Wisconsin and it is believed to a cross between the Common Juniper and Chinese Juniper. Like the Blue Point Juniper, it has a very dense canopy with blue green foliage with the differences being that the Star Power is taller (17’ tall vs 12’ tall) and it is faster growing. The Star Power are produced from female cuttings so they produce blue green berries in the winter months.

The Yaupon Holly is native to Texas and is adapted to a variety of soil types with its superior level of shade and drought tolerance. They can be trimmed into a dense hedge or into a small tree. Yaupon Hollies have densely rounded canopies filled with ½” long leathery green leaves that are oval shaped and have serrated edges. Yaupons produce inconspicuous white flowers in the spring which allow them to pollinate and produce an abundant amount of vivid red berries in the winter. The bark on a Yaupon Holly is smooth with a dark gray color.

The Oklahoma Sparkler Redbud was selected in 2015 by Ray & Cindy Jackson in Belvidere, TN as a chance seedling of Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis). This cultivar has shown to have a more compact and upright growth habit when compared to seedling Eastern Redbuds and they have shown more cold hardiness. When compared to the Oklahoma Redbud (Cercis reniformis ‘Oklahoma’) it has shown to have larger leaves, faster growth and more cold hardiness. Before any leaves are produced in the spring, they produce beautiful, pinkish-purple flowers which in then followed by glossy purple colored heat shaped leaves. As the leaves mature they turn to a green color which remain until the fall when they turn yellow.

The Merlot Redbud was selected by Dr. Dennis Werner from North Carolina State University in 2004 from 2nd generation descendants of a cross between a Texas White Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. texensis ‘Texas White’) and a Forest Pansy Redbud (Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’). The goal was to develop a redbud that had small glossy leaves and semi-upright growth habit of a like a Texas White Redbud but also have purple leaves like a Forest Pansy and that was accomplished. When compared to a Forest Pansy, the Merlot have lavender flowers as compared to purple flowers on a Forest Pansy. The leaves are smaller, thicker and glossier than that of a Forest Pansy which it gets from the Texas White Redbud. The Merlot are also more compact and upright than Forest Pansy which it gets from the Texas White Redbud. Before any leaves are produced in the spring, they produce beautiful, lavender colored flowers which are then followed by glossy dark purple colored heat shaped leaves. In the summer the leaves the leaves fade to a dark green color with a hint of purple which remain until they turn yellow in the fall.

The Steeds Holly, also known as Steeds Upright Japanese Holly, is an easy-to-grow, densely branched evergreen shrub with an attractive upright, pyramidal form. It has dense, lustrous, dark green foliage that adds color to the landscape year-round. In the spring, tiny white flowers are produced throughout the tree which then transform into small, red berries that darken to a bluish-black color as winter approaches. This shrub is a shapely hedge or foundation plant that responds well to regular pruning. Steeds Holly can tolerate a variety of growing conditions, including full sun to part shade and well-drained soils.

The Compacta Holly is a popular evergreen shrub valued for its dense, compact growth habit and glossy, dark green foliage. Thrives in full to part sun and prefers slightly acidic, well-draining soil. It typically matures to a height and width of 4 to 6 feet, though it can be pruned to maintain a smaller size. This makes it ideal for foundation plantings or hedges. While not a prolific berry producer, Compacta Holly can produce small, black berries in the winter. These berries are not particularly abundant and may not appear on all plants, but they can add a touch of winter beauty to your landscape.

The Needlepoint Holly is a popular evergreen shrub valued for its attractive foliage, ease of care, and adaptability. Unlike most hollies with spiky leaves, the Needlepoint Holly boasts smooth, glossy green leaves with just a single spine at the tip. In addition to its attractive foliage, the Needlepoint Holly produces clusters of small white flowers in the spring that develop into bright red berries in the fall. These berries persist throughout winter, adding a pop of color to the cold-weather landscape. This holly’s fast growth rate and dense branching make it a good choice for hedges and privacy screens. It can also be used as a foundation planting or a specimen shrub.

The Curly Leaf Ligustrum, also commonly known as Recurve Ligustrum, Wavy Leaf Privet, Curled-Leaf Privet or Curly Leaf Privet, is a large, upright, broad-leaved evergreen shrub that offers year-round beauty and privacy screening for a variety of landscaping applications. One of its most recognizable features is its lustrous dark green leaves with a unique wavy or curly margin. This versatile shrub thrives in a variety of conditions, including full sun to part shade and well-drained soils. It’s also drought tolerant and resistant to many pests and diseases, making it a low-maintenance choice for landscapes. In the spring, it produces clusters of small, white, fragrant flowers. These flowers give way to small, black berries in the fall that provide a food source for birds. While not particularly showy, the flowers and berries add to the overall seasonal interest of the shrub.

Osmanthus fragrans, also commonly known as sweet osmanthus, sweet olive, tea olive, and fragrant olive, is a species of flowering shrub native to Asia. It’s known for its beautiful small white clusters of flowers that are produced in the spring and fall that have a delightful fragrance, often described as apricot or peach-like. Beyond its fragrant flowers, the sweet olive offers beautiful dark green, glossy leaves with a leathery texture. Adaptable to both full sun and partial shade, the sweet olive thrives in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. With its low-maintenance requirements and year-round appeal, the sweet olive is a versatile addition to gardens, serving as a charming specimen plant, a fragrant hedge, a privacy screen, or even thriving in containers for patios and balconies.

Dwarf Burford holly (Ilex cornuta ‘Dwarf Burford’) is a charming and versatile addition to any garden, particularly for those with limited space. This compact cultivar of the Chinese holly stands out for its manageable size, reaching a mature height and width of 6-8 feet. Its dense, bushy form makes it ideal for foundation plantings, adding year-round appeal near your home’s exterior. Dwarf Burford truly shines with its beautiful foliage. The glossy, deep green leaves remain vibrant throughout the year, adding a touch of evergreen elegance to your landscape. Beyond its attractive form, this holly offers a delightful surprise in fall and winter. Clusters of bright red berries emerge, providing a festive pop of color and a welcome food source for winter birds.

The Emerald Sentinel was discovered by Clifford Corliss in 1967 as a chance seedling at Caroliss Bros. Garden Center in Ipswich, MA. Emerald Sentinel is a cultivar of Eastern Red Cedar. It has a narrow pyramid shape, making it ideal for smaller landscapes or as an accent plant in larger ones. This cultivar is admired for its dense, rich emerald green foliage that holds its color well throughout the winter. Emerald Sentinels come from female cuttings which produce a heavy crop of dusky blue berries in the summer. These berries mature and persist into winter, adding a touch of color and providing a food source for birds. Like other Cedars, the Emerald Sentinel is a low-maintenance plant. It’s tolerant of a variety of soil conditions, including drought and poor soil quality. It also resists pests and diseases and requires minimal pruning to maintain its shape.

The Hillspire Eastern Red Cedar, also known as Hillspire Juniper, was discovered around 1925 at D. Hill Nursery and it got its initial name, Cupressifolia, due to its cypress-like foliage. However, this name already belonged to another plant and to avoid confusion, it was renamed to Hillspire, which became its accepted name today. Standing tall and graceful, the Hillspire Eastern Red Cedar adds a touch of elegance to any landscape. Its slender, conical form creates a vertical accent without overwhelming smaller spaces. Unlike its wider-growing Eastern Red Cedar cousins, the Hillspire maintains a manageable spread, making it ideal for flanking entrances, lining pathways, or privacy screens. The Hillspire thrives in various conditions. Its dense, bright green foliage remains vibrant year-round, adding a touch of life even in the colder months. Low on maintenance needs, the Hillspire tolerates drought and poor soil.

The Japanese Yew, also known by its many common names like Podocarpus, Yew Podocarpus, Buddhist Pine, and False Japanese Yew, is an evergreen conifer known for its glossy, deep green slender leaves that are 3”-5” long and less than .5” wide. New growth emerges in a lighter green shade, maturing to a rich, dark green that persists year-round. It has a dense, upright branching habit that responds well to pruning. Per Neil Sperry, they’re best in morning sun with afternoon shade and they do suffer from freeze damage in extreme winters. Japanese Yews are dioecious, meaning there are separate male and female trees. An added bonus with female trees is the production of dark blue-purple colored berries in the fall and winter. It is important to note that all parts of the tree can be toxic to dogs if ingested, with even small amounts leading to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, possibly causing dehydration in your dog.

Over a 10 year period, since 2014, Mitch Magee has been trying to develop a hybrid between the red and blue hollies from his farm in Poplarville, Mississippi. He took a cross between the Liberty Holly (Ilex x ‘Conty’) and a Blue Prince Holly (Ilex x meserveae ‘Blue Prince’) and the result is a dense, upright, conical growth habit with dark bluish-green leaves which he named the Monarch Holly. This new holly took the best attributes from each of its parents with the dark green foliage and cold hardiness from the Blue Prince and the dense, compact and heat tolerance of the Liberty Holly. It can be installed as a privacy screen, areas that are very narrow or even as solitary specimens. They can adapt to many soil types from sand to clay and from moist to very dry. Monarch Hollies also grown well in full sun to part shade.

The Patti Faye Deodar Cedar was discovered by Ralph Rushing of Rushing Nursery in 2000 amongst a group of seedlings and he named it after his wife Patti. The Patti Faye is a beautiful cultivar of the Deodar Cedar, known for its unique horizontal branching habit and stunning blue foliage. Unlike most deodar cedars that have weeping branches, the Patti Faye has branches that grow outwards, creating a nearly perfect Christmas tree shape without any pruning required. The Patti Faye deodar cedar features stunning steel-blue foliage. New growth emerges a silvery-gray, maturing to a rich blue-green, adding a captivating two-toned effect to your landscape. While most deodar cedars enjoy cooler climates, the Patti Faye cultivar is a heat-tolerant exception. This makes it a great option for gardeners in warmer regions who still desire the beauty of a deodar cedar. The Patti Faye deodar cedar is a low-maintenance tree that makes a great addition to any landscape. It’s ideal for use as a specimen tree, in groupings, as a background planting, or in tall privacy screen plantings. It also performs well near lakes and other bodies of water and around large boulders.

The Chinese Fringe Tree is a versatile flowering tree native to eastern Asia. It’s prized for its ornamental features that offer year-round interest. In spring, the tree explodes with a profusion of fragrant white flowers. These delicate blooms are borne in clusters at the tips of branches, resembling fringes and creating a stunning display. After the flowers fade, the tree transitions to a lush green canopy throughout the summer. Come fall, the foliage puts on a final show, transforming into a vibrant golden yellow before dropping. Fringe trees are dioecious, meaning there are separate male and female trees. The females produce berries, technically called drupes, which are small, fleshy fruits that contain a single seed inside. The berries are small, typically around ½ inch to 1 inch in diameter, and have a similar color to a blueberry. Standing out for its adaptability, the Chinese Fringe tree can be trained to grow as either a large shrub or a small tree. This allows gardeners to incorporate it into landscapes of various sizes. Once established, it tolerates moderate drought conditions and requires minimal pruning. This makes it a great choice for gardeners who appreciate beautiful plants that don’t demand a lot of care and attention.

The Emily Bruner Holly was discovered and introduced by nursery owner Don Shadow while he was a student at the University of Tennessee. It is a hybrid between the Burford Holly and Lusterleaf Holly and it is known for its beautiful dark green, spiny leaves and its abundance of bright red berries in the fall and winter. Surprisingly low-maintenance, the Emily Bruner Holly thrives in various conditions. It adapts well to a range of soils, tolerates both full sun and partial shade, and boasts impressive cold hardiness. With minimal pruning required, this holly offers enduring beauty without demanding constant attention. If you are looking for a beautiful, low-maintenance evergreen shrub or small tree for your landscape, the Emily Bruner Holly is a great option.

The Yuletide camellia sasanqua is a beautiful evergreen shrub that is known for its vibrant red flowers that bloom in the late fall and winter. The Yuletide camellia sasanqua has glossy, dark green leaves that provide a handsome backdrop for the red flowers. The flowers are typically single, with five petals, and they can be up to 3 inches in diameter. The flowers have a bright yellow center that is filled with golden stamens. The Yuletide camellia sasanqua is a relatively low-maintenance shrub that is easy to care for. It prefers to be planted in a location that receives full sun to partial shade. It also prefers well-drained, acidic soil. Once established, the Yuletide camellia sasanqua is drought-tolerant and does not need to be watered frequently. The Yuletide camellia sasanqua is a versatile shrub that can be used in a variety of landscaping applications. It can be planted as a specimen shrub, used to create a hedge, or grown in a container.

Grace your garden with the captivating Moonshadow camellia sasanqua, a true showstopper known for its captivating blooms. This evergreen shrub boasts a stunning display of double flowers, each petal a perfect white with a striking, painted edge of rich fuchsia pink. Imagine a carpet of these 2-3 inch blooms blanketing the plant in fall and early winter, creating a mesmerizing contrast against the backdrop of its dark, glossy green foliage. Unlike its spring-flowering camellia kin, the Moonshadow brings a touch of magic to the colder months, adding a burst of color when most plants slumber. More than just beautiful, the Moonshadow camellia sasanqua is a gardener’s delight. This adaptable shrub thrives in a variety of conditions. Plant it in a location receiving full sun to partial shade, ensuring the soil is well-drained and acidic. Its moderate growth rate keeps it manageable, reaching a mature height of 8-10 feet and a width of 6-8 feet. This allows for creative use in your landscape. Showcase it as a stunning specimen plant, add a touch of elegance to a hedge, or even cultivate it in a container for patio enjoyment. The Moonshadow camellia sasanqua is surprisingly low-maintenance. Once established, it tolerates periods of drought, requiring minimal watering. Additionally, its amenable nature allows for easy pruning and shaping in spring, further enhancing its form and beauty. This combination of captivating blooms, adaptability, and ease of care makes the Moonshadow camellia sasanqua a perfect choice for adding a touch of sophistication and winter wonder to your garden.