Spotted Geranium is a native perennial geranium with deeply lobed, palm-shaped leaves. Loose clusters of showy pink to lilac flowers bloom April-May. Its other common name, Crane’s Bill, comes from the beak-like shape of the seed structure, which catapults seeds when dried. Use it in shady borders, open woodland gardens, or wildflower gardens. It can be massed to create an attractive groundcover.
Dwarf Witchalder or Dwarf Fothergillia is a deciduous shrub with dense, dark green foliage. Fragrant, bottle-brush-shaped, white flowers bloom April-May, before the leaves emerge. Their honey-like fragrance attracts native bees.
American Beech is a large deciduous tree with smooth, light-gray bark and prominently veined, toothed, dark green leaves. The leaves turn a bronze color in the fall and remain on the tree well into winter. American Beech is monoecious (separate male and female flowers on the same tree). Its yellowish-green flowers bloom April-May. Female flowers are followed by edible, triangular-shaped nuts enclosed in a spiny husk. The nuts ripen in the fall and are an important food source for many species of birds and mammals. The tree canopy is a favored nesting and roosting site for birds and wildlife. American Beech is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Early Hairstreak (Erora laeta). This tree casts a dense shade, useful as a cooling technique for homes. Its shallow root system can make it difficult to grow plants underneath, so avoid planting it near flower beds and vegetable gardens. Give this tree ample space to grow. Use American Beech in large yards or parks.
Trout Lily has two tulip-like leaves at the base of the plant and lily-shaped, yellow flowers, which bloom in early spring. The flowers bloom during the spring trout-fishing season, hence the common name. The plants go into dormancy by late spring. Trout Lily prefers moist, acidic, organic soils. Use it in shady garden areas, woodland gardens, rock gardens, and along ponds or other water features.
Persimmon is a deciduous tree known for its edible fruit. Its white to whitish-green, fragrant flowers bloom in the spring. Persimmon is usually dioecious (separate male and female trees); a female tree needs a male in the area for pollination and fruit production. The green fruit is astringent, but becomes sweet when fully ripe. The orange to dark red, mature fruit is attractive and provides late fall/early winter color to the yard. Persimmon fruit is a food source for wildlife. This tree is also a host for larvae (caterpillars) of the Luna moth (Actias luna). The wood is especially heavy, hard, and strong, and is used for golf club heads, billiard cues, and flooring. Persimmon tolerates drought, air pollution, and a variety of soil conditions; it grows well in urban environments. Use as a specimen tree with edible fruit.
Crocus is one of the first plants to bloom in the spring. It grows from a corm, which is a bulb-like underground stem structure. White or purple flowers bloom for two or three weeks in late winter to early spring. Crocus flowers close at night and on cloudy days. Its grass-like foliage fades as the plants go dormant in late spring. Plant Crocus in groups in flower beds, borders, or rock gardens for early spring color. Great choice for mass planting in lawns or under trees.
Beaked Hazelnut is a small, deciduous shrub. Yellowish male catkins and inconspicuous female flowers appear in April. The female flowers are followed by ornamental nuts enclosed in a bristly husk with a beak-like appearance. The edible nuts were a food source for Native Americans; the nuts could be stored for a long period of time, eaten raw, or ground into a flour and baked. The nuts are a food source for birds and wildlife, including squirrels, deer, grouse, and pheasant. Use Beaked Hazelnut in mass plantings, shrub borders, or woodland gardens.
American Hazelnut, a deciduous shrub, is monoecious (separate male and female flowers appear on the same plant); the light-brown male catkins and inconspicuous female flowers emerge March-April. The female flowers lead to uniquely shaped nuts, which mature in late summer. The nuts are edible, sweet, have high nutritional value, and may be eaten raw or ground into flour. The nuts were traditionally used by Native Americans to flavor soup. Many mammal and bird species feed on the nuts, including fox, deer, turkey, woodpeckers, and squirrels. The dense, low-growth characteristics of this species provide cover and nesting sites for wildlife. Its fall foliage colors range from yellow to red. Use American Hazelnut in naturalized areas or woodland gardens, where nut debris will not cause “tree litter.” It can also can be used as a screen planting, or in the back of a shrub border.