Great Laurel is a broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree. Clusters of white to purplish-pink flowers bloom in June, providing a valued food source for bumblebees. Use Great Laurel in shrub borders, foundation plantings, and natural areas around your yard. As with many Azaleas and Rhododendrons, all parts of this plant are poisonous.
Catawba Rhododendron is a broadleaf evergreen shrub. Large clusters of lilac to purple to rose flowers bloom April-June, providing a valued food source for bumblebees. Use Catawba Rhododendron in shrub borders, foundation plantings, and natural areas around your yard. As with many Azaleas and Rhododendrons, all parts of this plant are poisonous.
Dwarf Azalea is a low-growing, colony-forming shrub. Long-stalked clusters of fragrant white-pink flowers bloom April-May and provide a valued food source for bumblebees. Use Dwarf Azalea in shrub borders, foundation plantings, and natural areas of your yard. As with many Azaleas and Rhododendrons, all parts of this plant are poisonous.
Sweet Azalea features clusters of white-pink flowers with protruding red stamens, which bloom June-July. Its nectar is a valued food source for bumblebees. Leaves turn reddish-purple in the fall. Use Sweet Azalea in shrub borders, foundation plantings, and natural areas in your yard. As with many Azaleas and Rhododendrons, all parts of this plant are poisonous.
Handsome Harry lives up to its name! Rose-pink to pale-pink petals surround yellow stamens to create an attractive flower, which blooms in May-September. It is cross-pollinated by bumblebees, which forage for its nectar and pollen. Its leaves contain “pulegone,” and can be rubbed on your skin to repel mosquitos. Handsome Harry is an important host plant to larvae (caterpillars) of the Large Lace Border moth (Scopula limboundata). Old seed heads offer shelter for over-wintering beneficial insects, which in turn provide food for birds in the spring. Handsome Harry prefers wet peat or sandy acidic soil. It grows best on the edges of moist woodlands or meadows. Plant Handsome Harry in masses along borders, beds, and moist natural areas of your yard. It propagates through self-seeding.
Black Oak is a medium-tall, deciduous tree of the red oak group. Its shiny dark green leaves have deeply cut lobes. The bark is almost black on mature trunks, giving it its common name. It prefers moist, organically-rich soil, but tolerates nutrient-poor, dry soil. Acorns provide food for birds and wildlife. Oaks are host to numerous beneficial insects, which in turn provide food for birds. Black Oak is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Edwards Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii). It provides nesting space, cover, and shelter for wildlife. Use Black Oak as a street tree, shade tree in large lawns or parks, or in natural areas around your yard.
Post Oak is a medium-sized, deciduous tree of the white oak group. It has rough, leathery, dark green leaves with a cross-shaped appearance. Fall colors are variable, and can be bright yellow. It takes up to 25 years for Post Oak to reach maturity and bear acorns, which provide food for birds and wildlife. It is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Northern Hairstreak (Satyrium favonius ontario), and Horaces Duskywing (Erynnis horatius). Post Oak tolerates a wide variety of soils, is low-maintenance, and long-lived. Use Post Oak as a street tree, shade tree, or lawn tree in your yard.
Red Oak is a medium-sized, deciduous tree. It is monoecious; insignificant separate male and female catkins appear in spring. The acorns mature in early fall and provide food for birds and wildlife. Fall foliage is russet-red to bright-red, but occasionally yellow-brown. It prefers fertile, dry, sandy soil. Red Oak provides nesting space, cover, and shelter for wildlife. Oaks are host to numerous beneficial insects, which in turn provide food for birds. Red Oak is a host plant to butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus). Use it as a specimen in your yard, a street tree, or lawn tree.
Chestnut Oak is a medium-large, deciduous tree of the white oak group. It has oblong, toothed leaves, which turn orange-yellow or yellow-brown in fall. The acorns provide food for birds and wildlife. Oaks are host to numerous beneficial insects, which in turn provide food for birds. It provides nesting space, cover, and shelter for wildlife. Use Chestnut Oak as a street tree or shade tree, and in parks or natural areas.
Willow Oak is an attractive, medium-sized, deciduous tree, which offers good texture and form. It is monoecious; insignificant separate male and female catkins appear in spring. It has cascading, narrow, willow-like leaves, which turn yellow, bronze-orange, yellow-brown, or russet-red in fall. It tolerates a wide range of soil conditions and some salty conditions. The acorns provide food for birds and wildlife. Oaks are host to numerous beneficial insects, which in turn provide food for birds. Willow Oak is a host plant for butterfly larvae (caterpillars) of White M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album). It provides nesting space, cover, and shelter for wildlife. Use Willow Oak as a street tree or shade tree, and in parks or in natural areas.