Every week we’re publishing a NEW Plant Picks of the Week story, showcasing our Plant Specialists’’ top plant picks. Get ready to be inspired!
We recently asked Isa VanHeukelum
to share her top plant picks. Here’s what she had to say:
American Hornbeam
Carpinus caroliniana
A beautiful and underused native woodland tree; very interesting gray bark is almost muscular in appearance, makes a strong winter statement; also excellent blend of fall colors and curious hop-like fruit; good small multipurpose shade tree
Autumn Gold Ginkgo
Ginkgo biloba ‘Autumn Gold’
A true 150 million year old relic with unique fan-shaped leaves; stunning pyramidal form and consistent golden fall color, does not produce fruit; a distinct improvement on the species, a great choice for home landscape use
Shademaster Honeylocust
Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Shademaster’
One of the finest and most popular shade trees, valued for its delicate, ferny appearance which casts a dappled shade below; upright spreading and fast growing, seedless, very tolerant of adverse growing conditions, makes a great street tree
Chinkapin Oak
Quercus muehlenbergii
A stately large-growing shade tree with a rounded outline and wide-spreading habit of growth, distinguished branching habit; best for larger landscapes where it can spread its wings, very tough and adaptable but somewhat slow growing
Tuliptree
Liriodendron tulipifera
One of the tallest native trees of eastern North America, features uniquely shaped leaves and large yellow tulip-shaped flowers which are hard to see because of the height of the tree; needs lots of moisture and room to grow, not for small properties