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 Brian Keuning to share his top plant picks. Here’s what he had to say:
Steeplechase Arborvitae
Thuja ‘Steeplechase’
An uncommon garden evergreen with showy, dark glossy green foliage on upswept branches; ideal as an accent, hedge or screen, takes pruning well; protect from drying winter winds
Cutleaf Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum Viridis’
Amazing gold-orange fall color; delicate, lacy leaves of bright green during summer on a cascading form; Japanese maples are the most coveted of all small landscape trees, it has almost the perfect shape, habit, and fall colors
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum
Possibly the best shade tree for fall colors ranging from gold to burnt orange to red; shapely and neat, a truly stately tree; adaptable to soils, but dislikes air pollution and compaction; every landscape should have a place for one of these aristocrats
October Glory Red Maple
Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’
A popular selection of red maple with good form and excellent red fall color year after year; a shapely large shade tree, perfect for larger landscapes, makes a fine street or boulevard tree; intolerant of alkaline soils
Slender Silhouette Sweet Gum
Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Slender Silhouette’
A very narrow variety that can be many multiples higher than it is wide; a stunning columnar tree perfect for articulation or garden accent; fall colours are a striking orange yellow and red