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Plants Of Merit 2009
Over 50 outstanding and
dependable plants suitable for the St. Louis region.
Plants Of Merit 2009 - Trees
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| hedge maple - - - Trees |
| Acer campestre |
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| Hedge maple is a dense, low-branched, rounded, deciduous maple that typically matures to 25-35 feet tall as a lawn specimen or small shade tree. It can also be easily pruned to form a large hedge. Milky-sapped stems are clad with five lobed, palmately veined, dark green leaves. Plants have good tolerance for heat, drought and urban conditions. Insignificant yellowish-green spring flowers are followed by winged samaras. |
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| eastern redbud - - - Trees |
| Cercis canadensis f. alba 'Royal White' |
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| This cultivar is distinguished from the native white-flowered form of eastern red bud by its slightly earlier and more floriferous bloom of larger flowers on a more compact plant. Pea-like white flowers bloom in profusion in spring, followed by flattened seed pods in summer. Heart-shaped green leaves turn yellow in fall. This is an excellent landscape specimen or accent that matures to 15-25 feet tall. |
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| American smoke tree - - - Trees |
| Cotinus obovatus |
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| Native to Missouri, American smoke tree is a small, rounded, deciduous tree or large shrub that matures to 20-30 feet tall. The common name comes not from its large greenish yellow flower clusters in June, but from the billowy smoky pink plumes that follow the flowers. Smoke display continues through much of the summer. Exciting fall color includes yellow, orange, red and reddish purple. Best growth occurs in somewhat infertile, well-drained soils. |
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| maidenhair tree - - - Trees |
| Ginkgo biloba 'Autumn Gold' |
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| Although the fan-shaped, medium green leaves are attractive in spring and summer, it is the fall foliage that gives this cultivar its name. Bright golden autumn leaves are spectacular when backlit by early morning or late afternoon sun. And when the leaves finally drop, they fall rapidly forming a golden carpet around the tree. This is a fruitless male cultivar that matures to 40-50 feet tall with a symmetrical, broadly-spreading crown. It is easily grown in urban conditions. |
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| seven-son flower - - - Trees |
| Heptacodium miconioides |
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| Although this China-native, fountain-shaped shrub or small tree may now be extinct in the wild, it is becoming increasingly popular as a unique and attractive landscape specimen. The common name refers to the fragrant creamy white flowers in clusters of seven that bloom profusely from late August to late September. Flowers are followed by an equally showy display of purplish-red "fruits". Narrow pointed leaves and exfoliating tan bark provide additional interest throughout the growing season. |
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| sweet bay magnolia - - - Trees |
| Magnolia virginiana 'Jim Wilson' MOONGLOW |
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| This sweet bay magnolia differs from species’ plants by having more vigorous growth, better cold hardiness and slightly larger flowers. It is a broadleaf evergreen that matures to 35 feet tall with a vase-shaped form. Sweetly fragrant creamy white flowers bloom in mid-spring. Showy cone-like fruits with bright red seeds mature in fall. This tree is easily grown in moist, organically rich soils, but also tolerates wet boggy soils, low spots and pond/stream margins. |
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| Norway spruce - - - Trees |
| Picea abies 'Acrocona' |
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| This dwarf cultivar of Norway spruce typically grows as a broad, upright-spreading shrub or small tree to 5-10 feet over the first 10 years, eventually maturing to 20 feet tall. It features dark green needles, horizontal branching and pendulous twigs. Notwithstanding its size, it is perhaps best known for producing showy immature red cones at the branch ends (acro meaning at the end) in spring. This conifer performs best in cool summer climates. |
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| swamp white oak - - - Trees |
| Quercus bicolor |
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| This medium-sized Missouri native oak grows to 50-70 feet tall with a broad rounded crown, and is particularly noted for its large-toothed/lobed, bicolor leaves that are shiny dark green above and white to silver green beneath. Leaves turn yellow to reddish purple in fall. Mature trees have distinctive, scaly-ridged, gray-brown bark. This long-lived, easy-to-grow shade tree thrives in acidic soils ranging from moist/swampy to well-drained. |
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| chinkapin oak - - - Trees |
| Quercus muehlenbergii |
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| Chinkapin oak is a medium-sized deciduous oak that typically grows to 40-60 feet tall with a rounded crown. It features narrow, oblong to lance-shaped, chestnut-like, shiny green leaves with coarse marginal teeth. Leaves turn gold to brown in fall. Oval acorns are a food source for a variety of wildlife. This easy-to-grow Missouri native tree is primarily found in dryish upland areas, but adapts well to urban conditions as a lawn, shade or street tree. |
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| willow oak - - - Trees |
| Quercus phellos |
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| Native to southern Missouri, this oak is a relatively fast-growing deciduous tree that is perhaps best noted for its attractive form and its willow-like leaves that are smooth-edged, bristle-tipped and narrow. It grows 40-75 feet tall, displaying a pyramidal habit in youth but aging to a more rounded form. Mature trees develop dark, irregularly-furrowed trunks. This is an excellent shade tree for lawns, streets and parks as well as for the occasionally wet soils of low spots and pond peripheries. |
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| snowbell - - - Trees |
| Styrax japonicus (Benibana Group) 'Pink Chimes' |
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| This compact, graceful, broad-rounded tree with horizontal branching features drooping clusters of bell-shaped, pale pink flowers on long stalks in May-June. The flowers are followed in summer by small grayish-green berries that mature to brown and persist into autumn. Gray bark on mature trees will fissure to reveal orange inner layers. Eventually maturing to 10-25 feet tall, this easy-to-grow tree provides a special accent to patio areas and small gardens. |
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| arborvitae - - - Trees |
| Thuja 'Green Giant' |
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| This arborvitae is a fast-growing evergreen tree that matures over time to 40-60 feet tall with a dense pyramidal habit. Pruning is not required but may be used to keep plants more compact for use as screens or hedges. Sprays of scented dark green foliage adorn horizontal to slightly upright branches which extend to the ground. Foliage retains good color in winter. This is a superb low-maintenance conifer that blends well into landscapes as a specimen tree, windbreak, screen or tall hedge. |
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| American linden - - - Trees |
| Tilia americana 'Redmond' |
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| Showy ornamental features of this American linden include its large, ovate, heart-shaped, glossy green leaves; pale yellow flowers in drooping cymes in late spring; small nutlets with attached leafy wings in late summer; and reddish twigs and buds in winter. Thin flower stalks droop from unusual leaf-like bracts. The hum of bees can often be heard when ‘Redmond’ explodes into bloom. This tree typically matures to 50-75 feet tall with a pyramidal form, and excels as a lawn specimen or street tree. |
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Garden, 2001-2009
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