Marion's Plant Guide

Common Witchhazel // Hamamelis virginiana

Family: Hamamalidaceae

Native Habitat: Missouri, Lousiana, Oklahoma

Size: 6' to 10' high and greater in spread

Growing Habitat: Prefers moist conditions, but overall very adaptable. Can do well in clay soils with varying pH. 

Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8

Color: New growth is bronze to reddish purple, medium to dark green in summer, then yellow to golden-yellow in the fall. 

Landscape: Has done well in groupings near large buildings, also in planter boxes. It's fragrant so it would be nice to line a pathway with. 

Metasequoia glyptostroboides // Dawn Redwood 

Family: Cupressaceae

Native Habitat: Central China 

Size: 70' to 100' in height by 25' spread

Growing Habitat: Prefers moist, deep, well-drained slightly acidic soilsl full sun. 

Hardiness Zone: 5 to 8 

Color: Bright green leaves, changing to brown in fall

Landscape: Lovely ornamental tree, suited for large landscapes like parks, golf courses, or planted along a long street. 

Porcelain Berry // Ampelopsis brevipedunculata

Family: Vitaceae

Native Habitat: China, Korea, Japan and Russian Far East

Size: 10' to 25' in height 

Growing Habitat: Adaptable to many soils except those that are permanently wet. best fruiting occurs in full sun 

Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8 

Color: Dark green leaves with beautifully colored rounded berries. Range in color from yellow to pale lilac to amethyst purple to bright blue. 

Landscape: As a vine, it can be grown on fences or rock piles in order to add vibrant colors to a landscape. 

Common Honeylocust // Gleditsia triacanthos 

Family: Fabaceae

Native Habitat: Central US

Size: 60 to 75' in height, 40' to 50' in spread

Growing Habitat: Prefers rich, moist soil for best growth. Adaptable to a wide range of conditions, like chalk, drought and urban areas

Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8

Color: New leaves are pinkish to purplish, changing to dark green. 

Landscape: Excellent for parks, golf courses, and other large areas. Commonly used on the Northeastern campus. "Handsome" winter silhouette and bark.

Eastern Redbud // Cercis Canadensis  

Family: Fabaceae

Native Habitat: New Jersey to northern Florida, Missouri, Texas, northern Mexico

Size: 20' to 30' in height, spread is 25' to 35' 

Growing Habitat: Prefers moist, well-drained, deep soils. Does well in many soil types except permanently wet ones. 

Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9

Color: New growth is reddish-purple and gradually changes to a dark green in summer. Fall color is yellow-green to yellow. 

Landscape: Effective as a single specimen, in groupings or in the shrub border. 

River Birch // Betula nigra

Family: Betulaceae

Native Habitat: Massachusetts to Florida to Kansas

Size: 40' to 70', spread 40' to 60'

Growing Habitat: Likes moist soils; found in the wild along stream banks and swampy bottomlands

Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9

Color: Leaves are lustrous medium to dark green in summer, changing to yellow in fall. 

Landscape: Great for estates, parks, golf courses, campuses and other large areas. Best for areas that are wet a portion of the year. 

Paper Birch // Betula papyrifera

Family: Betulaceae

Native Habitat: Central North America 

Size: 50' to 70' in height, spread equal to 1/2 or 2/3's the height

Growing Habitat: Prefers colder climates and a variety of soils. Does best on well-drained, acid, moist, sandy or silty loams; full sun. 

Hardiness Zone: 2 to 6

Color: Dark green leaves in summer changing to yellow in fall. 

Landscape: Beautiful because of its foliage and bark. White bark contrasts nicely when leaves have fallen in autumn and winter. 

Japanese Zelkova // Zelkova serrata

Family: Ulmaceae - Elm Family

Native Habitat: Japan and Korea

Size: 50' to 80' in height, spread is generally less than height

Growing Habitat: Prefers moist, deep soil; can adapt to pH. 

Hardiness Zone: 5 to 8

Color: Dark green in summer, may bronze in fall 

Landscape: Good looking tree because of its foliage and interesting growth habits. Well suited to lawns, residential streets, parks and large areas. 

Saucer Magnolia // Magnolia x soulangeana

Family: Magnoliaceae

Native Habitat: France

Size: 20' to 30' in height, spread equal to height 

Growing Habitat: Prefers moist, deep, acid soils and supplemented with peat moss. 

Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9

Color: Medium to deep flat green in summer. Sometimes an attractive yellow-brown in fall.

Landscape: Small specimen tree, widely planted. Flowers when young. Looks nice against near large buildings and in groupings. 

Star Magnolia // Magnolia stellata

Family: Magnoliaceae

Native Habitat: Japan

Size: 15' to 20' in height with a spread of 10' to 15'

Growing Habitat: Prefers peaty, organic-based soils. Does well in the heat of the south; full sun for best flowering.

Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8 

Color: Dark green leaves in summer, yellow to bronze in fall.

Landscape: Avoid southern exposures. Great against brick red walls. Often integrated in foundation plantings. 

Silver Maple // Acer saccharinum

Family: Aceraceae

Native Habitat: Quebec, Florida, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana

Size: 50' to 70' in height, spread is about 2/3's height

Growing Habitat: tolerant of wide variety of soils but grows best in moist soils along a stream banks and deep, moist soiled woods.  

Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9 

Color: Bright to medium green leaves in summer, turning yellow-green in fall. Sometimes turns red with foliage.

Landscape: Great for lawns, parks and streets. Doesn't tolerate heavily polluted areas very well. Beautiful fall color and clean foliage. 

Littleleaf Linden // Tilia cordata

Family: Tiliaceae

Native Habitat: Europe

Size: 60' to 70' in height, spread is 1/2 to 2/3 the height

Growing Habitat: Prefers moist, well-drained, fertile soil; full sun

Hardiness Zone: 3 to 7

Color: dark shiny green in summer, yellow in fall

Landscape: Great shade tree, often planted in lawns, large areas, streets, planters, malls, etc.

American Basswood // Tilia americana

Norway Maple // Acer platanoides

Family: Aceraceaem, Soapberry Family

Native Habitat: Continental Europe

Size: 40' to 50' in height, spread is 2/3's or equal to height

Growing Habitat: well adapted to extreme soils, will withstand sand, clay or acid soils. Withstands heat better than the sugar maple and is tolerant of polluted atmospheres.  

Hardiness Zone: 4 to 7

Color: Dark green in summer, leaves hold late color but turn yellow toward end of October

Landscape: Over-used in landscape design. Should be in an area with a lot of space. Some cultivars good for planting.

Sargent Cherry // Prunus sargentii

Family: Rosaceae

Native Habitat: Japan and Eastern Russia 

Size: 40’ to 50’ in height, spread approximately equal to height

Growing Habitat: Prefers well-drained, acid loams and clays; full sun

Hardiness Zone: 4 to 7

Color: Shiny dark green in summer; bronze to red in the fall

Landscape: Great for use of shade tree or street tree. Excellent foliage.

Sourwood // Oxydendron arboreum 

Family: Ericaceae

Native Habitat: Southeast U.S.

Size: 25' to 30' in height, about 20' spread

Growing Habitat: Prefers acid, peaty, moist, well-drained soil; full sin or partial sun

Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9

Color: rich green in spring, becoming lustrous dark green with maturity. Red and purple in the fall. Often all colors in the same tree. White flowers.

Landscape: "An all season ornamental." It's a great specimen plant, works well in grouping, and contrasts beautifully with a forest background.

European Hornbeam // Carpinus betulus

Family: Betulaceae

Native Habitat: Europe, Asia minor, southeast of England

Size: 40' to 60' in height, with spread of 30' to 40' 

Growing Habitat: tolerant of wide range of soil conditions, but prefers well drained situations with full sun

Hardiness Zone: 5 to 7

Color: Dark green in summer, yellowish green in fall. Summer foliage usually very clean

Landscape: Great landscape tree; used for screens, hedges, groupings, around large buildings, malls planter boxes etc.