Early-spring showstoppers
We’re fortunate to live in a climate where, barring freak weather conditions, we can have something in bloom almost every month of the year. I always look forward to late winter and early spring, when trees like the Japanese flowering apricot, Prunus mume, or Cornelian cherry dogwood, Cornus mas, grace us with their blossoms. Cornus mas ‘Golden Glory’ produces vivid yellow flowers from mid-February to March. Maturing at about 25 feet, this tree is perfect for small gardens or, in my case, the median strip between the sidewalk and the street, where it throve despite little attention. Edible 1-inch cherry-red oblong fruits follow weeks of bloom, and handsome peeling bark looks good all year. Serviceberry, Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’, is another one of the first large shrubs or small trees to bloom in spring. I love spotting it at the edge of a native woodland. Pink in bud, the flowers open to pure white. In autumn it displays colorful foliage in shades of red and orange. And in winter the smooth gray bark stands out against blue skies. Often the fruit is mentioned as ornamental, but in my experience the birds find it before I can enjoy it. For carpeting under both of these, try early daffodils or masses of Lenten rose, Helleborus orientalis.
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New blooms to look out for
Two weeks ago, I introduced you to new selections of woody ornamental plants to look for this spring, so this week let’s take a look at herbaceous ones, such as perennials. Heucheras, commonly known as coral bells, are a good genus to begin with. The number of selections offered is mind-boggling (these are not your grandmother’s coral bells). Derived from crosses made with the Southeastern native Heuchera villosa, these vigorous hybrids tolerate more sun and heat than many of the heucheras gardeners grew in the past. Their striking foliage (mostly evergreen) will brighten up a dark corner or add zing to a quiet planting. They include H. ‘Citronelle’, with chartreuse foliage, or H. ‘Caramel’, with slightly ruffled leaves that start out golden with reddish undersides and mature to a blend of apricot and honey. For a contrast, H. ‘Mocha’ displays dark brown leaves that become more intense in the sun, and H. ‘Brownies’ has large chocolate-brown leaves with red undersides. It forms clumps that are 24 inches across (see source 6 below). Another group of heucheras, part of the Proven Winners program, includes H. ‘Dolce Licorice’, with black foliage; H. ‘Dolce Key Lime Pie’, with chartreuse leaves; and H. ‘Dolce Peach Melba’, with foliage in shades of peach (sources 1, 2, 4). Plant these heucheras in groups, combine them with others or use them as accents with ferns and other perennials. Heuchera ‘Midnight Rose’, a Terra Nova introduction (3), has unusual deep purple, almost black, leaves in winter, spotted hot pink in the spring.
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