Learn about plants, landscaping, and gardening from Myatt Landscaping experts, and get to know the amazing people who make up the company! This blog will later be rolled into the new website, coming later in 2019.
Today our crews reviewed an interesting evergreen shrub, Cephalotaxus harringtonia, or the Japanese plum yew. Although it has a similar name and similar appearance, it is not the same thing as true yews, which are in the Taxus genus. These shrubs are much more tolerant of the hot, humid summers of the south than the English and Japanese Taxus species. They are also shade tolerant and deer resistant, so all they really need is some protection from drying winter winds and a well-drained site.
Japanese plum yews are highly valued for their deep green evergreen foliage and slow growth rate, meaning they are very low maintenance. It’s hard to name another evergreen shrub so versatile. Their graceful arching branches need not be pruned much at all, and there are several cultivars that exhibit specific growth habits for different applications, such as ‘Prostrata’ for a low, spreading shrub or ‘Fastigiata’ for an upright columnar shrub, great for low- to medium-height hedges. ‘Duke Gardens’ is another well-known cultivar, developed right here in NC at Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham (420 Anderson St, Durham, NC 27708). You can see the original plants in the Terraces above the koi pond. To see a collection of several different types of Cephalotaxus, visit the JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State (4415 Beryl Rd, Raleigh, NC 27606).
ID Tips
The leaves are long, flat, and linear with pointed tips, arranged spirally around the stems, in two planes, forming a distinct V-shaped trough.
On C. harringtonia ‘Fastigiata,’ rather than appearing in two flat planes, the leaves along the stem will show a bottlebrush effect, and will start small, and gradually get larger, then become small again and repeat.
On the underside of the leaves, there are two grayish bands.
These shrubs do not produce cones, but rather “arils” which are naked seeds, an evolutionary step between cones and actual fruit. There is a fleshy covering over the seed that is open at the bottom, and is shaped somewhat like an olive and is brown to reddish brown in color.
The arils and leaves are toxic if ingested, but are safe to handle.
C. harr. ‘Fastigiata’ – Note the even bottlebrush distribution of leaves around the stem
Note the gray stripes on the underside of the leaves – this is common to all Cephalotaxus and some other species
Upright nature of C. harr. ‘Fastigiata’
C. harringtonia – Note the pinched effect of smaller and larger leaves
Compare the flat plane of the foliage to the bottlebrush habit of C. harr. ‘Fastigiata’ above
Much more spreading habit than C. harr. ‘Fastigiata’
Arils on C. harringtonia look like fruit, but are actually just open seeds with a fleshy covering. Photo credit: Maryann Debski JCRA Photo Collection
Boxwoods are one of the most ubiquitous shrubs in the American garden. They have been popular for centuries throughout Europe and the US, because they are so versatile; boxwoods can be pruned into elaborate topiaries, sheared into formal hedges, or allowed to grow naturally as elegant evergreen accents in the landscape. There are several varieties of boxwood–multiple species, hybrids, and cultivars within those groups, but they all share similarities. Today we’re going to touch on proper pruning techniques, a threatening new disease to watch out for, and identification tips for the most common types of boxwood.
Large natural boxwoods in the landscape. Photo credit: Herbie Champion
Pruning Tips
There are two main methods of pruning to use with boxwoods: thinning and shearing. Thinning is important for maintaining the health of all boxwoods, while shearing is used to sculpt the shrubs into a desired shape, which is purely a personal choice, and may look rather artistic (or horrifying if done poorly!). In addition, shearing without ever thinning can cause a lot of issues both for the health and appearance of boxwoods.
Thinning only needs to be done once a year in the spring, after the cold weather ends but before the shrubs are fully leafed out, usually between mid-February to May 1st, depending on your location. In coastal South Carolina, pruning could begin earlier, while residents in the mountains of North Carolina will want to wait as late as possible.
Thinning involves removing branches evenly all over the shrub to increase light penetration and air circulation within the center of the shrub. Essentially, leaves will not grow where there is no light, because it’s a waste of the plant’s energy. But it’s important to encourage growth in the interior, because the more leaves a plant has, the more food it can produce for itself, and therefore the more it will be able to grow and the healthier it will be. Additionally, poor air circulation encourages fungal diseases and insect infestation, so keeping a more open interior will help reduce pest and disease issues. To determine if your boxwoods need to be thinned, try parting the branches. If the shrub is so dense that it’s difficult to part the branches and look into the interior, you definitely need to thin. If when you part the branches, you see green growth only on the last few inches of each branch, you definitely need to thin. When you become more familiar with the process, you will be able to tell just by brushing your fingers over a boxwood specifically where it needs to be thinned.
To thin, just remove select branches, going deep into the interior of the shrub. A good rule of thumb is to only remove sections that are the length of the green growth. For example, if there are leaves going back about 8 inches on a branch, then remove 8″ sections in little pockets all over the top and sides of the shrub. It should look looser and even all over.
For more details about thinning, check out this article.
Shearing is done to shape formal hedges and create topiaries. It is done purely for aesthetic reasons, and does not improve the health of the plant in any way, and when done incorrectly, can be harmful to the plant. When shearing, be careful not to remove too much at once, especially if the shrubs have not been thinned, or you will end up with a brown twiggy skeleton of a shrub. In order to maintain tight formal hedges, they may need to be sheared a few times during the growing season. Make sure to thin the shrubs in the spring before vigorous growth begins, and avoid shearing during very hot periods. Shearing will encourage new growth, which will stress the plant during high temperatures.
To see some amazing, world-famous topiaries, check out Pearl Fryer’s garden in Bishopville, South Carolina. It’s open Tuesday-Saturday from 10am-4pm, year round. There is no entrance fee, but donations are encouraged. The collection includes boxwoods, but also a multitude of other species.
Boxwood Blight
Boxwood Blight is a fairly new fungal disease with the potential to wipe out boxwood populations on the east coast. It’s currently in Pennsylvania and other northern states, but could move to NC and SC. You can read in-depth information here, in a publication by NC State. Avoid bringing this disease to your property by only buying boxwoods from reputable sources and disposing of boxwood products such as live wreaths or stems from floral arrangements in the trash, and not in your compost.
Boxwood hedges can form lovely backdrops for other showier plants, such as annual flower plantings. Photo credit: Misael Gonzalez
ID Tips
Most people are familiar with boxwoods, which are evergreen and have small leaves, with no prickles, thorns, or cones.
Boxwoods are most often confused with Japanese holly, which is also evergreen with no prickles, and has leaves of a similar size and shape. A simple feature to tell boxwoods and hollies apart is the leaf arrangement: boxwoods will always have leaves in opposite pairs, while the leaves of hollies will always alternate along the stems.
Boxwood leaves have smooth edges, while Japanese holly leaves have “crenate margins”, meaning the edges are scalloped.
What is the difference between English, American, Japanese, and Korean boxwoods? Well, English and American boxwood are the same species, Buxus sempervirens, and Korean boxwood (Buxus microphylla var. koreana) is actually a variety of the Japanese boxwood species (Buxus microphylla). The English/American boxwood differs from the Japanese/Korean boxwoods in many ways, but the easiest way to tell is that the tip of the leaf is pointed, while Asian boxwoods have a rounded point with a small indentation at the very tip (like the shape of a rounded “W”).
Formal gardens with tulips and boxwoods. Photo credit: Robby Tackett
Spring is really here! We are seeing so many beautiful flowering plants in the landscape this week. To finish out March, we will be covering the loropetalum shrub, or Chinese fringe flower (Loropetalum chinense). This plant has been in the United States for almost 150 years, but recently many new colors of foliage and flowers have been released, which has made it more popular. They typically bloom the most from mid-March through mid-April, but amazingly, loropetalum can bloom sporadically throughout the entire year!
Loropetalum is an evergreen shrub with small leaves that may be anywhere from a medium green to burgundy to almost black in color. The flowers range from white to many shades of hot pink and fuchsia, to bright red. Loropetalum may be grown as a hedge, a small to large shrub, or even a small ornamental tree, depending on the cultivar and how it is pruned. While it will tolerate heavy pruning, it will be a healthier and more attractive plant if maintained in a somewhat natural form. Any pruning should be completed in the spring after flowering in order to promote the best blooms for the following year. Pests and diseases are rarely an issue, but if planted in wet, boggy soils, loropetalum shrubs will likely develop root rot.
ID Tips
Loropetalum flowers look like small little tassels of fringe, with lots of long, thin, straplike petals. They look similar to the flowers of witch hazel, but witch hazels are deciduous, and bloom before the leaves bud out, while loropetalums are evergreen.
Loropetalum leaves are small and roundish to ovate (egg-shaped), arranged in an alternating pattern along the stems. The leaf surface is rough, and may feel a bit like sandpaper. The leaf margins (edges) may be very finely toothed, or smooth.
The stems are densely “pubescent,” or covered with tiny hairs.
Note the alternate pattern and the tiny hairs covering the stem and leaves.
What a beautiful St. Patrick’s Day weekend, reaching the upper 70’s on Friday, and even though the temps dropped back down, we had clear sunny weather Friday through Sunday! We’re doubling up today to get back on schedule, covering two gorgeous late winter/early spring bloomers: camellia (a shrub) and hellebore (a perennial).
Camellia
The camellia that everyone is noticing this time of year is Camellia japonica. It’s a beautiful evergreen shrub with dark, glossy green leaves and large rose-like flowers that range from single (only one row of petals), to full double varieties with rows and rows of petals, similar to a peony. Camellia sasanqua looks similar, but has smaller leaves and flowers, and the flowers only come in single or semi-double forms. It blooms in the fall.
Camellia japonica ‘Nuccio’s Pearl’
Camellias prefer well-drained, rich soils and can be slow to establish due to their slow growth. They should be protected from harsh sunlight and heavy winds in order to perform at their best.
Camellia sasanqua, photo by Herbie Champion
Maintenance and ID Tips
Camellias should never be sheared.
Occasional pocket pruning can be done to gently shape the shrub and increase air flow within the canopy.
Camellias are recognizable by their thick, leathery, glossy, leaves with finely toothed edges. There are no thorns or spines.
The flowers are very recognizable, even though there are a varieties of types and colors available. The flowers are very large, and bloom much earlier in the year than most flowering shrubs do.
Hellebore, AKA Lenten Rose
Hellebores (Helleborus spp.) are excellent perennials for dry shade gardens. They bloom during a time when most perennials are dormant, so they really make a statement in the late winter/early spring garden! Shade resistant, drought-resistant, deer- and rabbit-resistant…these are tough plants. Some varieties self-seed, so gardeners can transplant new ones that sprout up each year. It usually takes 3 years for a plant to flower if grown from seed, but if plants are purchased from nurseries, they are generally old enough to flower the first year after planting.
Maintenance and ID Tips
Cut back ratty or wind-burned foliage in late spring as needed. The flowers last a long time, but may but cut back when they are no longer attractive. Leave the flower stems until the seeds develop and fall if new plants are desired.
A general slow-release fertilizer may be applied in late winter when the new growth starts to appear, if desired.
The evergreen leaves are thick, leathery, dark green, and sometimes shiny. They have serrated edges which may cause scratches or cuts on skin because the leaves are so stiff.
The flowers last a long time because the outer petals are not actually petals, but “tepals”, which are sepals that look like petals (sepals are the protective coverings of the outside of a flower bud before it opens–think of the little green leaflike parts on the base of a rosebud). Because they are meant to protect the bud, they are much tougher than petals and can survive cold temperatures.
The flowers often nod like bells on the flower stalks.
The common name, lenten rose, refers to the fact that they are often in bloom during Lent.
Some of the earliest signs of spring in the south are daffodils and forsythias. Both are well-known plants common from new developments to old rural homesteads throughout North and South Carolina. Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia), also known as yellow-bells, is a deciduous shrub that flowers on “old wood,” meaning the flowers that bloom in the spring were actually developed by the plant the summer before. This is an important distinction because pruning at the wrong time could remove the flowers for the following year! There is another shrub that blooms in early spring with yellow flowers that may look similar to Forsythia from a distance: winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum). Today we will address proper pruning of forsythia and how to tell it apart from winter jasmine.
Forsythia is a classic southern plant.
Pruning
Forsythias typically bloom sometime between late January and late March, depending on the weather and the geographical region within the Carolinas (typically earlier near the coast, and later in the mountains). Because they bloom on “old wood”, or the previous season’s growth, the flowers open before the new leaves. Once the new leaves start to unfurl, the shrub will grow rapidly, sprouting new canes that may be several feet long. Then the new growth will slow down, and all of the energy produced through photosynthesis will be stored in tiny flower buds that will lay dormant until the next spring. Pruning must take place during the few weeks between flowering and the point where new flower buds are developed. Otherwise, there will be very few flowers the following spring.
Plant forsythias with bulbs for a stunning spring display.
Forsythias should not be sheared. Unfortunately, many people see them being sheared in settings like fast food restaurant and shopping center parking lots, but this is not an appropriate use of this beautiful shrub. To maintain the natural, graceful, arching habit, forsythias should be selectively thinned from the base of the plant. Older branches should be pruned to the ground to allow to younger, more vigorous canes to fill in. Some of us remember days back our childhoods when we were told in the spring to “go out and cut back the yellow-bells,” and we would cut it back to a small mound and let it regrow fully. This option is called “rejuvenation pruning” and it can be done when a shrub has been neglected for a long time and is badly overgrown, or every few years to promote new vigorous growth. It should not be done every year, as this can stress the plant too much and make it vulnerable to pests and disease.
Do NOT do this!! Rather than trying to force forsythias to grow in a rectangle (never going to happen), plant a slow-growing hedge that stays small to begin with!
ID Tips: Forsythia vs. Winter Jasmine
Both shrubs are in the olive family, Oleaceae, so they have many similar characteristics. They both have arching canes, which are green when young and then fade to light brown. Both stems are squarish in cross-section, and buds are in opposite pairs along the stems. However, forsythia stems will be covered heavily with lenticels, small corky bumps, while winter jasmine stems will be comparatively rather smooth.
Forsythia is a large, upright shrub, while winter jasmine forms a low, scrambling groundcover shrub that is very well-suited to spilling over walls.
Forsythia typically flowers later than winter jasmine.
Forsythia flowers have 4 long, strap-like petals, while winter jasmine flowers have 6 rounded petals.
The leaves of forsythias are long, narrow, and pointed, with toothed edges along the pointed half of the leaf, and smooth edges near the base. Winter jasmine leaves look completely different–each small leaf is made up of three tiny leaflets, very similar to a clover leaf, although each leaflet is ovate (egg-shaped), not round.
Forsythia foliage turns yellow, maroon, or purple in the fall, depending on the cultivar, while winter jasmine leaves don’t have any noticeable fall color.
Myatt Landscaping Blog 