Page 64 - Free State Spring 2023_WEB

GROWING WITH EDUCATION (Continued) grow up to 3 ½ inches long. In the autumn, the foliage
them. The small flowers mature by summer into tiny balls of becomes a vibrant bright red, an excellent substitute for the
gray-blue fruit wrapped in scented wax coverings. The glossy non-native Burning Bush. Plants can be planted alongside
light olive green, semi evergreen leaves have serrated or ponds or streams and tolerates a wide range of soil include
toothed margins and attach alternately on stems. They have swamp-like or boggy soils. Red Chokeberry can be planted
tiny yellow resin glands that make the foliage very fragrant, in natural settings and allowed to create thickets or pruned
and in some cases a potential fire hazard. The plants are to remove the suckers to keep its vase shape.
nitrogen fixers, which assists them if they are growing in Lindera benzoin or Spicebush blooms in mid-April and thrives
poor soils. Like many of our native shrubs, the Southern Wax from USDA zones 4-9. The dioecious plants produce clusters
Myrtle spreads by suckers to create a fast growing densely of tiny yellow-green flowers that bloom along the branches
branched plant. These plants can be planted on a bank for like Redbuds. The male plant’s flowers are showier and larger
erosion control, to create a shrub border, as a screen, along due to their soft stamens. The female plants produce smaller
streams and ponds, or in woodland gardens. No serious fragrant flowers that later mature into yellow then bright red
insect or disease problems. fruit that is less than ½ inch long. These are best viewed when

Aonia arbutifolia or Red Chokeberry is winter hardy from the deciduous foliage turns yellow in the autumn. This lovely
USDA zones 4-9 and thrives in moist but well drained soils in understory shrub grows 4-12 feet tall and wide, thrives in part
full to part sun. In April, the 5-petal white to light pink flowers sun, and can handle full sun if it is growing in continuous
begin to bloom. They are only 1/3 inch and are held in moist soils. Leaves are 5-inches long, thick and light green;
clusters or corymbs on mature growth. Flowers mature into growing alternately on slender gray stems. When the stems
tiny tart glossy red berries by late summer. Although they are scratched or the leaves are bent or crushed, they give off
are eaten by lots of native birds, many of the birds wait until a spicy fragrance. Plant in shady moist woodland gardens
the frosts have fermented them. The plants grow 6-10 feet or by ponds or streams. Spicebush colonizes into thickets if
tall and 2-6 feet wide in a strong vase shape. The deciduous not pruned. The Spicebush swallowtail butterfly’s larva feeds
glossy green foliage is gray green on the underside and on the leaves as a caterpillar. No serious disease or insect
problems.

Bayberry Tree

64 SPRING 2023 • Free State News