Page 50 - MNLGA Free State Spring 2025_WEB
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GROWING WITH EDUCATION (Continued)
Plants can have a single stem or attract many butterflies like Henry’s stunning shiny green foliage including
branch-out low to the ground, and Elfin butterflies, bees, and even early ‘Appalachian Red’, ‘Royal White’
spread to create a flat to rounded traveling hummingbirds. They also which is considered the most cold-
crown, reaching 20 to 30 feet tall attract specialized long tongued hardy of all the white flowering Cercis,
and 25-35 feet wide. Also called bees like the solitary Habropoda and ‘Tennessee Pink’.
the Eastern Redbud, they prefer to laboriosa or the blueberry bee which Variegated green and white foliage
be planted when young and once can, over a lifetime, pollinate over includes ‘Silver Cloud’ that has some
their roots are established in the 6,000 blueberries. The flowers are totally white leaves and some totally
ground, they don’t like to be moved also edible and healthy for people green while others are a combination
again. Although they do thrive in since they are high in vitamin C. They with a green center surrounded by
full sun as an understory tree, they can be added to salads, baked in white. ‘Ally Cat’ grows variegated
also appreciate growing under the muffins, scones or cakes, added to from seed, with each leaf artistically
afternoon shade of a larger tree omelets, turned into a sweet syrup green with splashes of white. ‘Floating
especially in the southern counties of to pour over pancakes, boiled to Clouds’ leaves start out green and as
Maryland. Excessive heat or drought create jam, and can be pickled or they mature, they become streaked
can stress the tree drastically, making fried! Because the flowers bloom and spotted, holding the variegated
it more susceptible to cankers and so early with spring’s cool weather, colors all summer long. Most of
wilts. Redbuds are in the pea family they can often color the trees with the variegated Redbuds should be
and bloom in the early spring with flowers for up to 3 weeks. Once the planted in the shade of a large tree
½ inch dark rose to purple flowers flowers begin to fade the new heart to prevent the leaves from burning
that blossom in clusters of 4-10 on shaped leaves begin to emerge. Most or scorching in the heat of summer.
the mature bare branches in April. start out a reddish purple with 5-9 There are quite a lot of burgundy
Each flower has 5 petals, 2 petals palmate veins that radiate from their colored foliage Redbuds which are
on the top of the flower looking base and grow to 3-5 inches high and less susceptible to summer scorch
like rabbit ears, and 3 lower petals wide maturing into a lustrous dark and can be planted in full sun. The
which are curved together to form an green. Leaves are attached alternately spring foliage of ‘Black Pearl’ is a shiny
elongated tube that holds the pollen. on the branches, and the branches dark purple that keeps its color until
These brightly colored flowers which tick back and forth with each leaf. autumn when it fades to a soft green.
are rich in both pollen and nectar, There are a lot of cultivars that have
Cercis Canadensis Rising Sun Tree Cercis Canadensis Flame Thrower Leaves
50 SPRING 2025 • Free State News
