Plant Profile: European Silver Fir (Abies alba)
Karen This native of central Europe from the Pyrenees to the Carpathians and the Balkan Peninsula, is a tall evergreen tree reaching 180 feet in the wild but half that size…
Plant Profile: Veitch’s Silver Fir (Abies veitchii)
A native of Japan where it grows in wet forest in cool, moist soil, Veitch’s Silver Fir is a conical evergreen tree with horizontal branches to the ground. The densely…
Plant Profile: Nordmann Fir (Abies nordmanniana)
This stately evergreen tree, native to Asia Minor and the Mediterranean, has a dense pyramidal form with many branches from the ground up. Dark, shiny green needles with two white…
Plant Profile: Macedonian Pine (Pinus peuce)
A native of the mountains of Yugoslavia, Albania, and Greece, this evergreen tree is popular in Scandinavia due to its cold tolerance and adaptability. It grows consistently and slowly, and…
Plant Profile: Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)
This medium-sized evergreen tree native to China and Japan is an attractive ornamental dual purpose tree with edible fruit. It has large prominently veined leaves that are dark green on…
Plant Profile: Southern Live Oak (Quercus virginiana)
One of the icons of the deep South, the live oak is often shown draped with Spanish moss. Its huge massive size, wide-spreading horizontal branches, and stiff, glossy, leathery leaves…
Plant Profile: Southern Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera aka Morella cerifera)
Also called southern bayberry, candleberry, bayberry tree, and tallow shrub, this evergreen shrub or small tree is a native of wetlands in Southeastern United States. It is a member of…
History of Christmas Greens: Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)
Few plants evoke images of the South like southern magnolia. The tall evergreen trees are native from coastal Virginia to Florida and west to Texas and Oklahoma and it is…
Plant Profile: Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica)
One of the outstanding conifers in my garden is Japanese cedar. There are many varieties, including dwarf forms, and each offers something special. For Christmas greens, you can’t beat var.…
Plant Profile: Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo)
Native to the Mediterranean region and western Europe, this broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree is a member of the heather family, Ericaceae, that also includes rhododendron, blueberry, and mountain…