Fire Dragon® Shantung Maple Flames Red

Maple Selection Brings “New England Red” Color to Midwestern Fall Landscapes

Fire Dragon^® Shantung Maple delivers vivid reds and dazzling scarlets rarely seen in the Midwest or lower-Midwest landscape in autumn. A tough, hardy and well-behaved mid-size maple (to 35 feet), Fire Dragon^® is the first introduced selection of Acer truncatum, commonly known as Purple-blow or Shantung Maple (pronounced ‘Shan-doon’ ).

Fire Dragon® was selected from thousands of seedlings for its glorious, brilliant red fall color so elusive to the lower-Midwest. Finding a consistent red for hot, sunny climates has long been a challenge for plains states gardeners and designers. With the straight species, new spring foliage is a beautiful reddish-purple leaf color in spring (“purple-blow”), turning to dark green for summer, then presenting brilliant yellow color in fall. However, each autumn Fire Dragon® reliably provides the sought-after, luminous reds found in New England to the Midwest (and the rest of the country). Grower Keith Johansson has observed three different autumn reds (anthocyanin compounds based on soil pH and environmental factors) including: bright, true, cardinal red; currant red with Chinese yellow margins; and a compelling reddish-orange. 

Spring and early summer leaf color on Fire Dragon^® turns from burnt orange to pink and rose-red, and then to bright red when growing vigorously in May. Red pigments help protect the new leaves from ultra-violet rays and from insects until they can harden-off.  Summer leaf color is a pleasing, sparkling green on thick, waxy leaves; lowered transpiration rates help trees thrive in hot summers. New summer growth put on by this cultivar is typically a dark red throughout the season, although it may vary with temperature, soil pH, soil nutrients or levels of sunshine, and can range from dark red to brighter red to mostly green.

The elegant, distinctive leaf shape of Fire Dragon® is reminiscent of curly parsley. The species name, truncate, refers to a broad, flat leaf base at the petiole, however, the two basal lobes of Fire Dragon® face downward. While most Shantungs have a larger central lobe, in Fire Dragon® the leaf lobes are equal in size and fit inside a perfect circle.

Small, lemony, greenish-yellow flowers appear in late spring on 3-inch corymbs, followed by winged, purplish samara fruits that form a 90 degree angle.

Young bark on Fire Dragon® can have a purplish tone and eventually turns grayish brown, while older bark is two-toned brown, heavily fissured, and very attractive. Shantung maple branches are flexible but old wood is dense and very hard, much like an oak, and according to a Kansas State University study they were the least damaged/best performing in ice storms, and are similarly good for windy sites. 

Fire Dragon® Shantung Maple has a very efficient, non-aggressive root system that is reminiscent of a Japanese maple. Shantung is a preferred maple for under-planting in park and landscape settings because it is not shallow-rooted like some notorious maples, so the roots do not over-compete. In addition, the canopy provides open shade, perfect for an understory of rhododendrons, native azaleas and other ornamental shrubs, perennials and groundcovers. 

Acer truncatum is a very lovely medium-sized maple tree reaching up to 35 feet in height and spread. Growth habit is low-branching, round-headed, quite dense and uniform. It is a hardy, adaptable species, tolerant of heat and drought, with no serious pests. This tree is tougher than and just as beautiful as any maple growing “back east”. Hardy and heat tolerant, it grows on both acidic and alkaline soils. Shantung maples are in high demand in the lower Midwest and are gaining popularity throughout the upper-Midwest and upper-South to the east coast.

Fire Dragon® tolerates pollution and fits most urban landscapes. About the only thing it will not tolerate is poor drainage. With a vigorous growth rate, Fire Dragon® Shantung Maples grow 2 to 5 feet per year. This very lovely maple has application as a street or residential shade tree.

                

Statistics Chart for Fire Dragon® Shantung Maple,  Acer truncatum Fire Dragon®  Plant Patent #17367, by Keith Johansson, owner of Metro Maples who patented this cultivar.

Plant Category:	Shade tree, budded cultivar, patented
Mature Height:	Mid-sized, reaches 35 feet
Mature Spread:	35 feet
Mature Form:	Round crown
Branching:	Low branching  with graceful curves; wood is exceptionally strong and resists ice and wind
Growth Rate:	Vigorous, 2-5 feet per year
Sun Exposure:	Full sun (recommended)  to part shade
Soil Type:	Loam, Sand, Clay
Soil Moisture:	Well-drained soils; good with heat and drought; will not tolerate wet soils
Flower Color:	Lemony, greenish yellow corymbs of small flowers; excellent early nectar source for honey bees
Bloom Season:	March - April
Foliage:	Spring: burnt orange to pink and rose-red, and then to bright red when growing vigorously in May. Summer leaf color: a pleasing, sparkling green on thick, waxy leaves; lowered transpiration rates help trees manage the hot summers; new growth put on by this cultivar during the summer is typically a dark red throughout the season Leaf drop is sudden and efficient; leaves compost quickly
Fall Color:	brilliant, true cardinal red; sometimes currant red with Chinese yellow margins; and occasionally reddish-orange after heavy rainfall
Fruit:	Purplish, 90 degree angle winged samaras or “helicopters”
Bark:	Attractive, two-toned, dark gray to brown, thick, fissured
Roots:	Regular root system, not a shallow-rooted maple; non-competing and excellent for under plantings
pH Level:	5 – 8, very adaptable
Zones:	6– 9, wide range
Heredity:	U.S., Keith Johansson, owner of Metro Maples, Fort Worth, TX

When performance counts, use Garden Debut® introductions 

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Merlot Redbud is Drought- and Heat-Tolerant with Wine-Colored Leaves

Raise a toast to this drought- and heat- tolerant redbud with Merlot-colored leaves. Merlot Redbud (PPAF) is the preferred vintage for those gardeners in hotter, drier zones (U.S.D.A Zones 6 – 9) looking for a small ornamental tree with dark foliage. A cross between Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' and Cercis canadensis var. texensis, Merlot Redbud is much more drought- and heat- tolerant than eastern redbud trees and has appealing shiny wine-red foliage that laugh at heat.

The glossy leaves of Merlot Redbud are dark wine-purple like the color of a fine Merlot wine and are smaller and more rounded, free of scorch well into fall. The reduced size and rounded shape (without a point) accommodates the stress of hot climates, while the shiny leaf surface slows transpiration or water loss of this hybrid redbud.  These strategies to ‘beat the heat’ are inherited from their texensis parentage, and thick, glossy Merlot Redbud leaves hold up well during the heat of Southern and Southwestern summers without browning margins.

At 12’ x 15’ Merlot is the perfect tree for small yards. Overall the small ornamental tree has as a semi-upright vase-shaped growth habit. The plant is tighter and denser than Cercis ‘Forest Pansy’.

Mature trees flower heavily with strong, bright magenta-pink flowers on bare branches. They are self-cleaning and have a low seed set. Thus the homeowner or landscaper enjoys a heavy bloom but the seed pods tend to drop early before ripening and turning brown, and don’t hang on the tree. These flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies and nectar-loving birds.

The name ‘Merlot’ means ‘young blackbird’ in French, after the dark maroon-black color of both the varietal grape from Burgundy and the leaf of this redbud, a ‘grand cru’ among Cercis cultivars.

Statistics Chart for Merlot Redbud (PPAF), Cercis canadensis var. texensis x Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'

Plant Category:	Deciduous flowering tree
Mature Height:	12 feet
Mature Spread:	15 feet
Mature Form:	Semi-upright vase, shaped habit. The perfect tree for small yards.
Growth Rate:	Vigorous
Sun Exposure:	Best grown in full sun
Heat Tolerance:	Great tree for those gardeners in hotter zones looking for a darker foliage small flowering tree.
Soil Moisture:	Well-drained soil, drought resistant tree due to texensis parentage
Soil Type:	Loamy, Sandy, or Clay; wide range
Flower Color:	Strong, bright pink flowers
Bloom Time:	Flowers on bare branches in Early Spring
Seed Pods:	Merlot is self-cleaning and has a low seed set. The homeowner or landscaper enjoys a heavy bloom but the seed pods tend to drop early before ripening and turning brown, and don’t hang on the tree.
Summer Color:	Deciduous, small rounded glossy dark purple leaves, the color of  Merlot wine.
Fall Color:	Red-Burgundy color holds in fall
pH Level:	5.5 – 7.5
Zones:	6 – 9  (-10 degrees F or 23 Degrees C), well suited for hot climates
Heredity:	U.S., Breeder Dr. Dennis Werner, through PlantHaven, Inc., CA on behalf of North Carolina State University

                                                           

When performance counts, use Garden Debut® introductions

Photo credit: Flowers by PittState.edu

Unique Ruby Falls Redbud Combines Deep Color & Weeping Habit

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The exciting landscape potential of this new cultivar is electrifying the nursery industry. 

Ruby Falls Redbud is exploding off the charts of woody plant desirability as an entirely new variety, displaying purple foliage on a small weeping form of this native understory tree.  A new and distinct cultivar, this attention-getting combo of features sets Ruby Falls apart from all other existing cultivars of redbud tree.

Ruby Falls, an F2 hybrid, inherited its weeping form from one parent plant: the weeping green 'Covey' redbud (aka Lavender Twist™), and its dark ruby-purple leaf color from another parent: 'Forest Pansy' redbud.  In combination these traits set Ruby Falls apart as a new specimen form.  

Weeping, pendulous, cascading Ruby Falls Redbud exhibits an excellent branching structure.  Zig-zaging branches form a cascading crown. The weeping tree reaches a moderate height of 4-6 feet and a spread 6-8 feet. 

Redbuds are true harbingers of spring. Ruby Falls blooms profusely in early spring when clusters of tiny hot pink rose-purple, pea-like flowers accentuate the bare, pendulous branches and mature trunks for 2-3 weeks (March-April) before the foliage emerges.  Flowers are attractive to pollinators and seed pods resembling snow peas appear in summer.

The rich, purple, heart-shaped leaves open bright ruby-purple in spring, then gradually mature to deep purple, and ultimately change to green as the season progresses. Fall color on this deciduous ornamental is yellow until leaf drop in early winter.  

Ruby Falls Redbud provides a spectacular pendulous waterfall of alluring color for garden and landscape and is perfectly suited to be a specimen or garden feature plant due to its eye-catching weeping form and large red foliage. Small gardens enjoy the elegance and small stature of Ruby Falls. The cultivar benefits from an exposure of part sun to shade and is easily grown in a range of well-drained soil types; do not overwater.  It is hardy in U.S.D.A. Zones 6 – 9.  Birds, butterflies and bees find Ruby Falls attractive and visit frequently.

For more information on Ruby Falls Redbud (PPAF) and other superior plant introductions brought to gardeners by Garden Debut®, visit GardenDebut.com. 

       

Statistics Chart for Ruby Falls Redbud (PPAF), F2 hybrid of Cercis canadensis ‘Covey’ (synonym Lavender Twist™) x Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'

Plant Category:	Deciduous flowering tree
Mature Height:	4-6 feet
Mature Spread:	6-8 feet
Mature Form:	Weeping, pendulous, cascading form. The perfect specimen tree for   small yards.
Growth Rate:	Moderate
Sun Exposure:	Best grown in part sun to shade
Heat Tolerance:	Lovely choice for those gardeners and landscape designers looking for dark foliage on a small, weeping tree with added bonuses of flowering and native.
Soil Moisture:	Well-drained soils, regular watering when establishing a new specimen
Soil Type:	Loamy, Sandy, or Clay; wide range
Flower Color:	Tiny, bright pink, rose-purple, pea-like flowers, profuse blooming
Bloom Time:	Flowers on bare branches in early spring
Seed Pods:	Flat pods resembling snow peas in summer
Summer Color:	Deciduous, heart-shaped  dark purple leaves, ultimately changing to green
Fall Color:	Yellow color in autumn
pH Level:	5.5 – 7.5
Zones:	6 – 9
Heredity:	U.S., Breeder Dr. Dennis Werner, Plant Haven, Inc., CA on behalf of North Caroling State University

                                                           

When performance counts, use Garden Debut® introductions

White Frost™ Birchleaf Spirea from Garden Debut

Growing up in Ohio, several rounded shrubs of the straight species of Birchleaf Spirea, Spirea betulifolia, grew across the back of our neighbors’ garage. Reliably every spring or early summer, fountains of white flowers (actually flat-topped cymes of tiny flowers) would coat each arching branch of this rounded native shrub. We called it “bridal wreath” and one tiny cyme was just the right size for a Barbie doll wedding bouquet.

The new White Frost™ Birchleaf Spirea from Garden Debut®  is an improvement over the species, with a lovely range of fall color including shades of purple, orange, yellow and rust. In summer, the leaves are a dark green and iridescent silver-green beneath. White Frost™ is a long-lived, deciduous shrub that grows at a moderate rate to reach a height and width of three feet. In the Rosaceae, its tiny white flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies, and birds, but this cultivar is sterile and does not set seed. 

White Frost™ Birchleaf Spirea has average water needs but a low tolerance to drought. It is adaptable, accepting a pH of 5.5 to 7.5 and /USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8. It is also good in containers. White Frost™ Spirea is botanically known as Spirea betulifola ‘Tor’ and is vegetatively propagated by permit. Contact your independent Garden Center to locate this shrub for your garden. 

Crown Jewel Gardenia does well in Acidic, Loamy Soil

Crown Jewel® Gardenia PP19896 is a low-growing, spreading to prostrate Gardenia with intensely fragrant, white, medium-sized flowers in early summer.  Bright green foliage is medium to small sized for the species.  While cold-climate gardeners must grow their gardenias in pots, in USDA Zone 7 and warmer gardenias are grown outdoors, permeating the garden with fragrance.

Providing an acidic loam is crucial for plant health and successful blooming in some plants. Gardenias, along with blueberries, fragrant native azaleas and beautiful evergreen camellias, all prefer moist, loamy, acid-rich soils with the pH ranging between 5 and 6. Amending the soil with organic soil conditioners facilitates the development of the right blend. Compost made from pine needles, oak leaves or Douglas fir sawdust, followed after planting with a mulch of pine straw, goes a long way toward this goal. Soybean meal, cottonseed meal or alfalfa as a green manure also create more acid conditions.

Another organic tip is to add powdered sulfur to the soil a few months before planting according to package directions to lower the pH, making the soil more acidic (also a good tip for Iris ensata, Japanese Iris).

Iron Chelate is an organic form of iron, and provides micronutrients  in a form available for absorption by plants. Spraying the foliage with iron chelate typically eliminates yellow, mottled choloritc  leaves  deficient in iron by supplying iron and facilitating the uptake of nitrogen. 

These wonderful woody plants are best provided with full to partial sun (a bit of afternoon shade is great) and good air circulation in a cooler, woodsy environment. Don’t plant near the reflective heat of concrete or asphalt. Protection from cold winter winds helps to prevent tip dieback at the colder regions of the plants’  range. Light applications of commercial azalea fertilizer or diluted acid-forming fertilizers are ok, but too much can burn tender roots.

In particular, Crown Jewel® Gardenia was selected from a controlled cross between the dwarf ‘Kleim’s Hardy’ and the cold-hardy, twice-blooming ‘Chuck Hayes’ by Philip Dark of Oakmont Nursery in Chathem County, North Carolina. Heavy June blooming repeats until frost. Highly perfumed Crown Jewel® Gardenia grows about 6 inches /year with the potential to reach 2 feet in height and a spread of 4 to 6 feet wide, ideal for garden beds. Dark is a member of the consortium of growers and breeders that make up Garden Debut®.

Christmas Jewel(R) Holly and the Great Backyard Bird Count

Today, Friday, February 18, 2011 begins the Great Backyard Bird Count which runs through Feb. 21. Although it is called “Backyard” participants are encouraged to count in parks, woods, farms, and campuses for minimum intervals of 15-minutes. Then post the count on the website, sponsored by Cornell and Audubon. This Video explains in detail just how to participate.    

Since it is easy to count birds while they are distracted by feeding, consider planting berried shrubs to attract birds to the garden. An adaptable broadleaf evergreen shrub perfect as a specimen plant or grown as a narrow, dense hedge, Christmas Jewel® Holly PP14477 is a beautiful Ilex pernyi hybrid hardy in USDA Zones 6-9. Fifteen year old plants are 9' tall by 6' wide with an upright, dense pyramidal shape achieved naturally without pruning. Polished dark green leaves of Christmas Jewel® are small, narrow and long with blunt spines that are not very sharp to the touch. Christmas Jewel® Holly is a lovely, low maintenance addition to the landscape.

Christmas Jewel® Holly plants are female, producing abundant, large, apple-red berries without the need of a pollinator. The berries turn red before Christmas and last until early summer or until they are eaten by wild birds. Typically, birds won’t eat Ilex berries until late in the winter season when they have been softened by alternate freezes and thaws.  

According to docstoc, holly berries have among the highest nutritive value for [British] berries with a value of 4.75, and these highly nutritious berries that are available at the right time of year.

Bird species that eat holly berries include flickers, mocking birds, thrashers, flickers, catbirds, waxwings, cardinals, blue jays, as well as mourning doves, ruffed grouse, bobwhite and wild turkeys. Deer, voles, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, hares and even bears, red foxes, raccoons and box turtles all eat holly fruit.

Some birds like robins normally eat insects and worms, but become fruit-eating birds or frugivores in late winter, and the nutritious red holly berries are available to them.

By planting Christmas Jewel® Holly or other berried shrubs in the landscape, your  bird species counts may be enhanced for the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Photo credits: Garden Debut(R) and bird photos courtesy StateSymbolUSA.org