Plants

History Sassafras is a genus of three extant and one extinct species of deciduous trees in the family Lauraceae, native to eastern North America and eastern Asia. This tree has a long history in North American culture. Various tribes used the leaves, root bark, and wood in a variety of ways. The Choctaw, for example, used dried, powdered sassafras leaves to thicken soups and stews. Sassafras … Read more

The Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii), also called California dogwood tree, Western dogwood and mountain dogwood  is a species of dogwood tree native to western North America often grown as an ornamental tree in coastal regions west of the Cascades. This tree was first described by Scottish botanist David Douglas during his expedition to the Pacific … Read more

Kousa Dogwood, also known as Cornus kousa, is a small deciduous flowering tree or multi-stemmed shrub. It is native to East Asia, including Korea, China and Japan. Widely cultivated as an ornamental, it is naturalized in New York State. This plant is commonly used in landscaping as a specimen tree or in shrub borders. It is … Read more

Cornus florida, the flowering dogwood, is native to eastern North America and northern Mexico. It is a member of the dogwood family, which includes several other species of dogwoods. It is also related to the black tupelo. The tree has a layered branching structure, with several twigs arising from the same point on a branchlet. … Read more

The Japanese maple, Acer palmatum, has been cultivated in Japan for centuries, with numerous cultivars selected for their diverse forms, colors, and leaf shapes. The ‘Fireglow’ cultivar is relatively recent in the long history of Japanese maples. ‘Fireglow’ was developed in Italy by the Fratelli Gilardelli Nursery in the 1970s. It was selected for its … Read more

The Fullmoon Maple is a species of Japanese maple (Acer japonicum), that is usually a small tree or large shrub. This tree is native to mountainous areas of Japan, Manchuria, and Korea. This species has rounded, palmate leaves that resemble the shape of a full moon, that’s how the maple got its common name. Fullmoon … Read more

The ‘Autumn Blaze’ maple (Acer x freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’) is a hybrid of the red maple (Acer rubrum) and the silver maple (Acer saccharinum). This tree brings together the best characteristics of both parent species. It was first developed in the 1960s by Glenn Jeffers, a horticulturist with the United States Department of Agriculture, in … Read more

“October Glory” (Acer rubrum “October Glory), a cultivar of the red maple (Acer rubrum) is native to the East Coast of the United States. It was developed in the latter part of the 20th century. During the spring and summer, the deciduous tree has shiny dark green leaves. Tiny red flowers also appear in the … Read more

The United States National Arboretum developed the “Brandywine” red maple (Acer rubrum) by crossing an “October Glory” and an “Autumn Flame” maple. This cross resulted in a tree that is tolerant to leafhopper – one of the main pests of red maples. This Maple is a relatively new cultivar, having been developed in the 1980s … Read more

Crimson Queen Japanese maples, scientifically known as Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’, are a popular cultivar of the Japanese maple family. This particular variety has finely dissected leaves with persistent color throughout the entire growing season, unlike many other Japanese maples that change color or fade over time. Japanese maples have been cultivated in … Read more