small tree suggestions

I would like to plant a small deciduous tree in the center of a large full sun perennial bed. Looking for something 20 feet or less with a spread less than or equal to the height. I know there are lots of choices- what would your top ones be? I'm in zone 7b borderline 8a NC with hot and humid summers and unpredictable winters.

Thanks,
Shari

I've always liked the Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus) and all Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) for their form and spring blooms. A few others that come to mind would be Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) and Serviceberry (Amalanchier arborea). I think top of the list for me would be the Silverbell (Halesia tetraptera).

Are you wanting a fast or a slow growing tree? The Flowering Dogwoods and the Serviceberry would be the fastest, but not as long lived as some other small trees. Fringe trees are very slow growing, and (for me) so is the Silverbell. One of the Magnolias may be nice for your area, too.

It's hard to find small trees that like full sun. Most small trees are naturally meant to be understory trees. Redbuds and Dogwoods are pretty trees, but they look a little scorched by the end of the summer when they're in full sun (to me anyways). Hawthorn was a good suggestion, but if rust is a problem in your area they will require spraying. The same applies to crabapples. The most popular small trees around here are the crape myrtles. "Natchez" and "Muskogee" are the most common planted. They are a little overplanted in my town but that may not be the case were you live. "Yuma" is a little smaller but my favorite with its lavander flowers. If you could go a little larger, "Yoshino" and "Kwanzan" cherries are very pretty.

How about one of the Witch Hazels? Some of them can be trained into a standard, they take full sun and are small. Some of the red cultivars are stunning in the spring.

Some of the Crepe Myrtles (although overused at times) also tolerate your climate very well. With the first selection, you get flowers before most other things bloom, with the latter, late summer bloom can be expected.

I totally agree that many trees in the height range she wants will not be able to take full sun and may scorch. I sort of disagree with the statement that planting a Hawthorn will require spraying. The vector is generally Red Cedar or Crab Apples. Most people in residential areas don't favor planting Red Cedar or Crab Apples as ornamentals so if you want to consider an attractive tree that can handle full sun without stressing and failing that is not going to overpower the looks somebody wants to create for curb appeal, a residential neighborhood is probably one of the safest locations to plant Hawthorn and the spring blooms are absolutely gorgeous in my opinion. Additionally, people spot those tellial horns on their Red Cedar and almost always remove them because they find them unsightly. It has been my experience that spraying is never necessary as Gymnosporangium globosum or G. clavipes doesn't kill off a tree but more makes it unattractive toward the end of the season in years when there is a lot of rain.

Stewartia, Franklinia, Oxydendrum, Styrax are my top suggestions.

Kousa dogwoods do just fine in full sun in your neck of the woods. I also have high hopes for Cornus kousa angustata, an evergreen dogwood. Nurseries Caroliniana in North Augusta, SC has some nice ones.

A local source for Cornus angustata lists it as 30'x20' which would be much too large. Are they very slow growing? I have definately considered Chionanthus retusus. Glad to know that it is slow growing. Serviceberries are uncommon around here- I need to research a little on those. Maybe I need to be thinking more along the lines of a large shrub? What do you all think of Ninebark in this situation?

I had a Sargent's Crab (Malus??? sargentii). It is more of a hawthorn without thorns. The very red berries are slightly edible and stay on. They do not litter the ground like a real crabapple. In the middle of winter Cardinals will eat them. It is a very pretty sight.

The greatest tree that I love is Styrax Japonica. Beautiful umbrella shape flowers underneath in June. Great colors of light to dark green as summer developes. And finally during the dormant phase GREAT SHAPE with branching. Nothing better to put Christmas lights on. My tree talks to me and sometimes hugs me. http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/styrax_japonicus.html

UUallace, Does your Sargent's fruit look like this?
I think this is a Bobwhite crab and the fruit hang on all winter until the birds get them, I have a Mocking bird that comes by every day for a few more. Cardinals, too.
Andy P

I'm with Penn_Pete...use a Witch Hazel!! Here on Long Island, NY they're in bloom right now, and the scent is WONDERFUL! They have good fall color, too.

Another wonderful tree is Heptacodium (Seven Sons Flower). They have white flowers in the fall, followed by bright red sepals (that many consider to be the real show), and then exfoliating bark that looks beautiful through the winter. I saw one last summer/fall that was about 20' tall, and it stopped me in my tracks. I don't think they get much bigger than that, and they like the sun.

There's also a Robinia (Locust Tree) that's supposed to stay small called 'Twisty Baby'. It has contorted leaves and makes a real show. I've only seen small ones in real life, but I saw one on TV once, and I wont' rest until I have one in my yard. Check it out.

Good luck!!

Full sun, zone 7b - Why not try a Crape Myrtle? They are deciduous, bloom all summer in full sun and come in a variety of flower colors. They are also beautiful out of bloom.

jamie61, Robinia pseudoacacia 'twisty baby' TM listed in Plant Files with Forest Farm as source. Ken

Thanks for the tip, kandlmidd. That looks like a cool tree to me! My yard is full of the plain ol' Locusts, and I think this along with the chartreuse version, 'Frisia,' would be great additions. I want to put Twisty Baby close to my Harry Lauder's Walking Stick and some Curly Willow for a cotorted theme section of the yard!

Thanks again,
Jamie

Oh, I'm really liking growin's suggestions of Franklinia alatamaha and Oxydendrum arboreum but Witch Hazel sounds wonderful too. I don't think you'd be happy with the growth form of a Ninebark for your front yard but it is a nice shrub.

Big difference between Chionanthus retusus and Chionanthus virginicus which is the Chionanthus I suggested a while ago. Here are a few photos of C. virginicus in bloom-
http://www.mathcs.richmond.edu/~tkostadi/trees/images/Chionanthus_virginicus_flowers.jpg
http://www.tulpehockennursery.com/shop_image/product/feadf3f66958c1cab9e5ea61bd7a5d73.jpg
http://www.cs-music.com/features/photos/chionanthus_6-1-02.jpeg
http://www.ag.auburn.edu/hort/landscape/dbpages/images/309a.jpg
http://www.biosurvey.ou.edu/shrub/chiovir2.jpg

Right now I'm leaning towards Chionanthus virginicus. Depends on what I can find out there for the price. Don't want to start tiny because it's a slow grower but not sure I want to spend big bucks for a large one. Would consider Witch hazel as well. I'm afraid my conditions may be too harsh for the Heptacodium . Dirr says it benefits from pine shade in the South. Have also heard recommendations for some shade for Witch hazel here too. Crape myrtle is so common here. I have one and plan to add a couple more but wanted something a little different for this area. I really want a Styrax japonica 'Emerald Pagoda' but I think it will be a front yard feature. The bed I'm referring to in the thread is in the back yard.

Thanks for all the responses! I'm enjoying looking at all the suggestions. It ain't over until I've bought it and planted it.

Shari

Here, take a look at growin's Oxydendrum arboreum suggestion-
http://www.plantbuzz.com/Trees/small/Oxydendrum_arboreum_flwrs7.jpg
http://www.auburn.edu/arboretum/trees/oxydendrum_arboreum_sourwood4.jpg
http://www.auburn.edu/arboretum/trees/oxydendrum_arboreum_sourwood3.jpg
http://www.ag.auburn.edu/hort/landscape/dbpages/images/62a.jpg

And please take a peek at his Franklinia alatamaha suggestion-
http://www.fw.vt.edu/DENDRO/DENDROLOGY/SYLLABUS/picts/falatamahaform2.jpg
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/images/fral43.jpg
Sadly, there aren't a lot of images out there for Franklinia.

Witch Hazel is one I want to put more of in the ground by me up here in Illinois.

chamthy, I can't think that your conditions would be too severe for Heptacodium. I have had it planted on the south side of my deck for about 8 years, which was in full sun and pretty much still is. So far this winter, we had 3 weeks of just above 5 to 10 degrees above zero at night and never reached 32 degrees day time. Now again after several weeks of warmer than normal, we are again down to , well this morning 7 degrees. this is not the first time in the 8 years that temps. have been just slightly above zero.

Actually the Seven Sons Plant grows faster than I really want so it has been pruned quite heavily to keep it within bounds. I will go take a couple of photos of it in its winter form.

DonnaS

Shari,

I just posted some witchhazel cultivar photos a week or two ago. You might try weeding through page two or three of older threads to find it.

Chionanthus is a great tree, the native and the exotic. The fragrance of C. virginicus is wonderful and the flower perhaps a little more showy, but the bark of C. retusus exfoliated very nicely. For fruit, which is attractive on either tree, you'll need both male and female plants, which are never labeled by nurseries. (Almost all plants are seedlings, so the nurseries generally don't know).

Scott

chamthy, based on where you are located - the coastal plain region of NC, indicates sandy soils.
Since we live in the Blue Ridge region of Virginia with clay soils, the trees that we would recommend, e.g. Chionanthus, Oxydendron, etc. will not thrive in your soils. Because you are on the border of Zone 8, you really have an entirely different set of growing conditions that limit your choices, which is one of the reasons that Crape Myrtle is so frequently used.

Michael Dirr's book: Dirr's Trees and Shrubs for Warm Climates: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/088192525X/qid=1140344450/sr=2-3/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_3/102-4200772-2578558?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 would be an excellent reference for you to check out. I've attached a list of the contents of his choices for trees and shrubs and this might be a starting point for you, as well as eliminating some of the choices already mentioned.

Although I haven't read this book, it may also be a source of information for you: North Carolina Gardener's Guide, 2nd Edition, Toby Bost http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1930604211/ref=sib_rdr_dp/102-4200772-2578558?%5Fencoding=UTF8&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER&no=283155&st=books&n=283155

It appears that you are located very close to J. C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh http://www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum/. They offer free tours of the Aboretum every Sunday at 2 PM from April through October and this would also be an excellent resource for you in determining what would do well in your unique situation.

I have posted this question on the Carolina forum on that other site and have lots of different suggestions there as well. It got me thinking that maybe I do need to take a trip to the arboretum to see some mature trees. My soil is sandy loam over clay. I think my yard was farmland in the near past and that contributes to the decent top soil that I have in some areas of the back yard. Some parts of the yard are more clay than others. My temps are more like coastal plains but my soil is more like the piedmont- less sandy.

Franklinia. A number of years ago I was at the local botanical gardens, VanDusen, and I was wandering around finding out what was new, in bloom, etc. I had wanted to look at the Franklinia to see it in person and see if there were blooms. When I found it, there was also a man with handle-bar moustache and straw hat standing infront of it quietly admiring its quiet beauty. We started chatting about its subtle features that make it so pleasing, it's unique history, etc. We chatted for a while and I asked if he'd seen a few other jems. He said he was visiting and would be interested in a quick tour. It turned out to be JC Raulston - a very pleasant, approachable and interesting man. I later introduced him to a friend who works at a nursery that specialized in imported rare Chinese plants, many of which ended up in NC. So that's my little story.

I didn't realize your were on the coast with the sandy soil. I also have a few different suggestions: Musa basjoo (Japanese Fiber Banana), Trachycarpus fortunei (Chinese Windmill Palm), Yucca gloriosa variegata, Araucaria araucana (Monkey Puzzle Tree) with a little soil amending, Illicium sp. (Anise), Nerium (Oleander) - one of the hardy ones, Osmanthus - one of the variegated ones or Rhapidiophyllum hystrix (Needle Palm).

I also second RCN's recommendation that you pick up a copy of Dirr's Trees and Shrubs for Warm Climates. Great book that you'll find very helpful.

I agree- you should pick up Dirr's book- libraries can usually get it.

I would recommend Styrax Obassia - it's a great tree! Totally different from anything else. It is hands down the prettiest tree I own- at all times of year. I also have a Styrax Japonica, but the Obassia to me is more beautiful and definitely more interesting. Check to see if it will take full sun where you live. The leaves are quite large and I would hate to see them crisp and burn around the edges. Dirr will be a good guide- his recommendation is the reason I bought my Obassia in the first place, and I have always been glad I did.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/styrax_obassia.html

chamthy, I guess I thought the reason you didn't think Heptacodium would be suitable for your area was cold, but I guess you meant your soil and being near the ocean. Anyway I did go take a couple of photos, but am having such a problem since I installed Adobe Photoshope Elements 4[ for some reason I think mcy computer is making Elements my default) and I don't yet want that to be .

So anyway I will try to post a couple of photos of my Heptacodium micronoides, in its winter attire.

DonnaS

The Heptacoides is in the center of the photo, too many shrubs there to get a good clear photo on one. And here is a closeup of the bark.

DonnaS

Ruth, we also have Heptacodium miconioides growing in our gardens and it performs admirably in this area (6a). Unfortunately, I think Shari's conditions would not warrant planting of this gem.
It is not listed in Dirr's recommendations in my image above from his book "Trees and Shrubs for Warm Climates" and in his Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, he indicates:

"LANDSCAPE VALUE: Unusual plant that is best known in New England states because of the Arnold’s efforts; best in a border; great foliage, interesting flower and fruit characteristics; will never replace a crapemyrtle in Zone 7 through 9"

"CULTURE: Transplants readily from containers and is probably the best way to handle the plant; moist, well-drained, acid, organic laden soils are best; plant appears adaptable; our plant is in clay loam under pine shade and has performed admirably; have seen several full sun, drought stressed plants that toward the end of summer looked tired"

Acer griseum (Paperbark maple) or Betula papyrifera (Paper birch) are two excellent multi-trunked small trees that would look wonderful anchoring a large perennial bed, particularly if planted off-center with some partial shade lovers planted directly underneath.

I don't think Chionanthus is a slow grower at all--quite the opposite. I have at least 6 or 7 around here, and they are all quite vigorous. At my old place, the Chionanthus were good for 18"/year.

Shari,
You might want to consider Vitex (Chaste Tree) for a sunny location. Sort of looks like a butterfly bush tree when in bloom. They can take a hot, sunny location and make a nice specimen.Another specimen tree that I am partial to is the Bottlebrush tree. Sorry, I would provide pictures but I don't know how to link yet :)