Tree Advice

I am doing a landscaping project for my mother in the corner of our yard. I have designed a corner garden with three small tree's. The only type we have selected so far is a 'Crape Myrtle', It is a bright red variety. The Crape Myrtle will be in the middle and there will be another tree on each side of the crape myrtle.

I need two other trees that will go well next to a Crape Myrtle. They need to be small (no bigger than a crape myrtle) and I would prefer a tree with white blooms. If anybody has any recommendations, please let me know what your opinion is.

Thanks,
Jared

What is your zone so we can start there?

Sorry about that. I thought it was listed below my name. I am in zone 6B, 7A.

Any tree we suggest here, make sure it grows well in your area.

I am looking to put a few small trees in my yard and came across crab apples. From what I read they are great little trees and you can get them in sterile form (many people hate the little apples because they are a pain to keep off the ground.)

The ones that have been recommended to me are
Spring snow crabapple has white flowers
http://www.mnpower.com/treebook/fact59.html

Thunderchild crabapple has pink flowers
http://www.forestfarm.com/search/closeup.asp?PlantID=math071

Also another tree that comes recommended is ivory silk japanese lilac tree
which has white flowers and a great smell.
http://www.mnpower.com/treebook/fact106.html

I am planning to put all three in my garden in the fall.

Jared... I've been meaning to say hello anyway. I grew up in Clovis... class of '76

One of the things I remember from there that I can't grow here is the Mimosa. It's a small tree with beautiful blooms for most of the summer. If memory serves me right, it doesn't create a dense shade either so grass or other plants should grow fine beneath it.


Do they still have the sunken garden out at Hillcrest park? If so, you may get some ideas in there

edited to add: There's another thread in here about different varieties of Mimosa. I wish I could grow them up here.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/520477/
blaine

This message was edited Jul 24, 2005 6:39 AM

Hi Rod,

A few more thoughts. Have you looked at Xanthoceras sorbifolium & Chionanthus? They are both smaller trees of white'ish blooms, relatively drought tolerant and hardy in your zone.

8ftbed - There are some Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin rosea) in southern Ontario which is the same as your zone. It is possible and from what I've read, the cv. rosea or E.H. Wilson is hardier. Give it a shot - you might be surprised! They are listed hardy to -15F for rosea.

Mike

Mobi, Thanks for the suggestion on the Crabapple. My grandpa has a couple in his yard and they are beautiful trees but probably won't work for the area.

Blaine, my dad is Duane Chase, he graduated in 77'. Maybe you know him? Yep, the Sunken Garden is still there. It is almost always closed but does open up for weddings and such. It is a neat place, I may have to stop by and see if I can find any ideas. The Mimosa is also a good looking tree but my mom does not like some things about them. I had a good idea of the trees I wanted planted when I first started but my mom doesnt have the same taste as me haha.

Mike, Those trees are closer to what I am looking for. They look about the right size and also look to have the look I am going for. I will have to check out the nurseries and see what they have. We don't have that great of a selection due to living in a smaller town.

I'm going to attach a couple of images to give everybody a better idea of what I am working with.

Here is a tree that I really like. Does anybody know what this tree is? I think it would be perfect for this area i'm planting in. I have more high quality images if anybody needs a better photo.

Is DM from Clovis? DD doesn't ring a bell but but by Jr/Sr year I didn't have much to do with school. Was either working, fishing Ute lake or carousing with the women of Lubbock Christian college or over in Abilene.

Don't rule out a dwarf conifer either. There's blues, yellows and variegateds that would make a nice backdrop for foreground plantings.

Your last pic looks familiar but the name escapes me. However, I think it's actually a bush and not a true tree. Maybe. Trained to standard or many bushes will drop lower leaves anyway.

edited - Oh yeah... also don't forget to go out and walk around or take DM and rent a cart and tour the golf course! Granted they water but by the looks of that lawn (nice!) so do you. I think I heard there may be another course or two out there now but the original on the east side has been there a long time. If you see something you like, check with the groundskeeper and you can probably get an idea.

This message was edited Jul 24, 2005 8:57 PM

Hi Rod,

That's a Chitalpa - an inter-generic hybrid of Catalpa & Chilopsis. It stays relatively smallish. I really like mine but not the easiest to get. It should do fine there. The other ones I mentioned would need the bed to be a bit bigger. Give them more space from the fence and enough space between. You'll certainly soften that hard corner. I certainly like the Xanthoceras and does well with drought. It also has fine texture foliage and beautiful blooms. Good luck with the project!

Blaine, My mom graduated in 79', her name was Lisa Smith. My dad wasn't sure either but he said he knew a Nesbitt in school that might of been your cousin or something. A Dwarf conifer would make an excellent plant in that area. I showed my mom a Dwarf Colorado Spruce that would make a great tree for the corner but she was not too sure. The town has changed a lot in the last couple of years. Colonial Golf Course is now Chapparal Country Club because of new owners. The course was going downhill but they are working hard now to get it back in decent shape. There is still Muni and then the course at Cannon. The town is still growing but Cannon was listed on the closing list, so that would have a major effect on Clovis. Hopefully it will get taken off the list though.

growin, Thanks for the ID. That is what it is. I was able to go to the nursery and I found someone that actually knew what they were talking about, haha. They said it might get too large for the area we are planting. I may end up extending the bed a foot or more just to be safe.

We are also considering a Vitex for the corner with two dwarf crape myrtles on the sides. The most difficult part of the process is finding plants in a small town. They do have some plants but they are all under two feet and we want plants that are more around the 5 and 6 foot range.

Sorry to double post but I have talked with my mom and we have pretty much came up with an idea for the corner.

We would like to plant a Red Crape Myrtle in the corner with two butterfly bushes on the side. We would like to prune the Butterfly Bushes to be in a tree-form. The local nursery has a good sized butterfly bush that they have pruned to a tree but it has purple flowers and we would like a different color. Can all Butterfly Bushes be pruned to a tree form or just certain varieties?

I have also read that they will die back to the ground in zones 6 and 7, but i have seen some around town trained as a tree that have a pretty thick and hard trunk. Is this also just depend on the variety?

I don't think they'll die back in Clovis other than some tip die back. Mine all die back but there's a white one outside of one of the buildings at Abbott Park thats a 12' bush that just gets pruned to stay in bounds. Thats what a micro climate will do for you I guess.

Some are hardier than others. There's white, red, different shades of purple, blue, yellow and pink. There are also varieties with variegated foliage like 'Harlequin' and 'Strawberries and Lemonade' (I think. Got one last year but it didn't make it through the winter)

Good deal! I'm sure we can find some type of butterfly bush that will work for that area. My mom and I are going to Guthals to buy a couple different tree's and bushes. I will post a pic when i get that area planted.

Just finished planting the corner. Here are a couple pictures of what we ended up getting.

The Crape Myrtle was from a 10 Gallon Container, the cultivator is "Dallas Red". We went with two butterfly bushes on the side. We are going to prune the Butterfly bushes to a tree form whenever we start training it next spring.

Here are the pics, comments welcomed!

Another Angle.

Looks Great! I wish Crape Myrtle grew better here.

What cultivars with the butterfly bushes? Amethyst and Nanhoe blue maybe?

I just realized the Crape Myrtle is the cultivator 'Centennial Spirits', not 'Dallas Red'.

Both Butterfly Bushes are 'Ile de France'. One has a deep purple and the other has a more lavender color but they are the same variety.

I do have a question abou the butterfly bush. I would like to collect seeds but am not quite sure on the correct method. When I deadhead the flowers, can I place the flower in a paper bag and allow the seeds to ripen? If I do this at all times of the year, will it cause the seeds to not be ripe?

You'll get so many seeds from just one flower head, I'd say just keep deadheading until about month before the first expected frost. Then let those go and watch the head. When you see the little pods starting to split hold something under it on a non-windy day and cut it off. The seeds are sooooo tiny. Think of a malnourished babies eyelash maybe?

Seeds I collected 11/22/04.

There are some of the seedheads that have ripening seed pods of them. I can tell that there are TONS of seeds on just one flower head. I have heard these are very easy to grow from seed and also grow very fast, even from seed. I'm really anxious to see them next year to see how big they will grow in a season.