Cotinus Obovatus sources

Does anybody know where I can get a landscape sized plant. I will try calling the local growers around here on Friday or Monday when I have some time, but I am guessing it will be a hard find for large sized plants. I am hoping for something B&B around 2"+ to use in a parking lot planting.

Bill

Call down to Gethsemane Gardens and check there. I know I have seen it somewhere else around here this year--give my brain time to think........

Fertile Gardens on Diversey usually has large ones. I think they're having a sale now too...

If you're coming to Chicago, also try:

Jayson Home on Clybourn (50% sale right now)
Sprout Home on Damen
Fruit Basket on Elston

This message was edited Aug 10, 2006 6:00 PM

Thanks guys, I'll call'm tomorrow from work. Dybbuk, how is that Sprout place. They opened the same year I left Wicker Park for the burbs. Only been there once.

Bill

Sprout is pretty good. A lot of inventory in a small space. Bring a machete to venture though. Saw some good stuff there but nothing I had to have.

Gethsemane is having a ridiculous sale. They always do if you wait 'til the end of the season. They had a 12 ft Ginkgo 'Pendula' for $60! I have no room for it or I would have nabbed it. 3 ft purple sumac (not sure of real name) for 5 bucks!

Sounds like I need to get back to the city and check that sale. Assuming that is where you got the good deal on the Mariken.

Bill

What is 'obovotus'? I'm not too savvy on the cotinus...I have a purple one and a 'golden spirit' which is a traffic stopper.

It is the smoke tree, not the shrub ones which are cotinus corggygria varieties. I figured if you had one it would be the golden one. How is the fall color on that one? Now you got me all excited about that sale.

Bill

www.nearlynativenursery.com has them. Not sure about the size.

The 'Golden Spirit' is amazing 3 seasons.

Spring= Chartreuse/Lime green.
Summer=Pure, clear green.
Fall=Coral/Orange and Purple.

Here's a spring pic.

I'll take a summer one tomorrow & later fall.

As WW said, I suppose you already have this one...

What the heck is it...Yellow Catalpa?

IMHO "Yellow" and "Weeping" should not be mixed in the same sentence without the adjuvant "Trailer Trash" to catalyze the formula -- and who is WW?

Guy S.

'Hearts of Gold' Redbud. Don't have one yet.

Guy, does that mean you wouldn't group a Forest Pansy and the Hearts of Gold together. Your gruesome twosome of purple and yellow, plus a weeper to boot. I am guessing he means WM for willy mck. Do you have any ideas on growers to check in this neck of the woods Guy? And how do you say Obovatus so I don't sound like a complete stooge when I call? Oboe-va-tus?

Willy Mck

Bill:

Did Gethsemane have any? I was thinking of going down there tomorrow morning early. Dybbuk--did you say there was a sale going on there?

They are checking now and going to call me back. I might be there Sat morning also Kneevin. Stay away from my trees. I'll keep an eye out for ripped jeans.

Bill

Want me to pick you up Bill? You are in the general direction, and I have a pickup so you can buy really big plants! Send me a D-mail.

Yeah, they're having a big sale. A lot of the sale inventory is odds and ends...some that are kind of roughed up but that doesn't bother me. Crazy prices. I'm talkin' BIG trees for under $100. They had a beautiful big weeping hornbeam but didn't have a price on it and I was in a hurry (nor do I need it). Every day they drag stuff from the tree/shrub lot and add it to the sale so new stuff continually. I haven't been there in about 10 days so you might want to call them first.

I don't think they had any 'obovatus', just the shrubby kinds. In fact I don't think I've ever seen 'obovatus' for sale. Let me know if you come across any.

Kneevin, I will probably be taking my daughter and combining it with a visit to the sister-in-law's place. That pickup is a very tempting offer as I only have a corolla. Not to many big trees will fit in a corolla. I'll talk to the wife and see what are plans are and Dmail you. Thanks for the offer.

They guy on the phone thought he had an obovatus but is checking. That would be for work so I am not concerned about the sale or getting it back with me.

Bill

"That would be for work so I am not concerned about the sale"

Are those taxpayer dollars??

Here's a pic of 'Golden Spirit' summer green.

Yes they are taxpayer dollars, so size and health are the most important. Sale helps, but I need a big tree now and a guarantee.

Bill

Bill--no go for me in the morning--I have to wait till afternoon at best :(

I might not get there till at least 10:30 or so. Nothing is too quick with a baby and a pregnant wife. Here is a picture of me so if you see me, definitely say hi. I'll keep a look out for those knees.

Bill

Which one are you?

Scott

The cute one of course.

Bill

You oughta post that self-portrait on your member page, along with the other one -- but crop out that ugly gnarly dude carrying you first! He looks like some unrefined illiterate who would plant Forest Pansy and Hearts of Gold in the same county!

Seriously, I can't help you with sources for landscape size smoketrees, sorry.

Guy S.

Well Bill? What did you score? I wasn't able to get there at all! Is there much of a sale going on.....there's always tomorrow...

There was mostly shrubs that weren't too special. All I got was a juniper, but they had 2 nice big xanthocyparis pendula for $200 each. They were at least 10 ft +. I can see dybbuk going often and getting all the good scores. I should have bought a smaller crytomeria japonica for $15 and give it a shot, but didn't pull the trigger. They had a nice Acer Japonicum untagged for $50, but someone beat me to it.

I still have to call the big growers around here to check on the cotinus. I have been swamped at work.

Bill

I set off for Gesthemane yesterday, but was turned back by traffic. It's never a good sign when 90 is backed up farther than the eye can see before I even get on at Randall Road. Instead, I went to a few northwest suburb nurseries. Good sales in many places, especially evergreens. With so much inventory on every lot, fall sales should be excellent! The only thing I came back with are some pond plants, Sagittaria graminea, the grass leaved arrowhead.

What did I say, stay away from my plants, evergreens especially. Daddy has a thing for conifers.

Bill

Bill--any luck? I called a few places with the only success being a 5 gallon tree at The Growing Place in Naperville. Can you try somebody like Wavecrest Nursery over on the other side of the lake in Michigan? They might have it. Ridge Road near Dubuque used to have big ones, but my neighbors and I bought them all!

The Villager Forester is checking with his tree finder and the consortium we buy trees from. Hopefully we can find a source as I think they would be a good tree to use in some parking lot applications here. Thanks for looking Kneevin.

Bill

Bill--I just spoke to John Carlson in Rockford--he is growing them in his fields, but also can get ahold of larger specimens. Call him 815-332-5610

Thanks Kevin, I'll give him a call.