Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
5/17/99
Contacts:
Jeff Iles, Department of Horticulture, (515) 294-0029
Elaine Edwards, Extension Communication Systems, (515)
294-5168
It's Spring and the Plant Guy is Back!
By Jeff Iles
Department of Horticulture
Iowa State University
Hey, Plant Guy:
Crabapples, crabapples, crabapples! Are those the only
flowering trees you Yankees plant up here? I was recently
transferred to Ames from Kentucky and can't believe y'all
don't use dogwoods and camellias and plants like that.
Luckily, I found a discount store last Saturday that was
selling lots of the same plants I used to have in my yard
back home. I bought a Japanese maple, pink-flowering
dogwood, blue atlas cedar and some beautiful evergreen
azaleas. I can't wait to see the look on my neighbor's face
when he sees what a "real" landscape looks like. He's one of
those "know-it-all" university types, you know. Anyway, I
was just a little concerned about the azaleas because the
little information tag attached to one of the branches said
their winter hardiness was variable. What do you suppose
that means?
Anxious in Ames
Dear Anxious:
First, let me welcome you to the neighborhood. Second, hang
on to your receipts because your new landscape probably
won't make it through its first winter in central Iowa. To
put it simply, all of the plants you mentioned are, at best,
marginally hardy in Ames. Oh sure, they may actually
struggle through a few winters before croaking, but the
plant reaper will be knocking on your door sooner than
later. Now you might be asking, why would anybody sell these
plants in central Iowa if they're not adapted for this
region? I ask myself the same question every year. I think
the problem arises when buyers for these large discount
stores purchase the same plant lines for a very broad
geographic region. The problem is, plants like
pink-flowering dogwood and Japanese maples that are totally
appropriate for the St. Louis or Kansas City market, are
destined for the compost heap when used in central Iowa. On
balance, let's remember many discount stores do a pretty
good job when it comes to marketing landscape plants. But
the Latin phrase, caveat emptor, or, "let the buyer beware,"
are good words to remember.
Hey, Plant Guy:
I have a confession to make. Actually several confessions. I
wear white pants before Memorial Day, enjoy the musical
artistry of Barry Manilow and think flowering crabapples are
the best tree ever invented. In fact, I'm always looking for
new selections and came across one yesterday that I'd never
heard of before. What can you tell me about the cultivar,
'Evelyn?' Would it be a good choice for use in the narrow
boulevard between my street and the sidewalk?
Crabby in Crescent
Dear Crabby:
For some bizarre reason, the cultivar 'Evelyn' has been
popping up on sales lots all over the state this spring.
Interestingly, the tree was discovered at Waterworks
Arboretum in Des Moines way back in 1953, and probably was a
pretty good tree in its day. And sputnik was a pretty good
satellite too, but it burned up long ago, and so should
crabapple selections like 'Evelyn.' First off, the tree is
an alternate bloomer meaning it will flower heavily one year
but very lightly the next. But more importantly, it is very
susceptible to a fungal disease that will cause most of its
leaves to fall off in mid to late summer. Better crabapple
choices for narrow boulevards include, 'Adirondack,',
Centurion(r), 'Cranberry Lace,' Harvest Gold(r), Red
Jewel(tm), and 'Sentinel.'
Hey, Plant Guy:
My brand new condominium has a minuscule front yard but I
still want to add a few landscape plants to adorn the
entrance. I'm especially fond of conifers, but realize many
of them will get too large for this site. Can you suggest a
narrow-growing "something" that I could use rather close to
the foundation?
Cramped in Cromwell
Dear Cramped:
An excellent question Cramped, and yes, there are several
solutions to your problem. Next time you visit the garden
center, check out a group of plants with soft evergreen
foliage called Eastern arborvitae. These Iowa-hardy plants
come in a variety of shapes and colors, but you should
choose those that don't get too wide. Look for 'Degroot's
Spire' (10 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide), 'Holmstrup' (5
to 6 feet tall with a 2 foot spread), 'Sherwood Moss' (6
feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide), 'Smaragd', often sold as
'Emerald' or 'Emerald Green' (5 to 6 feet tall and 2 to 3
feet wide) or a new one called 'Unicorn' (4 to 5 feet tall
and spreading 18 to 24 inches). More than likely these
plants will be container-grown, so remember to remove them
from their plastic pots before planting.
Hey, Plant Guy:
What's a guy got to do around here to get his trees topped!
Used to be you could call any old tree service and zip-zap
the job was done. Now when you mention topping to these
people, their eyes glaze over and they start backing away
like you've got some kind of incurable disease. One guy
actually turned tail and ran down the road screaming,
"haven't you heard," or something crazy like that. Haven't I
heard what? What's wrong with people these days? I guess
I'll have to top my own trees.
Too Tall in Toledo
Dear Too Tall:
Seems like everyone in Iowa has gotten the message except
for you. What message you ask? The message that one of the
worst things you can do to a mature tree is randomly cut off
one-third to one-half of its crown. Why is it bad? Well, for
starters, the wounds left after a topping job are huge, hard
for trees to defend and usually provide entryways for
decay-causing fungi. Removing huge portions of the tree
crown also throws the tree into a starvation mode. Remember,
branches and limbs contain stored energy the tree needs, and
also give rise to leaves needed for food production.
Finally, it's just plain ugly. Now Too Tall, you've probably
known a lot of people that topped their trees and "got away
with it." In fact, my great uncle Herman always topped his
trees and they looked great ... that is until one of them
that was full of decay fell on the barn. So, the bottom line
is this: if a tree in your yard has gotten too big, remove
it instead of topping it.
ml: isugarden
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