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Plants

| January 1, 2024

River Birch (Betula nigra)

A Favorite Tree for Winter Interest Why We Love It:This native tree is a lovely fast-growing shade tree to add to your landscape. While the natural habitat of River Birch is near a streambank or low-lying area, they can tolerate a variety of residential landscape conditions and thrive. One of the most appealing features of […]

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Plants

| December 1, 2023

Norway Spruce (Picea abies)

An exceptionally cold hardy species with many cultivars! Why we Love it:  There are over 150 cultivars of Norway Spruce; a variety of landscaping needs can be met by a member of this species! The straight species can be used for screening, hedges, or an effective windbreak (excellent for our frigid Wisconsin winters) in large […]

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Plants

| November 1, 2023

Winterberry (‘Ilex verticillata’)

A deciduous holly with delightful berries! Why We Love It: Winterberries are native to North America and provide great aesthetic and wildlife value! Mid-summer blooms lead to berries in fall (with proper pollination) that last into winter. The berries are long-lasting; they do not immediately fall to the ground when ripe. Thus, a plethora of […]

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Plants

| October 1, 2023

Autumn Blaze Maple (Acer x freemanii ‘Jeffersred’)

Fast growth and unbeatable fall color! Why We Love It: Autumn Blaze Maples are known for their deciduous foliage producing vibrant fall color. The Autumn Blaze Maple is a hybrid that combines some of the best qualities of red maples (Acer rubrum) and silver maples (Acer saccharinum). It has the more strongly attached branches of […]

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Plants

| September 1, 2023

Fern Leaf Peony (Paeonia tenufolia)

Fancy Flowers and Unique Foliage! Why We Love It:This showstopper is a shrubby perennial that offers a feathery foliage and bold lightly-scented blooms; it is also one of the earliest peonies to flower in the spring! Know Before You Plant: Fern Leaf Peony will grow to be about 20 inches tall at maturity and will […]

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Plants

| August 1, 2023

Seven-Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides)

A Showy Specimen with Unique Bark! Why we Love it:Seven-Son Flower offers panicles of fragrant creamy white flowers late summer (after most other trees in our area are done). The flowers appear in spiraled sets of seven, hence its common name.  In the fall, the sepals turn bright red which offers another season of interest!  […]

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Plants

| July 1, 2023

American Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

One of our Favorite North American Native Shrubs! Why We Love It:American Elderberry is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub that is native to North America. It provides year-round interest – in the early summer, showy and fragrant white flowers emerge in dense clusters followed by purplish-black berries (drupes) in the early fall. Their drupes can be […]

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Plants

| March 1, 2023

Gold Tide Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia ‘Courtasol’)

A Compact Shrub with Stunning Spring Blooms! Why We Love It:Gold Tide Forsythia is a dense and compact deciduous shrub that is bathed in stunning lemon-yellow flowers along its branches in early spring. Forsythia are one of the first shrubs to bloom and their yellow flowers are a true sign that spring has arrived! Forsythia […]

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Plants

| February 1, 2023

Sem False Spirea (Sorbaria sorbifolia ‘Sem’)

A Compact Shrub with Vivid Color! Why We Love It:Sem False Spirea is truly a work of art. This compact shrub has fern-like foliage that emerges with rich shades of pink and red that fade to a bright chartreuse. It blooms in the summer with showy white plumes of flowers, and in the fall, its […]

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