The Meanings of Flower

Posts Tagged ‘Growing’

Plumeria seeds are very easy to grow but they aren’t guaranteed to become true to type. The average time it would take for a seed to bloom into a flowering plant is about three years, and yes, that would seem like a long time to see your flowering Plumeria plants. But when they do, the first flowers of a Plumeria will truly give you utmost satisfaction. To ensure that your Plumeria seeds reach full maturity, here are some tips:

The months between March and October are found to be the best time to be planting those seeds but you can pretty much grow them all year round. You just increase your chances of growing healthy seedlings if you opt for those months.

Plant your seeds just on the surface of a compost that drains well. The combination of perlite and cactus is the best one you can have for growing Plumeria.

To make sure the seedlings have enough room to grow in, leave a space between every seed you plant. Cover with a fine layer or compost, perlite, or vermiculite. Do not bury the seeds too deep!

Ideal temperature for those Plumeria seeds will be warm, ideally between 25 to 32 degrees. If you have a propagator, that would be better for your seeds.

Make sure your compost is always moist, but never pooling with water. Again, you need a good-draining compost.

You can boost the growth rate of your seeds by spraying high phosphorus fertilizer every day.

It will take about 6 to 20 days for the seeds to germinate and once there a pair of true leaves sprout out, it’s time to transplant your Plumeria seedlings so they can grow properly. Take care not to damage the roots.

Plants need the sun but introduce your Plumeria seedling to sunlight gradually.

Be diligent about watering and using fertilizer on your Plumeria seedlings to help them along in producing their first flowers.

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Basil is a great herb from the family Lamiaceae. Basil is from India where it is cultivated for a very long time. Basil grows wild now in many countries and used mainly in Italian and Thai cuisine, salads and sandwiches. Very common method is to grow the basil together with tomatoes.
Certain types of basil do grow better in some conditions, but basil is a simple enough herb to grow as it easily adapts to different growing conditions. The best advice for choosing a basil variety is to first try as many types as you possibly can and then pick the best tasting one that you would also enjoy to cook with. Great in my experience for all around use in the kitchen is the sweet Genovese type basil. And for stronger flavour try some purple varieties or the ever so popular Thai basil.
Sowing the basil seeds

If you want to grow the basil on your windowsill is the best time is to sow the seeds is early spring.

And you can successfully sow the basil seeds in every three weeks, so you always have a fresh supply of fresh leaves. Basil can be grown in a pot or directly in the ground. When growing basil in a pot, ensure that there is adequate drainage at the bottom of the pot.
Sow the basil seeds into small, about 5 inches, pots or in a tray about 0.5cm deep. Keep the compost moist by watering from underneath, so the seeds and the growing seedlings will not be disturbed during this fragile period. Keep them at a temperature of 20 Celsius and above.
When the basil seedlings are large enough to prick out, when about 6 cm tall, transplant them into larger pots, or try to grow them in your window box, even among your flowers. Creating an herb display in your window will add a lovely scent and it is very useful too in your patio. Pick a location that will receive at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight a day and is not in danger of temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Basil does better in warm and dry weather conditions.
Growing basil successfully require plenty of sunlight and warm weather. If you plant the basil seeds outside make sure that you choose the sunniest location in your garden. The plants like a bit of drier growing conditions and plenty of sunshine. This will help to bring out the strongest flavour from your basil.
Leave about 8 cm between the basil plants, so they have plenty of space to grow and mature. Some basil varieties have beautiful white or purple flowers, which are edible too and make a great decoration on the top of your summer meal.
When watering the plant, do not water the leaves only the bottom of the pot, as the fragile leaves will catch different diseases more easily if they get wet. Water as needed, if in pots then twice a day especially in the summer, if outside in the ground every other day.

Harvesting
You can start using the basil leaves very early in the season; carefully pinch the largest leaves when the plants are about 8 inches tall. Don’t cut the whole stems as this stop the plant from growing new shoots. When the basil plants grow to 20-30cm tall you can pinch out the growing tip to encourage the basil to grow side shoots. Remove any flowers as they appear, this will help the plants to concentrate their energy on growing more tasty leaves. Dry the leaves for storage if you plenty of spare or why not try to freeze them in small zip bags, that way the leaves will taste more natural in the winter when short of fresh herbs.
You can buy great value
basil seeds at this online
vegetable seeds shop they have plenty of heirloom and traditional varieties.

Both methods are very common and have their advantages and disadvantages, and in the end it is up to you to make the choice. The onion sets are immature onion bulbs specially grown for planting and consequently more expensive than the onion seeds. On the credit side they can be planted in early spring, when the soil is too cold for sowing. Sets are also much easier to handle than the tiny seeds, and they will not have to be thinned or transplanted. The food reserves within the sets mean that they take a shorter length of time to mature than seeds, which need to be germinated before they start taking in nutrients.
The biggest drawback of sets, apart from the cost, is that they are more likely to flower prematurely, or bolt, than onions grown from seeds. There is no reliable way to eliminate the risk.
If you decide to grow onions from seed, you will have more varieties to choose from and you will also have the option of using the thinned seedlings as spring or salad onion.

Sow the onion seeds thinly into small drills inside in March or outside later in April.

Just cover the small onion seeds with some fine compost, this will let the fine shoots come through the soil easily. If you have a bigger container in your greenhouse you can grow spring onions from seeds almost all year around. Some varieties like White Lisbon are designed for autumn sowing. If you sow these spring onion seeds in October-November, you will have a great early spring onion harvest.

When planting the seedlings into their final position, make the planting holes 6in apart with 9in between the rows. The wholes should be deep enough to let the roots fall in vertically, with the white portion of the bulb buried and only the green parts above the surface.

Plant the onion seedlings firmly. After the bulbs have made some growth, scratch out some soil around them to allow them some room to expand.
You can avoid transplanting if you sown the onion seeds where they to grow all year, in this case you just have to thin the rows to give more space for those big bulbs to grow.

Feed the onions with a high nitrogen fertilizer once every two weeks from planting out until the end of July to promote growth. After this, switch to a high potash feed to harden the bulb tissues and aid ripening.

When onions start running to seed, called bolting, it can be down to a number of different factors. It may be because the seed was sown too early, or perhaps the onions were planted during an excessively cold spring. Or perhaps the seedlings were planted into a loose soil, as onions like their soil pretty firm.
Onion sets are specially treated to discourage bolting, although the process is only partially effective. The little bulbs loose moisture in the process and it turns their outer skin pale brown.

If your onions do start to bolt, you can tell when the leading shoot begins to swell into a flower bud, cut off the flower stalks and lift the onions. Do not let them stay in the ground until all the normal plants are beginning to ripen, bulbs that have bolted will not get any bigger. Use them in the kitchen as soon as possible because they will not keep for a long time at all.

Flower Seeds, Vegetables

Article by John Elliott aka Oaky Wood

These annual, perennial and sometimes shrubby plants are often grown by amateur gardeners, and cultivated for their culinary and sometimes medicinal uses, although they can make attractive specimen plants in mixed borders. In most gardens, a small plot can easily be set aside for growing a few choice herbs. Large or medium Patio style planters and hanging baskets, near the kitchen, using cultivated herbs is fast becoming a popular hobby, as healthier lifestyles are sought throughout the world. The aromatic fragrances are also so refreshing on those balmy summer days as you lay basking and relaxing in the sunshine, enjoying your iced lemon teas.

Generally, herbs need a light, fertile, well-drained soil or compost, in full sun. They can easily be grown in odd corners in the garden, but if space allows, a designated herb garden is the most convenient and can be a most attractive way of grouping them. The ancient Romans, Greeks and indeed even the great traditional English gardeners, all enjoyed and treasured their herb gardens in there many shapes, sizes and complexities throughout history.

Ideally the site should be a south facing position, and on a slight slope to aid drainage. Herb beds should be arranged and planned to make access easier to each group of plants, placing the taller varieties to the back or centralised, where they won’t overshadow the smaller ones, and keep moisture loving varieties to the bottom of any slope. Raised bed culture is also ideal for an herb garden feature, add a waterfall or running water and enjoy the relaxing aromatic tranquillity it creates.

Many herbs can be grown from seed in window boxes, on patios, in pots on outside windowsills, hanging baskets or that old discarded wheelbarrow. Use John Innes potting compost No 1 or 2, or a similar good quality brand from your local garden supply centre, and put a good layer of broken crocks or small polystyrene pieces in the bottom to ensure good drainage. Keep the compost just moist during the growing season, and give a liquid feed occasionally, to encourage good growth. The actual windowsill or patio should preferably face south or west, so that the plants receive direct sunshine for the greater part of the day.

The culinary and medicinal uses of individual herbs is beyond this article, but generally the best and fullest flavours always come from the freshest of your picked herbs which will keep for only a limited period in well sealed, and dry air tight plastic containers in your refrigerator. For winter use, herbs must be dried or frozen. Certain evergreen herbs, such as chives and dill, are not suitable for drying and ideally should be frozen or the plants re-potted up for growing indoors, within a conservatory, glasshouse, or on a sunny windowsill.

HARVESTING AND DRYING YOUR HERBS

The time off harvesting individual herbs varies according to whether the herbs are being grown for their leaves, flowers, seeds or stems.

Plants grown for their leaves and stems should be gathered in the young leafy stage before flowering begins for best flavour. Harvest flower heads whilst in full bloom, and the seeds when the pods begin to open and split naturally as they turn yellow or golden brown.

Always choose a dry day for harvesting your herbs, and gather then early in the day before the sun becomes hot, but just after the morning dew has evaporated, to lock in the flavours. Handle the leafy shoots and sprigs carefully to avoid bruising. Large leaves can be stripped from the stems before drying but small leafed types are best left intact. Discard all damaged and discoloured leaves, and if possible wash the remainder gently in cold water. Spread the leaves thinly in flat shallow containers, ideally on cheesecloth-covered frames, which will allow air to circulate. Place the containers in a dry, airy and warm place out of the direct sunlight. An airing cupboard or the warming drawer of a cooker is suitable provided there is reasonable ventilation. Leave for at least 4 to 5 days turning the herbs once a day. They are ready for storing when they become brittle and rustle slightly when touched.

An alternative method is to tie into small bunches and hang upside down in a shaded, dry, warm and airy place. These will take a little longer to dry out completely. You can dry out your herbs quicker in front of a fire, or within an oven on low heat but some of the aroma and flavour will be lost.

The leaves should be completely dry before storing. When completely dry large leaved varieties should be stripped from their stems, small leaved, and fine-stemmed herbs such as rosemary, thyme and bay, retain their flavour better when stored whole and crumbled before use. Discard as much chaff (waste) as possible and pack the leaves or sprigs into small, preferably opaque containers. Clear jars should be stored in a dark place. Remember to seal and label each jar immediately.Herbs both dried or frozen, may be stored separately according to variety, or as your favourite mixtures and combinations. It is often labour saving to make up your herb bouquet, tied in muslin bags at the drying stage.

The procedure for drying flower heads and seedpods are the same. Loosen seeds by rubbing pods between your palms until the seeds drop out. This is best done outside with a slight breeze present as this will blow away some of the chaff. Once separated dry your seed for a further week and once completely dry store in the same way as for the leaves.

FREEZING YOUR HERBS

Freezing is an excellent way of preserving and storing your herbs, especially chervil and parsley, which have tender leaves unsuitable for home drying. Gather and wash your herbs and place them in a metal colander. Blanche the herbs by immersing your colander in boiling water for 1 minute, then into cold water. Leave to thoroughly cool, drain and freeze immediately, storing in small plastic bags, ice cube making or plastic containers, kitchen foil or even waxed cartons. Frozen herbs need not be thawed before use in soups, stews or gravy’s and can actually be chopped more easily whilst frozen. Frozen herbs are best used for flavouring as they become limp when thawed, and so useless as garnishes. Never refreeze.

OTHER USES FOR YOUR DRIED HERBS

Apart from their culinary and medicinal uses which is beyond this article to explain in any depth, your dried herbs may also be used to make sachets, pot-pourri’s and pomanders, which give off a long lasting aromatic fragrance to rooms, airing cupboards, drawers and linen closets. Lavender sachets are so well known, but many other herbs and flowers make pleasant mixtures. Particularly pleasant fragrant and aromatic mixtures include:-1/. Lemon thyme with verbena. 2/. Fragrant leaved geraniums with rosemary. 3/. Lavender, rosemary and a few cloves with a piece of orange, lemon or lime zest. 4/. Equal parts of peppermint, lemon verbena, lemon balm, rose geranium and rose petals.

Well my friends I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s “Over The Garden Wall with Oaky”… it’s off to the potting shed for me, as an amateur gardener’s work is never done no matter what time of year it is… “HAPPY GARDENING” until we meet again

Lamb’s Ear plant (Stachys byzantina), a native of Turkey, Armenia, and Iran with tow common names such as “lamb’s ear, or lamb’s ears”, a dusty gray plant and named from its fuzzy leaves, resembles the shape of real lamb’s ear. They are a herbaceous perennials grown for its silvery gray-green, color and texture of their soft suede foliage rather than their flowers.

They are  heat resistant ornamental plant classified as an herb also tolerates in a partial shade area during its growing period. If you intend to let them bear flowers,  they bloom in late spring to early summer, so you’ve to time your planting to reach the late spring to early summer season.

Most gardeners used this plant as borders from other flower and foliage plants and is ideal as ground cover and is recommended for children’s garden due to the soft feel characteristics of their foliage.

Growing Requirements

Sowing seeds. Prepare your germinating tray or seed box and fill them with the soil mix you prepared or bought from any agriculture store in your area. Sow the seeds 1 – 2 seeds in every hole. Water them until fully established.

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Land preparation. Prepare the field where you’ll plant the seedlings. Using grab hoe, spade and shovel make plot beds. The length depends on the size of your area. Locate your plots in a open field exposed to full day sunshine. Mix compost and manure to the plots to enrich the soil.

Transplanting. When the seedling have at least two true leaves, transplant them in your prepared plots distanced at 60 – 80 cm between hills after frost have been over. Water them immediately not to get stressed after planting. Continue watering until they are fully established.

Note: Lamb’s ear can be also propagated by root cuttings to maintain their varietal characteristics over the seeds.

Mulching. Add a mulching materials around the plant base to maintain the soil moisture and to ward-off weeds interruption during the plants growing period.

Plant maintenance. When the plants begin to spread, trim them to restrain the spread not to cover the entire area. If not trimmed, Lamb’s ear easily spread in the garden. By using a garden shear,  trim them regularly to regulate their spreading ability just enough to maintain them for ground cover purposes. Make the area well drained to make your Lamb’s ear grows vigorously and looks attractive as a ground cover.

Plant nutrition. Lamb’s Ear is a hardy plant, once they’re fully established and the soil have been supplied with compost and manure, they can withstand without fertilizer application.

Pest and disease control. Slugs, aphids and mealy bugs are the most common pests of Lamb’s Ear. They can easily be controlled by any insecticides. Or you may use a homemade insecticides by following this formulation; per gallon of water, mix 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons baking soda, and 2 tablespoons powdered laundry soap. Mix  the solution properly and spray directly into the affected plants. Continue until all are totally eradicated.

Powdery mildew is the only fungus disease that attacks Lamb’s Ear that causes some white spots on the leaves. To control them, apply a fungicides following the instructions on the label.

Happy gardening!

March is the unofficial kick-off to spring gardening. For gardeners, it means much soil preparation, planting and fertilizing.

cultivate your vegetable and flower garden soil down about one foot. Add a generous amount of organic soil planting amendments. Amendments are available for clay and sandy soils and specifically for gardens and lawns.

Plant warm-season vegetable seeds including tomatoes, peppers, green beans, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, onion, potatoes, spinach, turnips and corn. It’s also the time to plant herb seeds such as basil, mint, oregano, parsley and rosemary. Plant marigolds, petunias, alyssum, lobelia, dianthus, flox, verbenia and impatiens from seed in March.

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Don’t forget California wildflower seeds such as poppies and lupine.

Most plants grow the best in spring so feeding them now will yield long-term results. Use a universal soil blend to replace soil washed away by winter rain. Feed avocado, citrus trees, fruit trees and roses with a well-balanced fertilizer. For fruit trees and roses, wait until the first sign of new leaves before fertilizing.

Blooming flowers are available at nurseries this month. Purchasing plants in bloom provides instant color to gardens. Favorites include azaleas, camellias and Indian Hawthorne.

Perennials such agapanthus, asters, bellflowers, callas, cymbidiums, daylilies, Shasta daisies and yarrow tend to crowd each other, making new growth difficult and blooms sparse. Cull excess plants by digging up their rootballs. To replant elsewhere, wash or gently shake off excess soil, then make smaller rootballs with a sharp knife. Each new rootball should have plenty of roots and a few leaves. Replant immediately.

Plant citrus, avocado, and other subtropical trees now so they have maximum time for roots to establish before the cool winter temperatures arrive in fall.

Growing herbs can be a frustrating business. It’s a bit like having a pet or a small child, in that they aren’t able to just tell you what they need – it’s on you to figure it out. Luckily, help is at hand! Without further ado, here are some of the best tips for growing herbs.

. Whether you are growing your herbs inside in pots or outside in your garden, soil that stays wet is a big problem for herbs. For pots, put an inch layer of gravel in the bottom of them before adding your soil, and mix the soil with some compost or coarse sand to lighten it. For growing herbs outdoors, dig up the area where you want to plant them to a depth of 15-18 inches, then lay down three-inch layer of crushed rock. Again, use a lightened soil on top. A little limestone is also a good idea to ensure the soil is alkaline.

Herbs don’t grow in high-quality fertilized soil in their native environments (usually the Mediterranean), and there is evidence that fertilized soil leads to herbs with more foliage but less flavor.

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Ensure your herbs get full sun. Most herbs require direct sun during the day, so if you’re growing herbs outdoors ensure that they’re not going to be in the shade of a tree or your house. If you’re growing them indoors, put them on a windowsill facing the direction of the equator, and install a fluorescent ‘grow lamp’ for extra light during the winter.

Too much water can quickly kill a lot of herbs because roots will rot. To avoid this, don’t give herbs (particularly ones you keep indoors) so much water that their roots are left soggy. Try ‘watering’ them with a spray mister instead.

How much flavor the leaves of your herbs have depends in part on when you pick them. For optimum flavor, pick them in the morning, after any dew has evaporated but before they’ve received a lot of direct sun. Note that you can pick herb leaves as soon as the plants are big enough that you’re not taking more than 1/3 of their foliage at a time, but take the lower and outer leaves first.

Some herbs are annuals, meaning that they bloom for one season and then die. More herbs are perennials though, meaning that they can live through the winter and bloom again each year. Out of the popular culinary herbs, annuals include basil, dill and coriander. Perennials include fennel, chives, marjoram, tarragon, mint and thyme. Keep in mind when planting perennials that they may be around for a long time.

These are just some tips for growing herbs that I hope will be helpful.

The Aster is one of the best flowers to grow for late summer and fall blooms. Asters come in blue, purple, red, pink, and white each with a yellow center.  The name Aster comes from the ancient Greek word for “star.” There are numerous varieties of Aster, from Dwarfs that measure less than a foot to tall versions that can reach up to eight feet. All varieties make for good cut flowers that have a long lasting vase life.

Alternatively known as Michaelmas daisy, starwort and frost flower, the Aster is an herbaceous perennial that is indigenous to every continent except Australia and Antarctica and, depending on the variety, are hardy from zone 4 to zone 9.  Aster seeds should be sown in well-draining, average garden soil in a sunny area after the last frost of the season.  The plant grows best in full sun. It will tolerate light shade but growth will be less compact and blooming will be less prolific. Sow seeds in rows 15 to 18 inches apart and cover with ¼ inch of soil. Keep the soil evenly moist and seedlings should appear in 14 to 21 days. If you want earlier blooms, start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks prior to the outdoor planting time.

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One of the major problems common to the Aster is powdery mildew.  There are a couple ways to combat this problem. The first is using an Aster variety that is mildew resistant. There are quite a few to choose from. Another way to prevent powdery mildew is to make sure the plants are in a sunny location with lots of good air circulation.  This type of location will in most cases not allow the mildew to take root. If you get a plant with powdery mildew you should seriously consider removing it from your garden as the mildew propagates from spores and can spread throughout your garden. Other treatments include commercially available chemicals.

Maintaining the Aster is relatively simple. In the spring and summer a growing Aster needs regular watering. The soil should be moist but not wet. Use a complete plant food in early spring and pinch back the plants by 6 to 8 inches at the beginning of July to control plant height and encourage branching. This will create a bushier plant and prolong the blooming in the fall. The pinching needs to be done prior to mid-July or it will have the opposite effect and blooming will be reduced. After the Aster has finished blooming cut the plant down to 1 to 2 inches above the ground for the winter.

Once the Aster becomes established it is very hardy but to keep it growing at its best it should be divided every three to four years. To divide an Aster, lift the plants out of the ground and pull the clumps apart into smaller clumps with 3 to 5 shoots in each clump. For the best results, discard the middle section which is older and replant the younger outside sections. The division will lead to strong new growth.

As you can tell, growing Aster is really easy can lead to the most brilliant fall display in your garden. With a good selection of site and following the maintenance outlined above these perennials will deliver you great satisfaction year after year.

Shade trees do not all necessarily shed their leaves in the fall (deciduous), but some shade trees are evergreen, and others can be classified as flowering trees. The fact that shade trees can cool temperatures in the surrounding landscape and cool off houses during the heat of the summer is well known. Some evergreen trees also provide shade all year, a factor that may be undesirable in some cases during hard winter freezes, when an evergreen shade tree may block off the heat rays from the sun that might melt snow and ice from a house roof or prevent infra-red light from warming rooms inside the house. Extreme southern states home owners in the United States may prefer shade on homes and buildings year round, and such evergreen shade trees as Live Oak tree, Quercus virginiana; Laurel Oak tree, Quercus laurifolia; and Darlington Oak trees,Quercus hemisphaerica, would be desirable for planting near houses.

Pine trees are also valuable shade trees for houses and landscape gardens. Such perennial shrubs as Camellia japonica and azalea shrubs must have year round shade for proper flowering. The camellia shrub and the azalea plant will survive only on rare occasions if planted in the full sun. The dogwood and redbud trees benefit from pine tree shade where they flower abundantly. The cherry laurel tree, Laurocerasus caroliniana Ait, is an evergreen shade tree that is covered with fragrant white flower clusters in March. The cherry laurel tree is a fast growing tree, sometimes growing 6 feet per year. Eucalyptus trees, Eucalyptus cinerea, are evergreen shade trees, but the ‘Silver Dollar’ eucalyptus tree usually is limited to planting in the warm temperatures of zones 8-11. The exceptional menthol fragrance of all parts of the eucalyptus tree makes it especially desirable where smog and other air pollution is problematic. The loblolly bay tree, Gordonia lasianthus, is often called the loblolly bay magnolia tree, and the flower fragrance, white color, and form look like a miniature flower bloom of the magnolia.

The southern magnolia tree, Magnolia grandiflora, is an outstanding shade tree known for the gigantic 1 foot wide fragrant white flowers during the summer and the glowing green waxy magnolia leaves that provide dense shade. Because of the dense shade and the mats of succulent roots that rise to the ground surface (like cypress tree roots), few shrubs or perennials can be successfully planted and grown underneath the Magnolia grandiflora trees. Other shade trees that could also qualify as beautiful flowering trees are black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia, shade trees that are covered with fragrant white flower clusters—just following the appearance of the fern-like, light green leaves. The black locust trees leaf color changes to bright yellow in the fall, and the wood has been used as waterproofed split-rail fencing for centuries. The empress shade tree, Paulownia tomentosa, (Blue Dragon Tree, also Princess Tree) is also a flowering tree that produces gigantic blue-purple flower clusters triangular in shape. The empress tree is known as an extremely fast growing shade tree that has been promoted by former President Jimmy Carter. The wood is valued as very strong and light weight; desirable in the Far East for furniture manufacture and wood carving.

The golden raintree, Koelreuteria paniculata, is an important shade tree, that in late spring is covered with large clusters of yellow-gold drooping flowers that turn into attractive pink seed pods in the fall. The oriental look of the golden raintree makes it choice to grow as a specimen tree in garden landscapes. The red Florida buckeye, Aesculus pavia, shade tree grows fast into small shade trees that flower brilliantly red in late spring followed by the “good luck” buckeye seed. The thornless honeylocust, Gleditsia tricanthus inermis, shade tree has become one of America’s top choice flowering trees that also functions as a fern-like leafy cover to mildly shade garden areas. The thornless honeylocust tree flowers in various colored blooms, fragrant white, pink, or lavender, depending on the cultivar. The brilliant yellow-gold color of the fall leaf change will stun your neighbors. The tulip poplar, Liriodendron tulipifera, shade tree is famous because of the flowers, as well as for the shade benefit. The tulip poplar flower is yellow-orange, and shaped like a tulip or a small teacup. The leaves of the tulip poplar tree turn brilliant yellow in the fall, an important tree for fall color. The beech tree, Fagus grandiflora, is a great shade tree that produces nuts that wildlife stores up for winter meals. This very large growing shade tree has a leaf color change in the fall, but after the first freeze, the beech leaves turn tan-brown and remain on the tree like an evergreen tree until the new beech leaves appear in the spring. The beech tree leaf behavior is very bizarre.

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Maple trees and Oak trees offer many species for shade and leaf change color in the fall. The maple leaf color can change to yellow, orange, and red. The Oak tree leaf color can vary from red, to orange, to yellow-gold, to brown. The Florida maple, Acer barbatum, shade tree turns a brilliant yellow color in the fall and then turns brown and remains on the tree most of the winter. Other important shade trees are the American elm tree, Ulmus americana, and the drake elm, Ulmus parvifolia ‘Drake,’ both coloring yellow-gold in the fall. The winged elm tree has strange scaly winged growths on stems and branches that are in demand by florists for their ornamental value in making dried arrangements.

The Chinese elm tree, Ulmus parvifolia, is known for its fast growth to provide quick shade. The Chinese elm is one of the easiest shade trees to transplant and can grow over 6 feet in one year if cared for properly. The American Hophornbeam, Carpinus caroliniana, is an under-planted shade tree that, during the fall leaf change, glows brightly in yellow-gold colors. The bald cypress tree, Taxodium distichum, is an excellent clean shade tree widely adapted to grow well on a variety of soil types. The bald cypress leaves do turn yellow briefly in the fall, but the bald cypress small leaf size requires no raking. The pond cypress shade tree, Taxodium ascendens, is a great tree to grow around pond-houses and wetland gardens, but should not normally be grown in well drained locations. The pond cypress roots rise from the water, swollen and large and are called cypress knees.

The black gum shade tree, Nyssa sylvatica, grows well in wetlands and the shade is beneficial to many aquatic plants. The water tupelo (tupelo gum, also sour gum) shade tree grows aquatically in many lowland wet sites. The leaves of the black gum and the water tupelo shade trees turn yellow-gold and orange in the fall. The Chinese parasol tree, Firmiana simplex, forms an umbrella (parasol) canopy with large bat-shaped leaves that turn brilliant yellow, then orange, in the fall.

The catalpa tree (fishbait tree), Catalpa bignonioides, has been used for centuries as a shade tree that attracts worms (fishbait) to be used in fishing. The Chinese tallow tree, Sapium sebiferum, is a fast growing small shade tree that produces a kaleidescope of colors on leaves in the fall of yellow, red, orange, blue, and purple. The Chinese tallow tree produces seedpods in the fall that look like popcorn after the leaves fall off, thus it is called the popcorn tree. The corkscrew willow, Salix matsudana “Tortuosa,” and the weeping willow, Salix babylonica, grow fast into shade trees with distinctive linear leaves that turn yellow in the fall. The Ginkgo shade tree, Ginkgo biloba, is one of the most famous of the shade and its brilliant yellow-gold leaves that remain on the tree for a week or more when they fall to form a bright yellow circle underneath the barren limbs. The ginkgo leaves have been found fossilized in the Oriental archaeological excavations. The green ash, Fraxinus pennsylvanica lanceolata, is a fast growing shade tree useful as a landscape specimen. The lombardy poplar tree, Populus nigra, is a fast growing tree, upright in form that is planted as hedges and windbreaks in the Western United States.

The river birch tree, Betula nigra, is a beautiful landscape tree with unique flaking bark that is replaced by slick bark in the spring. The river birch can be planted as a single trunk specimen or as a clump. The sassafras shade tree, Sassafras albidum, grows fragrant parts including the flower, bark, and the roots that were used during the civil war to make sassafras tea that produced a narcotic effect on wounded southerners. The Sourwood tree, Oxydendrum arboreum, and the sweetgum shade trees, Liquidambar styraciflua, both produce spectacular leaf color in the fall, both the sourwood and the sweetgum trees turn yellow, orange, and red in progressing stages. The sycamore tree, Platanus occidentalis, is perhaps one of the best trees for fast shade. Sycamore trees can grow to 2 feet in diameter & 50 feet tall in 20 years.

Bamboo trees and bamboo plants have been used as shade trees, privacy hedges, and borders. Bamboo plants grow rapidly and 40-50 feet (Timber Bamboo) and are useful as windbreaks as well as shade screens for privacy that cover 180 degree focused light rays. Annual flower beds are often planted in front of bamboo tree screens for partial shade, and many shrubs and bushes grow well when placed in front of bamboo tree screens, if the bamboo plants are the clumping type.

Shade trees have been used through the ages to shade landscapes, homes, buildings, or as shelter and food for wildlife. Some shade trees offer extra benefits such as beautiful flowers or evergreen foliage. Other shade trees can bear fruit, such as mulberry trees, apple trees, pear trees, and the evergreen loquat tree. Still other shade trees bear valuable tasty nuts, such as pecan trees, walnut trees, and chestnut trees. Other than the shade benefit, bright leaf color of the fall cooling off period, makes the planting and growing of shade trees a pleasurable and worthwhile effort.

English yew

The evergreen, densely-branched tree is gaining in popularity, with its beautiful needles, which appear in different shades of green and yellow, and its great variety of shapes. Growing to around 6 feet 8 inches (2 meters), “Lutea” is a somewhat low-growing variety that bears pretty, spherical, yellow fruit in fall. The yellow, or in other varieties often red, berries are a popular food for birds, but only appear on female plants, yews being dioecious; in other words, male and female flowers are produced on different plants. “Lutea” is an ideal choice as a single shrub, for cultivating a dense, formal hedge or as a background for shrub beds. It has virtually no location requirements and will tolerate sun or shade and any fresh soil. Take care: all plant parts, except for the arils, are highly toxic.

White cedar

This tree has a variety of uses, but as an evergreen screen it is virtually unbeatable. The rounded, conical conifer can be clipped however you please and it is suited to any soil type, provided there is sufficient moisture present. Light-loving. Take care: the cones are poisonous.

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Eastern hemlock

The delicate “Pendula,” with its cascading branches, is almost predestined to be a specimen and ably makes its impression hanging over walls and banks. Its beautiful weeping shape and fine, natural- looking needles make it an outstandingly elegant, evergreen conifer. It likes fresh, humus, acid to neutral soil. Protection from cold winds and the hot midday sun is recommended.

Bigflower tellinia

The restrained beauty of this shade-loving perennial is apparent only at second glance From the late spring, long clusters develop, on which hang numerous delicate, small, greenish-white flower bells. The pretty, heart-shaped, scalloped foliage, bearing hairs on the , underside, is evergreen This woodland plant fits in well beneath trees and shrubs or as ground cover in borders. It likes a damp soil, but will also tolerate dryness. Tends to self-seed.

Pyrethrum daisy

The scarlet-red flower heads, with their conspicuous, radiantly yellow centers, look though they have been painted. With its finely pinnate foliage, this upright, evergreen perennial is a real asset to any border and so makes a wonderful cut flower. Select sunny location for it, with well-drained II. Take care: contact with skin may cause irritation.

Caucasian germander

In early summer, the tall-growing, veronica-like Caucasian germander develops  large, very attractive reddish-pink flowers panicles, which are very popular with bees and bumblebees and are also good used as cut flowers. It has beautiful, finely-toothed, mid-green foliage. All  in all, a highly individual addition to rock gardens or herb gardens. Spreads by  means of runners. Like well-drained soils.