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Flowering Deciduous Shrubs For The New Woodland Garden

© Marge Talt

I visited a friend's garden not too long ago and came down with a severe case of plant lust. I simply must have my very own Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia). As I entered her drive, I was stopped - actually slammed on the brakes - by the flaming candles of flowers before my eyes. This plant has been on my 'wish list' for some time, but I have to admit strictly from what I had read about it. I'd never seen it in the flesh before. Really took my breath away. I will see if I can find the cultivar 'Atrosanquinea' which has deep red flowers. Her plant was more open in form that the photo I've found, and I know mine will be also, because plants tend to be more open under shady conditions. Red Buckeye can get 10 to 20 feet tall and wide over time and is rated hardy from USDA zones 4 to 9

Another of this family that I've long wanted is Aesculus parvifloria (Bottlebrush Buckeye), which has white candles of flowers in July and often has a good yellow fall color. This one does quite well in shade, forming large clumps in time.

These are two definite selections that will give me spring and summer bloom and possibly some fall color as well. Both of these will do very nicely for the north end of the new garden. I will put the Bottlebrush in front of the Hemlock grouping in the north-west corner, to set off the flowers against the dark green of the Hemlocks.

In a different part of my garden, I have a mature Viburnum plicatum var. plicatum, (Doublefile Viburnum), from which I took cuttings a few years ago. I've given most of them away, but I still have one that is now a little over 2 feet tall and looking for a permanent home. I think I will put it at the "entrance" to the new garden, in front of the Magnolia grandiflora to the north east of the two Dogwoods now ending the West Border. It flowers just as the Dogwoods are losing their blossoms, continuing the display of white flowers. This is not a real shade lover, although the mother plant is in dappled shade for part of the day and blooms splendidly. They generally get wider than tall, so the Magnolia will be visible behind it. The mother plant has attained about 8 feet in height and a bit more in width in about 10 years in place. Even in winter, the bare branch form is quite pleasing. This Viburnum is rated hardy from USDA zones 5-9.