Plants

Rhus glabra

[Smooth Sumac]

Large, club-like fruit clusters and rather coarse compound leaves make this a plant that can best be appreciated from a distance, and so it is at its best in large-scale plantings. Picturesque branches. Hard to kill this plant. Can be rejuvenated by cutting to ground in late winter. Plants are dioecious, so only females have the fruiting interest, but all plants are reliably colorful in fall foliage. Spreads rapidly by suckers.

Robinia hispida var. fertilis

[Bristly Locust]

Can fix nitrogen. Especially well adapted to poor, dry, alkaline soils. Though native, can be invasive on sandy soils. Frequent pruning may be needed.

Rosa rugosa

[Rugosa Rose]

Widely adapted to soils and exposures, but especially good in full sun on dry soils. Relatively trouble-free among roses, even resists the common rose pathogens and phytopagous insects. The hips (rose fruits) are a rich source of vitamin C and used commercially in teas. Can get borers in canes (rarely). Good cultural practices are important for roses in order to prevent disease and other pests. Avoid wetting the foliage when watering, place the plant in…

Rosa × 'Thérèse Bugnet'

[Double Rugosa Rose]

'Thérèse Bugnet' is a hybrid cultivar of Rosa rugosa that has fragrant, double, pink flowers and lustrous, red canes. Susceptible to rose stem girdler and slightly susceptible to black spot. Good cultural practices are important for roses in order to prevent disease and other pests. Avoid wetting the foliage when watering, place the plant in an area with good air circulation, and remove dead or diseased plant matter as soon as possible. Widely adapted to…

Staphylea colchica

[Colchris Bladdernut]

The Colchris Bladdernut is a medium sized shrub, native to the Eurasian Caucasus mountain system, in eastern Europe. Its flowers are white, bell-shaped, and very fragrant, reminding one of orange-blossoms. Its fruit gives this plant its common name, appearing as an inflated capsule. This shrub tends to sucker once established.

Symphoricarpos orbiculatus

[Coralberry]

Zanthoxylum americanum

[Prickly Ash]