Tree Indiana Native Liquidambar styraciflua (Shuttle Gum Group) [American Sweetgum] This group of Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum) trees was germinated in August of 1984 aboard the space shuttle Discovery. Purdue astronaut Charles Walker of Bedford, Indiana, brought back 200 tiny trees; these recognize Purdue's many astronauts. Sweetgums are handsome shade trees with few troubles and outstanding seasonal interest. Widely adapted to soils and climates, as evidenced by their wide range. Fall foliage coloration varies greatly in timing and intensity among individuals. Rather difficult to transplant in…
Tree Liquidambar styraciflua 'Slender Silhouette' [Slender Silhouette Sweetgum] As the cultivar name suggests, this tree has a narrow, columnar-conical habit, which is a desirable for those small spaces within the landscape. 'Slender Slihouette' considered a 'fruitless' cultivar, but does produce a small number of multi-horned, round fruits that mature in the fall. Its leaves are a lustrous-dark green, which turns to a mixture of deep purples, reds, and yellows.
Tree Liquidambar styraciflua 'Ward' [sold as Cherokee™] [Cherokee American Sweetgum] This variant of the American Sweetgum is nearly fruitless and hardy to -28 degrees F without injury. Handsome shade tree with few troubles and outstanding seasonal interest. Widely adapted to soils and climates, as evidenced by its wide range. Fall foliage coloration varies greatly in timing and intensity among individuals. Rather difficult to transplant in large sizes.
Tree Indiana Native Liriodendron tulipifera [Tuliptree] Handsome, tall shade tree with strong central leader. Performs best in good soil with adequate moisture. Variable in hardiness, depending on geographic source. Use native stock when possible. State tree of Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Slightly weak-wooded. Subject to damage in very windy sites. Subject to aphid and scale insects when weakened. Needs good drainage and a lot of soil (tree lawn may be too small). Its poorly branched fleshy root system (taproot)…
Tree Liriodendron tulipifera 'JFS-Oz' [sold as Emerald City®] [Emerald City® Tulip Tree] 'JFS-Oz' is a cultivar with a bright yellow fall color and more glossy dark green foliage in summer. It has a more compact oval-upright form with a strong central leader than other varieties, while keeping its classic green-yellow-orange tulip-like flowers.
Tree Indiana Native Liriodendron tulipifera 'Little Volunteer' [Little Volunteer Tulip-tree] 'Little Volunteer' is a dwarf cultivar with smaller 4-lobed and flat-topped green leaves. It makes a wonderful street tree with its smaller size in habit, leaf, and flower. While keeping the classic yellow fall color and yellow-orange-green flower as other varieties.
Shrub Lonicera fragrantissima [Winter Honeysuckle] Widely adapted to different soils and exposures. More drought-tolerant, and also not a weed problem, like some other Lonicera. Branches can be forced indoors in winter to provide fragrance. Renewal pruning to a low framework every 5-8 years is helpful to maintain nice form and vigor.
Shrub InvasiveThis plant is considered invasive Lonicera maackii [Amur Honeysuckle] Widely adaptable to different soils and exposures. Can be trained into a small patio tree. Suckers freely, requiring pruning in intensive situations. Seeds, carried by birds, germinate freely, and weed seedlings result. High shade tolerance contributes greatly to its highly invasive character. Perhaps the worst woody weed in the Midwestern and Northwestern US.
Shrub Lonicera × purpusii 'Winter Beauty' [Purple-Stem Winter Honeysuckle] 'Winter Beauty' is a dense, rounded semi-evergreen shrub that has red-violet stems and produces an abundance of fragrant white flowers in late winter and early spring. Rejuvenate periodically by cutting back 6-12" from the ground.
Shrub InvasiveThis plant is considered invasive Lonicera tatarica [Tatarian Honeysuckle] Widely adapted to different soils and exposures, but avoid wet soils. Pruning of dead twigs is required periodically. Renewal pruning to a low framework every 5-8 years is helpful to maintain nice form and vigor. Russian aphid, which causes witches brooming, is a significant pest. Lonicera tatarica readily invades open woodlands, old fields, and other disturbed sites. It can spread rapidly due to birds and mammals dispersing the seeds and can form an extremely dense…
