Plants

Special Characteristics: Uses :  Screen

Building Map...

Indiana Native
Audio Tour
Video Tour
Plant Doctor
Tree
Audio Recording AvailablePurdue Plant Doctor Available

Pseudotsuga menziesii 'Fastigiata'
[Columnar Douglas Fir]

Pseudotsuga menziesii is a highly variable species, in cold and drought hardiness, color, and form. For use in the Midwest, select the hardiest available forms. Prefers atmospheric moisture. Historically, has been an important timber tree in the West. 'Fastigiata' is a dense, columnar cultivar with distinctly upright branches.
Audio Recording AvailablePurdue Plant Doctor Available
Shrub/Tree
 InvasiveThis plant is considered invasive
Audio Recording AvailableID That Tree Video AvailablePurdue Plant Doctor Available

Rhamnus cathartica
[Common Buckthorn]

Tolerates most sites. Dioecious. Very invasive, by the seeds that birds love to eat; probably best to refrain from planting this species in the landscape. Susceptible to rusts (Puccinia coronata), that also attacks oats (in oat growing areas, buckthorn eradication is recommended). The bark, leaves, and fruit were once used in purgatives, thus one of this plant's common names, "Purging Buckthorn".
Audio Recording AvailableID That Tree Video AvailablePurdue Plant Doctor Available
Rhamnus cathartica
Shrub
Audio Recording AvailablePurdue Plant Doctor Available

Rhododendron catawbiense
[Catawba Rhododendron]

The Catawba Rhododendron is considered to be one of the hardiest rhododendron species. Beautiful plant when it is used in mass. Flower color of the species does not combine well with some other flower colors. Flower color bleaches out in high pH. Subject to winter burning of foliage in exposed sites near the limits of its range. Both flowers and foliage are of equal value in the landscape. Cultivars are usually less hardy than species.…
Audio Recording AvailablePurdue Plant Doctor Available
Rhododendron catawbiense
Shrub
Audio Recording AvailablePurdue Plant Doctor Available

Rhododendron catawbiense 'Roseum Elegans'
[Roseum Elegans Catawba Rhododendron]

A reliable bloomer that is common in commerce. Flower color does not always combine well with some other flower colors. Flower color bleaches out in high pH. Can be subject to winter burning of foliage in exposed sites near the limits of its range, but this cultivar can tolerate extreme heat and extreme cold (to -25 degrees Fahrenheit). Susceptible to a large number of pests and diseases, which can largely be prevented by good cultural…
Audio Recording AvailablePurdue Plant Doctor Available
Rhododendron catawbiense 'Roseum Elegans'
Shrub
Purdue Plant Doctor Available

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…
Purdue Plant Doctor Available
Rosa rugosa

The Purdue Arboretum is a collaboration between the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and Administrative Operations

Purdue Arboretum, 625 Agriculture Mall Dr, West Lafayette, IN, 47907
© 2026 Purdue UniversityAn equal access/equal opportunity universityCopyright ComplaintsMaintained by Purdue Arboretum Explorer
Contact Purdue Arboretum at arboretum@purdue.edu for accessibility issues with this page | Accessibility Resources | Contact Us