There are many things that remind us of the holiday season. Hot cocoa, snowmen, Christmas Trees, and falling snow. But when you picture your decorated holiday table, there is usually a festive plant as well- the Poinsettia. This holiday classic is the Christmas gift that keeps on giving. Each year, over 70 million Poinsettias are sold in the United States during a 6-week period, making them a staple of the Christmas season- but how? And why? I decided to do some digging into this yule tide annual, to understand where it came from, and how it became so popular.

Poinsettias are famous for their bright red leaves- or bracts. These bracts are often mistaken as the flower, which is a small, not so radiant cluster, found in the center of the leaves. The bright red foliage is the most common color found during the holidays, but Poinsettias also come in over 100 colors including pink, green, orange, and white. Interestingly, the color of the bracts is determined by a process called Photoperiodism. This means the amount of sunlight vs. darkness, which changes with the seasons. Longer darkness periods (14 hours of darkness for 6-8 weeks) result in the bright red hue that the Poinsettia is famous for.

Contrary to popular belief, the Poinsettia plant is nontoxic to humans and animals. This urban legend began, after 2 children who were said to have ingested the leaves passed away. In truth, it never even happened. Despite being untrue, the FDA released a statement that “even one Poinsettia leaf can be deadly”. This caused people to turn their back on the scarlet beauty, even becoming prohibited in certain places. Studies on rats proved that the plant is not lethal, although if ingested could cause an upset stomach.

Poinsettias are indigenous to Mexico, and Central America and were introduced to the US by Joel Roberts Poinsett in the 1820s. Its popularity can be attributed to the Ecke family, who started by selling them at street stands in 1909. After realizing their natural floppy, weed-like look could be improved, the family came up with a new grafting method- cross breeding 2 varieties, to make the plant more desirable. This enhanced their fullness and made them more compact. After perfecting their habit, they began pushing the holiday favorite, and even took the plant to late night talk shows in the 1960s to help promote them. Soon the Eckes family had controlled the market on Poinsettia, at one point contributing to 70% of the domestic market. Eventually, their grafting process was published, allowing other growers to follow in their footsteps. Today, the Ecke family is out of the Poinsettia business, but growers in California continue to produce Poinsettia today, capitalizing on the Holiday cash crop.

The Poinsettia is a Christmas staple that lives on beyond just the winter season. By keeping up with water, fertilizer, and trimming schedule, you can keep them happy all year long. With the added bonus of being nontoxic, there is no need to worry about you or your animals falling ill. Although there is no true reason for these plants to be associated with the holidays- other than excellent marketing, they do not appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Fall and winter months are arguably the most difficult times of the year to identify plants. All the leaves are gone, and there are no flowers left. It may just look like there’s a random cluster of sticks in the ground, and each one looks like the other. However, have no fear, there are still plenty of ways to still accurately identify these plants! Here are some things to look at that might make this an easier process.

Size and growth habit are the easiest characteristics of a plant to pinpoint first. Whether it is columnar and upright, has a mounded shape or if it is lower to the ground and has more of a spreading habit. Sometimes this may not be enough to identify the plant, but it can point you in the right direction.

Buds can be an easy giveaway of what the mystery plant may be. Many plants have unique bud shape, size and color. The placement of buds on a stem can vary as well, helping to narrow down the investigation. For example, the buds on a Viburnum trilobum will be smooth and with two distinct outer scales, while Viburnum carlesii will have buds that will be more vegetative and almost resemble the start of a leaf.

The stems and bark of a plant can also hold many unique characteristics of a plant. A lot of which can be hidden by the foliage during the summer. For example, Weigela has relatively coarse or rough bark which is not very noticeable until it loses its leaves. Or a more easily identifiable plant, red Dogwood varieties will have their signature bright red stem color in the winter.

In most cases it will take a combination of these factors to properly identify a plant, but by recognizing these characteristics you will be successful. As the planting season comes to an end, it is a great time to take advantage of learning what these plants look like without their foliage. Well, that is until spring!

P.S. If you want to get deeper into identifying in the offseason, check out this book. 

Every year as we start to bring in fresh trees in the fall we hear requests for any and every kind of tree. Unfortunately for us, the cold winters here don’t allow for just any tree to be dug and replanted in the fall. It is a great time to plant trees that have previously been dug and given time to recover in our yard. However, it can be dangerous to dig certain trees late in the year depending on the growth habits of the species and other environmental factors. There are many trees we try our best to avoid digging in the fall to protect ourselves and our customers from finding dead trees in the spring when everything else is nice and green.

Most trees go into dormancy in the fall, entering a state where metabolic processes slow down so they can survive the winter. Digging trees in early spring while they are still dormant minimizes the stress caused by cutting its roots and transplanting it. The root system is preserved more effectively, allowing the tree to recover quickly once replanted. As it warms up in spring, they break dormancy and start putting on new growth which is ideal timing for reestablishing the root system after being dug. Trees dug in spring also have the advantage of cooler but warming temperatures and higher moisture. This combination reduces how much water the tree is losing and provides ideal conditions for recovery. Most species acclimate to their new surroundings better when dug in the spring. This is why we bring in thousands of trees in the spring and hold them year-round. It gives the trees a chance to recover until you need them and minimizes the risk of transplant shock or failure to make sure your newly installed landscape looks good and will last.

Some trees are better suited for fall digging and can reestablish roots before winter. Most species of Amelanchier, Crabapple, Ginkgo, Linden, Lilac, and Maple do well with fall digging and some even seem to do better, avoiding transplant shock. These trees will still develop roots in the cooler months after being dug. With the ground still warm but air temperatures cooling, growth can continue even as the tree's leaves drop. This late growth enables the tree to adjust and recover before winter, preparing the tree to absorb moisture and nutrients from the soil as soon as the weather warms up in spring. During spring, the tree’s energy is directed towards new growth and root development, instead of recovery, which can result in stronger and more vigorous plants. This can enhance the overall health of the tree, making it more resilient to inclement weather, diseases, and pests. In contrast, spring digging can lead to transplant shock, as trees may struggle to adjust and recover while also trying to grow new leaves.

In conclusion, digging and replanting trees is a practice grounded in ecological and botanical science. The combination of biological factors such as dormancy cycles and growth rates with environmental factors like soil conditions and moisture determine the optimal time for digging. By timing the transplanting process correctly, one can set the stage for healthy, vibrant trees that will thrive in their new environments for years to come. So, if you see a tree with some old deteriorating burlap in the fall don’t be too quick to write it off. That tree is not “old”, it was intentionally dug in the spring according to the best botanical practices and held all year just waiting to be planted. It has survived the stress of digging and is primed for replanting, more resilient and ready to thrive in its new environment.

As we sit here under the clouds in Plymouth, contemplating more rain and clouds in the coming week, let’s talk about some full-sun shrubs that can liven up your plantings. We can help make a landscape pop with vibrant colors and beautiful flowers. Here are a few unique options to consider when trying to find the right plants for uncovered landscapes:

Summer Wine® Physocarpus opulifolius

Considered to be an improvement to Ninebark, Summer Wine grows to be 5-8’ tall and wide, with dark purple foliage and white flowers in the spring that can even be cut for arrangements. This plant is very low maintenance and provides a great contrast of color wherever it’s planted. As it grows it will also give a unique look as its stems start to splay out, but its tidy habit rarely requires pruning. (If you find you like this plant but need to tuck it into an even smaller space, check out Tiny Wine Ninebark!)

Czechmark Trilogy® Weigela

Czechmark Trilogy Weigela stays relatively small, between 3-3.5’ tall and wide. The interest in this plant comes in spring with its flower color, varying from white, pink and red at any one time. As for the rest of the season, Czechmark Trilogy will have glossy green foliage that stays looking brand new.

Double Play® Candy Corn® Spiraea

Candy Corn Spirea is a part of the Double Play series, and has only made an appearance in landscapes in the past few years. It is relatively new, but sets itself apart from other Spirea with its foliage showing all different shades of yellow, orange and green. A very compact plant that stays around 2-2.5’ tall and wide, this is another low maintenance beauty. While the foliage provides the show all year long, Candy Corn has dark purple flowers in the spring and early summer that contrast beautifully with the vibrant leaves.

These are only a few options for planting in full sun, but there are many more out there if you put your sunglasses on and take a look around!

Photos for this Article Courtesy of Proven Winners - www.provenwinners.com.

Traditional fall perennials like Sedum, Anemone, Mums, Asters, and Rudbeckia are coming into their own! It's the time of year for a refresh into the new season.

However, there are some other fall flowers you may also want to consider. Let us take a look at the staples in the fall garden and then we can get on with some cool stuff!

Mums

Grown for us by a single nursery, they are not just any “Mums” but Belgian mums. Does it make a difference? Yes. Belgian “mums” have much stronger and, more importantly, pliable plant stems. Meaning they do not break when you look at them wrong. They also produce a uniform crown. Don’t forget that all mums are an important fall crop for bees and butterflies.

Ornamental Cabbage & Pansies

Both are waiting for cooler temps before they will show up. Pansies are very cold hardy. We’ve even had potted pansies flowering in January. Cabbage will freeze just like it is and sit like that all winter. Cabbage is an annual whereas the Pansies are semi-perennial – it all depends on how they fill and what the winter is like.

Ornamental Peppers

These have become all the rage. If you have not seen them, they’re worth checking out. They are literally small peppers that come in a multitude of colors.

Swiss Chard

We are going to have some this year – YEAH!! Hopefully, you can get some of them before we buy them all!! This is an ornamental Swiss Chard (yes, you can buy Swiss Chard and Cabbage at the supermarket, but they are just plain old green!) Ornamental Swiss Chard has stems in all shades of red and green with dark green leaves that are thickly veined in white. Very catchy!

Fall Anemone

There are a couple of plants and a few bulbous Anemones that bloom in the spring. However, all the cool hybrids are fall flowering. A couple of our favorites are ‘September Charm (2-3’ tall with pink flowers) and ‘Sweetly’ (from the ‘Fall in Love’ series, these grow 2-3’ tall with dark rose-colored flowers).

Aster

There are a multitude of Asters. Actually, there were so many, and they seemed so different that now we no longer use the word Aster, the new genus word (for some of them) is Symphotrichum. This is where you will find the “Fall Asters”. All of them will come in about 12-24” and there are numerous colors available. We are rather choosy here and try to pick asters that will maintain themselves. Many of the older cultivars need a trim in early summer to keep them compact. (A friend once told me to mow them down with the lawnmower on the 4^th of July. It is advice that I’ve never tried and don’t necessarily recommend, but it certainly gives a strong visual.) We try to only offer cultivars that don’t need that kind of maintenance.

The one everyone loves “Purple Dome” with the purple-blue flowers is one that needs a little trim, but the color is very distinctive. We like the ‘Wood’s’ series. They come in several colors and top out around 12” tall and are compact and uniform. We have also been selling the ‘Kickin’ series which is a new set of cultivars, again numerous colors, reaching about 15”. Aster as a group are a crucial butterfly nectar source in fall. You will find Painted Lady’s, Swallowtails, Sulphur’s, and Red Admiral fighting the bees for winter storage!

Rudbeckia

We will say that because we’re on a butterfly tangent these will supply nectar for Silvery Checkerspot and bees. There are some new ones on the market we have been trialing. They are worth checking out for fall. Some are hardy, others are supposed to be hardy. It will probably depend on the severity of the winter. Time will tell.

‘American Gold Rush’ possesses the traditional Rudbeckia daisy-shaped flowers except they are small but way more numerous. These are hardy and have proven themselves. The plants will reach 2-2.5’ and start blooming in late summer and all the way through fall.

There are numerous hybrids of Rudbeckia hirta and Rudbeckia fulgida, and these are the ones who may not be quite as perennial as hoped! However, even as an annual they are worth it for the fall show!

‘Denver Daisy’ is one of our favorite Rudbeckia. It has a yellow flower that has a mahogany center and a brown eye. The mahogany center is quite large and makes for a spectacular show in the fall. This one should definitely be treated as an annual.

‘Prairie Sun’ has 5” golden yellow petals tipped a lighter yellow. These are a hirta variety and should be treated as an annual. ‘Prairie Sun’ will reach 3-3.5’ tall.

‘Gloriosa Daisy’ are annuals coming in at 24-30”. They are yellow with either a red or an orange edge that start blooming in August.

And, from the same breeding as ‘Goldstrum’, comes ‘Little Goldstar’. We have been carrying this one for a while now and it is a fab little plant. Only 15” tall and covered with traditional flowers from mid-summer to fall.

Sedum

I saved this for the last of the common fall flowers. Everyone seems to think Autumn Joy is it! It’s not. (Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ has the orangish-red flower and stands about 2’ tall.) Check out some of these others for fall flash!

‘Brilliant’ and ‘Neon’ have magenta to reddish flower.

‘Plum Dazzled’ Sedum has plum leaves with raspberry red flowers. ‘Dazzleberry’ has blue-gray foliage with red flowers. Both of these are part of the ‘Sunsparkler’ series. There are several others in the series all with different colored leaves. We like the ‘Sunsparklers’ because of their height – 1-1.5’ with flowers.

‘Mohave Jewels’ also has several varieties in this series with different colored foliage. My favorite is ‘Sapphire’ with purplish-blue leaves and rose colored flowers. (12-15” tall)

Helennium

I call this my happy plant. It makes me smile even when I am just saying the word. The available colors are best describes as an autumn pallet; red, yellow, and orange. They have daisy-like flowers that point up to the sky, reaching 3-5’ tall and 3-5’ wide at maturity.

Heliopsis

H. annus is the traditional annual sunflower. H. helianthoides is the “False Sunflower”. Much smaller flowers but LOTS of them. Like their cousin, the annual sunflower, “False Sunflower” can get 3-5’ tall. There is a shorter one, ‘Tuscan Sun,’ coming in at about 2-2.5’. All flowers are golden sun colored. Heliopsis is unpalatable to deer and rabbits and is a pollinator for bees and butterflies.

Eupatorium

There are several natives belonging to this family and only a few cultivars. Eupatorium are deer, rabbit, squirrel, etc. resistant. Eupatorium produces a sap that tastes bad, can be poisonous and exists thoughout the entire plant. (Pointsettia are a Eupatorium) Nothing is gonna take a bite of these and if they do there will not be a second bite! The native eupatorium can reach 5-6’ even up to 8’ – they can get huge. There are a few dwarf varieties that will only reach 3-4’. Try ‘Little Joe’ 2.5-3’, or ‘Baby Joe’ 2.5-3’. Eupatorium flowers are a dirty white to rose red. This plant is a POWER pollinator. Bees, Monarchs, Skippers, Swallowtails, and Sulphurs, numerous moth species, and Sparrows will eat the seeds. This one feeds everybody!

Before we let you go to enjoy Fall – do not forget your fall bulbs! As long as you’re planting, you might as well drop in some bulbs. They will not brighten up a fall display, but they will be worth it in the spring! You will not be sorry when they start to pop up as the weather warms up next year! And, by then your back will not hurt anymore from all this fall planting!  

Cornus (Dogwood) is not a species of plant that we put much thought into. Most of them sit in the background being the workhorses they are. Cornus are one the of the few species that cover all “types” of plants. From the 3” perennial Cornus canadensis (“Bunchberry”) to the shrubby ‘Ivory Halo’ types (many of them natives) to multiple sizes of ornamental trees which also include many natives.

Let’s start with humble Cornus sericea and its cultivars, the “Redtwig’ and “Yellowtwig” dogwoods. We’ll cover the natives first, then cultivars.

C s. Baileyi… Wait, I said natives first!!! And ‘Baileyi’s’ gets included in with the natives. Unlike its cousins ‘Bergessons’, ‘Kelsy’ etc., ‘Baileyi’ is a naturally occurring hybrid that was found on the side of the road in Minnesota by a worker from Bailey Nursery. Yes, officially ‘Baileyi’ are considered a cultivar (scientifically speaking) but because it is a naturally occurring hybrid it is usually ok to swap for straight Cornus sericea. The straight species, ‘Baileyi’, and all the other cultivars of Cornus sericea like wet to swampish locations and have a vase-shaped habit. What is the difference? ‘Baileyi’ has a deeper red color in the winter! That is it! …officially

Unofficially, there is another problem. I can get you #3 or #5 Cornus s. ‘Baileyi’ all day long. Nice full plants, foliage fairly clean, well maintained, and pruned accordingly for success. However, to get a native Cornus sericea, I have to go to smaller nurseries that specialize in native material. Typically, straight Cornus sericea is available in a #2 or #3 pot with a couple of sticks sticking out of the pot in all directions. It’s hard for me to sell, and more importantly, really hard for you to sell. I understand and you do also, but know that if you want straight species, I am going to sell it to you – only because even though it may be 2 sticks in a pot it is rock solid hardy, and will grow up to be a nice 7-9’ tall plant. It just doesn’t start as pretty as ‘Baileyi’ or any other cultivars.

Other sericea that are noteworthy are:

• ‘Kelsy’ A cute little mound of green leaves and bright red stems growing 2-3’ x 2-3’.
• ‘Buds Yellow’ is an older cultivar but a well-established “Yellowtwig” that is 5-7’ tall with a vase shaped habit.
• ‘Bergessons Compact’ grows 4-5’ x 4-5’ with dark red stems.

Very closely related is Cornus alba ‘Ivory Halo’ or tartarian dogwood. These are not as aggressive as Cornus sericea cultivars can be. The stems get red but not as red as the “Redtwigs”, but the green and white variegated leaves are where it is at!

Another closely related species is C. sanguinea “Bloodstems”. Proven Winners® have some newer ones that are just starting to hit the market in quantities. We had a few here last year, but we will see more this year. ‘Arctic Fire’, ‘Arctic Fire Yellow’, and ‘Arctic Fire Sun’ all have a nice, rounded habit, get 3-4’ x 3-4’, and have bright red (or yellow) stems.

There are many others on the market these days. Many are native to us or other parts of the states. We have our favorites and they have theirs.

Before I go, I would like to go back to the natives for a minute.

• Cornus racemosa “Grey dog’” prefers a swampy area and will reach 10’ tall. It has red stems but not a great color.
• C. amomum “Silky dog”. It really has no stem color and like the “Grey dogs” like a wet swampy area. “Silky’s” have a nice, rounded habit.

Ps: There is a rather large elephant in the room while I talk about Shrubby Cornus. All “dogs” from the perennials to the trees have fungal leaf spot issues! Less sun, water on leaves, and tight space only exacerbate the issues.

Can your heart break for a plant?  My heart has been broken by men, dogs, cats, and one particularly painful financial (but also sentimental) loss, but I never thought it could break for a flower… until I spiraled ‘down the rabbit hole’ of tulips. (Thanks, Betsy, for introducing this captivating subject to me.)

Of all the flowers in horticulture, the Tulip might be the most intriguing.  A modern homeowner may associate the Tulip with spring, bulbs, and maybe the Netherlands without ever realizing the crazy, rich history of these flowers. While no Sticks & Stones article could touch all of the facets of Tulip history, I’d like to share some points that were tragically shocking to me.  Who knows?  Maybe you’ll find a future Jeopardy answer or an intriguing conversation starter for your next tradeshow within this article. I hope I don’t break your heart as well, but we all know that misery loves company.

While the average homeowner, if asked, would probably say that Tulips come from Holland. A ‘fact’ that is reinforced by the Holland, Michigan Tulip Time Festival every year.  However, Tulips, veritably, came from central Asia and were first cultivated in Iran (Persia) in the 10^th century. Before they were prized in the Netherlands, tulips were a symbol of power in the Ottoman Empire. The Dutch botanist Carolus Clusius is believed to be one of the first to plant tulip bulbs in central Europe. Clusius’ variegated tulips were so coveted that he was often the victim of theft.

Alas, Semper Augustus (and many others of the time) were ‘broken’ tulips. Broken tulips are varieties that are infected by a virus (Tulip breaking virus or TBV, a potyvirus) that affects their petals causing patterns of flames and feathers. The virus that makes them so beautiful eventually kills them making the blooms wilt quicker and depleting the energy in the bulbs.  Worst of all, it is contagious (to other tulips, carried most often by aphids) and the bulbs carry the virus to the next generation of bulbs until they slowly disappear.

In modern times, we know all about viruses and the effect they can have on a crop.  Broken tulips are carefully regulated and quarantined away from healthy tulips so the virus does not spread. Unfortunately, in the 17^th century, widespread knowledge of viruses was limited and eventually led to the first modern stock market, an economic bubble and crash. If we want to delve into the economics of Tulip Mania, we’ll have to do it another time, as the financial implications would require a whole other article (or two).

But wait, don’t we see broken tulips at Christensen’s each year?  Well, no. Yes, you can see a similar coloration.  Modern hybridization has evolved to create look-alikes of the Rembrandt tulips. Nowadays, you can pop into the plant center to buy (or pre-order!) Carnaval de Rio, Quebec, etc... and have your very own Semper Augustus look-alike without the danger of a plant virus overtaking your landscapes.

This is, of course, a very simplified article.  If you would like to get deeper into Tulip History, these articles are a good place to start.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/semper-augustus-tulip-netherlands
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/11/science/broken-tulips.html
https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/pdf/10.1094/PDIS.2000.84.10.1052

Pruning is a powerful tool that can significantly impact how a tree grows and develops. Japanese Maple are elegant ornamental trees that can be delicate and require pruning to maintain an ideal shape. Pruning can alter growth patterns, improve structural development, and reallocate resources. It encourages vigorous, healthy new growth and contributes to the long-term well-being of the tree. However, it’s important to apply the right techniques and timing to ensure that the benefits are fully realized and that the tree continues to thrive.

Japanese Maples can be a significant investment for your clients and providing pruning maintenance to them can be a way to set your business apart. Just be sure you are prepared for the task, with knowledge, and with sharp shears!

Sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) is a native tree species found primarily in the southeastern United States. It is renowned for its graceful form, fragrant flowers, and glossy green foliage, making it a beloved choice for gardens throughout its range.

Sweetbay magnolia is a medium-sized tree that averages heights of 10-35 feet, depending on growing conditions and variety. Its narrow, oval-shaped leaves are dark green on top and silver-gray underneath, creating a striking contrast when rustled by the breeze. In late spring to early summer, the tree produces creamy white, lemon-scented flowers that stand out against the foliage. These are followed by cone-like fruits that attract birds and wildlife.

Sweetbay is often overlooked in favor of its popular cousin, the southern magnolia.  But, as the name implies, the southern magnolia can be affected by the mercurial Michigan weather.  You could miss a whole season of blooms if the conditions are not right.  But the Sweetbay avoids this with a later bloom.

In conclusion, Sweetbay magnolia is an enchanting plant that deserves a place in any garden or landscape design. So why not consider adding one of these captivating trees to your plantings and experience their unique charm firsthand?

Steep slopes and uneven terrain can be a common burden that presents itself in a landscape. This less-than-ideal planting situation can make it all the more challenging when it comes to plant selection. Low-maintenance shrubs are often desired in these kinds of areas, and there are a select few that not only thrive in these conditions, but they look great as well! Here are a few that can offer a lot of character to a landscape while also stabilizing these hillsides.

Junipers:
Spreading and low-growing junipers can cover large areas and provide a unique look and color to a landscape. Some varieties to consider are Blue Pacific or Blue Rug. There are many varieties of Juniper that could be used in these situations, but these two are known for how well they do in these tricky environments.

Drift Roses:
There are endless options for color when it comes to drift roses. There’s anything from pinks and red to yellows and whites. They have a spreading growth habit and can be great in a landscape for someone who loves roses.

Deutzia:
Some varieties of Deutzia include Nikko, Nikko Blush, or Chardonnay Pearls. This can be a more unique plant to be put on a hill, but it has a mounded shape that can look great as a mass planting.