What Is Flowering Now (Mid-May) In The Western United States

As a lifelong Horticultural professional, Vicki Smith at Lawn and Garden Search (www.LGYP.com) has news about what is flowering during mid-May across the western U.S. and guidance for growing these beautiful plants in the home garden.

Woodbine, MD (PRWEB) May 17, 2007 -- As a lifelong Horticultural professional, Vicki Smith at Lawn and Garden Search (www.LGYP.com) has news about what is flowering during mid-May across the western U.S. and guidance for growing these beautiful plants in the home garden. Since outdoor living and container gardening are areas of increasing consumer interest, these colorful trees, ornamental shrubs and evergreens will bring excitement to the landscape, patio, and deck or in raised planters.

In the lower Mid-West, evergreen Rhododendrons, typically larger growing than hybrid Azaleas that are finishing their blooming, are coming into their best color, in lavender, purple, pinks, red and white. Growing several different types of Rhododendrons and Azaleas will give the home gardener 4 to 6 weeks of robust color. Oakleaf Hydrangea (H. quercifolia) is continuing in their long blooming period, through early summer.

Native Itea virginica or Virginia Sweetspire or Viginia-willow is continuing their softly fragrant and lacy textured flowering. The Sweetspire is good grown alone or in a large grouping. Selections have been made for better fall color and somewhat larger flowers. Also graceful is the Japanese Tree Lilac (Syringa reticulata), just coming into color, which will last for two weeks or more. Fragrant blooms make good cut flowers too. Becoming more well-known over the years, the Kousa and Chinese Dogwoods (Cornus kousa and C. kousa var. chinensis) are starting to bloom extending Dogwood bloom by two weeks since the native Flowering Dogwoods (C. florida) are finishing blooming for this year.

Deserving special mention since it is relatively unknown at the consumer level is the very beautiful, delicate, dainty Japanese Snowbell (Styrax japonicus that flowers weeks after our native American Snowbell (S. americanus). The subtle fragrance of the bell-shaped flowers and small overall size of the tree makes this an excellent plant for use near the patio. Several beautiful heavily flowering, pink or weeping cultivars have been introduced that allow this worthy tree to have more extensive landscape use.

The Upper Midwest is enjoying the tremendous mid-Spring blooming of one of our interesting but not well-known native shrubs, the Carolina Allspice. Known also as Sweetshrub, Strawberry-shrub, Sweet Bubby, Sweet Bettie, Spicebush and Calycanthus floridus. Whatever you call it, it is a worthwhile plant for every garden, especially around an outdoor living area where the sweet strawberry-banana-pineapple scent perfumes the entire area. Hardy to Zone 4, occasionally tip dieback can occur in tough winters, it will flower just a bit later in the following spring.

Lilacs from around the globe are adding their sweet fragrance to the spring breezes. With much hybridization work recently, vast improvements have been made in disease resistance, smaller or even dwarf sizes for today's smaller gardens and extension of bloom times so that they can be enjoyed in bloom into June. The range of options now available are vastly different that what many home gardeners may think of when they think of old-fashioned lilacs.

With almost too many great types of flowering trees to mention that are flowering now across the upper Midwest, including Crabapples, Dogwoods, Flowering Cherries, Flowering Pears, Hawthorns, Magnolias and Serviceberries, one of the best native trees deserves special mention. Carolina Silverbell or Halesia tetraptera may sound from the common name as too tender for the rugged Midwest conditions but it is hardy to Zone 4, occurring naturally from Ohio to Illinois to Oklahoma. A great mid-size tree with bell-shaped flowers and good shade tolerance, this Silverbell is often overlooked in favor of more flamboyant exotic trees but should be more widely used. Set off nicely by an evergreen background, they are also nicely underplanted with hardy Azaleas and Rhododendron.

Throughout California, much in peak flower time, several flowering native trees lend their natural toughness to growing conditions that can certainly be tough sometimes. Known as Desert Rose, Arizona Rosewood and Vauquelinia californica, this broadleaf evergreen grows in full sun or light shade and tolerates reflected heat. This small tree or large shrub is covered with white flowers. Another one of California's most beautiful trees is the California Buckeye or Aesculus californica with showy clusters of white flowers in May and June. Adapted throughout much of California tolerating the climate better than many exotic varieties, once established need little or no extra water but light irrigation is acceptable.

The Pacific Northwest is in peak bloom time for many highly recommended trees that include Lily Magnolia (M. liliflora), several Hawthorn species (Crataegus), Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa), numerous Crabapples (Malus) many of which are native or hybrids that have a native tree as a parent and European Horsechestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum).

Two interesting shrubs are adding their flowering and soft texture in the Pacific Northwest's landscape. Smoketree or Smokebush (Cotinus coggyria) will bloom through June but the real show starts when the 'hairs' in the flower mature. Their lacy appearance is the 'smoke' that lasts into August and September. Mexican Orange (Choisya ternata) also enjoys the cooler climate like the Smoketree does for maximum flower power. The fragrant flowers are at their best now through June but will continue sporadically into fall and winter in moist soil and partial shade to full sun.

Many of the trees, shrubs and evergreens mentioned are quite low-maintenance, many native plants, often needing only to be planted in the right spot originally and occasionally be given more mulch and a little fertilizer. As interest has continued to grow regarding sustainability, native plants are finally getting the respect they deserve and should be considered for every landscape.

###