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Traditional Southern Favorites

Gardening in the southeastern United States has been popular for many decades. Our long growing season, nutrient rich soils, and diverse habitats allow gardeners to enjoy thousands of different species in their landscape. Southern landscapes can be as varied as these choices allow. There are a handful of plants that tend to recur from one garden to the next, from Louisiana to Georgia, and north to the Carolinas. I like to call these “southern favorites”. Step aside grits, collard greens and sweet tea, we are talking about garden favorites!

	Dogwood, redbud, and magnolia are three of the most popular trees found in the southern landscape. These natives can provide quite a floral show during their blooming seasons. Our native dogwood (Cornus florida) and redbud (Cercis canadensis) can be stunning when viewed in their native habitat under large pines and hardwoods. The redbuds usher in spring with their vivid purple flowers, followed by the dogwood’s white or pink floral display. Watch out for ‘Forest Pansy’ redbud. It has the usual heart shaped redbud leaf, only it is purple, adding to the seasonal interest of the tree. Contrasting ‘Forest Pansy’ is ‘Hearts of Gold’ redbud with an electric yellow leaf color. These two are quite the pair. Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is a tree that many people, non-gardeners included, are familiar with. The dark green foliage with brown backsides is hard to mistake as well as the large white flowers.	Dogwood
	Many gardeners are planting trees that mature to small sizes to match smaller lot sizes. ‘Little Gem’ is the perfect cultivar to plant if size is an issue in the landscape. Maturing at sizes between twenty to twenty five feet, ‘Little Gem’ is a much smaller plant than other popular cultivars like ‘D.D. Blanchard’ or ‘Claudia Wannamaker’. I can not talk about southern favorites and trees without mentioning live oak (Quercus virginiana). It is hard to deny the beauty of moss-draped live oaks (left) overhanging the streets of Charleston, Savannah, or New Orleans. These trees are as important to the ambiance of these cities as the architecture and history. Live oaks do not perform as well in areas west of the costal plain in North Carolina due to cooler temperatures combined with heavy soils. There is a nice specimen in Raleigh at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum. Crepe myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica) were introduced to the United States from China in the 1700’s, and have been a mainstay in southern gardens since. Crepe myrtles are true four season plants that deserve a place in most any landscape. Summer flowers are followed by vivid fall foliage colors while the form and decorative bark provide interest in the winter months. Crepes are found in sizes from 18” at maturity to over 30’ tall, and in shades of pink, red, white, purple. These plants have been used in many different ways in the landscape. Grouping crepes can create an explosion of color in the summer months while using individual plants as focal points can be just as beautiful. Check last month’s article for more information on crepe myrtles. >>Continue.....	Redbud Magnolia Crepe Myrtle

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