Betula schmidtii Reg. Schmidt's Birch. Under cultivation, this tree will grow to 20 to 40 feet high with a rounded outline. Dark gray to brownish black bark, broken into thick small irregular-shaped shedding plates resembles that of black cherry, Prunus serotina. The softly pubescent leaves are ovate, acuminate, rounded or broad-cuneate at base, unequally serrate, 1.25 to 3.5 inches long. Fall leaf color is golden yellow. Dirr reports this tree to be a "fine ornamental" and Rehder calls it "a handsome tree."
Ames 13833 was collected from the wild at the Sorak-san National Park, in Kangwon, South Korea. A small population was established from this seedlot and additional plants were propagated from softwood cuttings. Parent trees were growing in an open flood plain in association with Robinia, Celtis, Ulmus, Fraxinus, Lespedeza, and Rosa. Probable hardiness USDA Zone 5.
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Cercidiphyllum magnificum (Nakai) Nakai. Magnificent or Broadleafed Katsuratree. This Japanese tree resembles its more common relative Cercidiphyllum japonicum, but may not grow as large and has a narrower crown. It may be single or multiple-stemmed. It has larger (greater than 3 inches), more rounded leaves than those of C. japonicum, and its seed morphology is also quite different than that of C. japonicum. Cercidiphyllum magnificum has ornamental characteristics that recommend it for every season of the year. New leaves emerge a reddish orange and change to a bluish green in summer; fall color is yellow to apricot; smooth tan bark of young trees develops furrows as it matures. C. magnificum shows more tolerance to flooding than C. japonicum. It may require careful siting in areas prone to drought and also to avoid sunscald.
Ames 24077 was donated by M. Dosmann at Iowa State University and in turn was obtained from the Ringve Botanical Garden of Sor-Trondelag, Norway. Possible hardiness USDA Zone 5.
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Cornus sericea L. 'Bud's Yellow' Yellowtwig Redosier Dogwood. Typically known for their fast growth, broad spread, rounded appearance, and blood-red stems, this C. sericea dogwood differs from most in having yellow-green summer stems that turn bright yellow in winter. The plants we are offering had 3 to 5 inch dark green leaves during the summer and showed no signs of powdery mildew or leaf spot. Mature plants should reach 6 to 8 feet tall and wide. This accession is suitable for hedges, borders, and screens, and would add an extra, unique color to the winter landscape. This species does best on moist sites. Three plants did have mild cases of stem canker.
Ames 24553 is a selection obtained from Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc., Grand Haven, Michigan, and was first introduced by Boughen Nurseries of Canada. It is reported to have brighter yellow stems and better disease resistance than older, greener cultivars. It can be grown in full sun to partial shade. Probable hardiness USDA Zone 3.
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Flueggeasuffruticosa (Pall.) Baill. Securinega. A deciduous shrub to at least 6 feet tall, with slender spreading, somewhat arching, greenish branches. Native to northeast Asia to central China. In 1996, this species had a nomenclature change from Securinega suffruticosa. This shrub would make a good hedge or border planting. Ornamental characteristics include an upright, fountain-like habit, thick, bright green foliage coupled with the slender green stems, yellow fall color, and, upon closer inspection, the fruit which turns from green to yellow and tan in the fall followed by the persistent calyx.
Ames 21775 is a seedling population collected in 1993 from wild material in Heilongjiang Province, China in a scrub community on a rocky cliff above Jiang Po Lake. Associated plants included Quercus mongolica and Prunus mandshurica. Parent plants were reported to be only 3 feet tall instead of the more typical 5 to 6 feet tall. At the Station, we have noted this accessions' striking yellow fall color.
Ames 21900 is another seedling population collected in 1994 by Michael Knudson from the Mckenzie Game Management Area near Bismarck, North Dakota, and it would be of interest to compare its habit and hardiness to A21775. Probable hardiness USDA Zone 3.
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Kalopanax septemlobus (Thunb.) Koidz. Castor-aralia. This is a tree of striking tropical appearance growing to 60 feet under cultivation. Leaves are alternate, simple, palmately 5 to 7 lobed, 7 to 10 inches wide on mature trees, lustrous dark green above. They are similar in shape to the leaves of Sweetgum. Petioles are often longer than the blades. Fall color is not notable. Stems are coarse, stout, club-like and armed with prominent broad-based prickles. Bark of young trees is also armed with prickles; mature trunks are blackish, deeply ridged and furrowed. Small, perfect, white flowers appear in late July to early August, held in 1" diameter umbels, forming large, umbellose-panicles, 12 to 24 inches across at the end of the current season's shoots. The panicles are borne in great numbers. Small drupes ripen to black in September-October and are reported to be consumed by birds. This species is long lived, trouble free and tolerant of alkaline soils. Mature specimens are said to be quite impressive. The species does best in full sun.
Ames 19051 is a population started from seed donated by the Dawes Arboretum. Its nomenclature was changed in 1993 from K. pictus. Probable hardiness USDA Zone 4.
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Ligustrum obtusifolium Siebold & Zucc. Border Privet. This privet is a clonal selection of a specimen of PI 477010 - a seedling population distributed in 1990 and selected by the NRCS Plant Materials Center in East Lansing, Michigan. It originated from a collection made in Lapeer County, Michigan in 1973. Though just as dense and tall, and suitable for hedges and windbreaks as PI 477010, the clonal selection is less wide-spreading and rangy. Ends of branches are arching giving the overall appearance of the plant a more refined and formal look than shown by its siblings.
Ames 25097 was collected as softwood cuttings from an individual plant of PI 477010 at the Iowa State University Horticulture Farm. Probable hardiness USDA Zone 4b.
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Quercus robur L. English Oak. This seedling population resulted from a seedlot collected in Kazakhstan in 1996. It is hoped this population proves more tolerant than others to midwestern soils and conditions. English Oaks make fine specimen trees and typically grow to 60 feet under cultivation. Mature form is broadly rounded with a relatively short main trunk. Leaves of mature trees are reported to be 2 to 5 inches long, 0.75 to 2.5 inches wide (both Rehder and Dirr), but considerably longer and wider on the seedlings offered. Leaves are obovate to obovate-oblong, with auriculate bases (a key ID feature). Leaf color is dark green in summer and nondescript in fall. Mildew on leaves can be a problem with this species and was noted on this accession. It is therefore especially recommended for testing at sites west of Ames, where summer humidity is lessened.
Ames 24584 was collected by Dr. Harold Pellett of the University of Minnesota in a 1996 plant expedition to Kazakhstan. The parents were part of a wild population growing in the Khrebet Dzhungarskiy Alatau Mountains, near Sarqan (latitude: 45 deg. 24 min. 54 sec. North, longitude: 80 deg. 25 min. 17 sec. East; elevation 1480 m). The plants were donated by the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Probable hardiness USDA Zone 4.
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Sorbaria tomentosa (Lindl.) Rehder Lindley False-spirea. Although this species tends to be larger (reaching 6 feet in height) than S. sorbifolia (Ural False-spirea), an eight-year old specimen of this accession at the Station is only 3.5 feet tall and 1.5 feet wide. Its habit is finer in texture than that of S. sorbifolia. It has delicate, somewhat pendulous inflorescences. Its fall color and new growth is a wine red. Considering its native range (discussed in detail by Rahn, Nord. J. Bot. 8:557-563, 1989), it is probably more drought tolerant, but less cold hardy, than Ural False-spirea.
Ames 12674 is a clonal selection from a single plant at the NC-7 Plant Introduction Station. That plant is from a seedlot collected from Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Probable hardiness USDA Zone 5a.
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Spiraea fritschiana C. K. Schneid. Fritsch's Spirea. This spirea has a pleasing mounded form with new growth emerging from the crown at all angles. It grows to 3 feet in height and can have a spread of up to 5 feet. It is fast growing with an annual growth rate of from 12 to 18 inches. Leaves are elliptic or elliptic-ovate to elliptic-oblong, 1-3 inches long, acute to acuminate, usually cuneate, coarsely simply or doubly serrate. Flowers are white and produced in large flat-topped corymbs of 2 to 5 inches in diameter (typically about 3 inches). Fall color is yellow-orange to reddish. Native to Central China to Korea.
PI 603126 was collected from the wild at the Sorak-san National Park, Inje borough, Kangwon, South Korea on coarse granitic soil on an unstable hillside in full sun. A small population was established from this seedlot and plants offered were propagated via softwood cuttings from that population.
Probable hardiness USDA Zone 4. If you still have the S. fritschiana accession offered in 1976, PI 317286, compare it to PI 603126.
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Spiraea trilobata L. Threelobe Spirea. This is a relatively small shrub of up to 4 to 5 feet tall with a dense compact habit and slender spreading branches. Older branches are gray and one-year stems light brown to amber. The bluish green leaves are small, ½ to 1 & 1/4 inches long and usually have three rounded lobes. Pure white flowers appear in many-flowered umbels in great profusion in May. Native to northern China to Siberia and Turkestan, this spirea is one of the parents of the Vanhoutte Spirea. It is reported to withstand considerable shade and still flower well.
Ames 22275 is a seedling population from a seedlot collected from wild material from Yong Xiu Gou, Wuling Shan Preserve, Miyun County, Beijing Municipality province, China. Plants were growing in rocks near the stream in association with Weigela florida, Spiraea sp., Juglans mandshurica, Allium sp., Rhamnus sp., and Vitex negundo var. heterophylla. Probable hardiness USDA Zone 5.
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