Picea omorika (Serbian spruce)

                This post on Picea omorika is as much a geography lesson as it is a horticultural tutorial. The Serbian Spruce, often misread “Siberian,” is native to a small area of the Balkans in Western Serbia, Eastern Bosnia, and Herzegovina. If you don’t know where that is, Google it! Hint: It’s nowhere near Siberia. The …

Tsuga canadensis (Canadian Hemlock, Eastern Hemlock)

                Name a conifer that tolerates heavy shade, and the answer “yews” doesn’t count. The correct answer is Canadian hemlock, Tsuga canadensis. Canadian Hemlock is native to eastern North America, from Canada south to Maine and Wisconsin and following the Appalachian Mountains south to Georgia and Alabama. In Wisconsin it inhabits the northern boreal forest. …

Picea orientalis (Caucasian Spruce; Oriental Spruce)

                When you hear the word “spruce,” no doubt the Colorado spruce (Picea pungens), Norway spruce (Picea abies), and White spruce (Picea glauca) come first to mind. If you live in northern Wisconsin, you might even think of Picea mariana, Black spruce. But few would think of Picea orientalis, commonly known as the Oriental spruce …

Thuja occidentalis ‘Linesville’

                Arborvitae are pretty common in Cedarburg, WI. The limestone soils are conducive to the culture of this native plant. If you vacation in Door County, WI you will see them growing out of the stone cliffs facing Lake Michigan. But the cultivar 'Linesville,' also (incorrectly) called 'Bobozam,' trademarked Mr. Bowling Ball™ is quite different. …

Pinus mugo ‘Amber Gold’

Pinus mugo 'Amber Gold' originated in a batch of seedlings at Ferny Creek Nursery in Australia. The golden winter color, which changes to almost green in the summer is highly unusual, but not totally unique. There are other conifers that do the same. Why does this happen? According to Bob Fincham, one of the top …

Sir Joseph Banks: Plant Explorer

As was true for many of the explorers of the 18th and 19th centuries, Joseph Banks (1743-1820) was born to wealthy parents. He was the son of William Banks, a member of the English House of Commons, and his wife Sarah. As a boy, Banks enjoyed exploring the Lincolnshire countryside where he developed a keen …

Archibald Menzies: Plant Explorer

The exotic plants of China and Japan were a prime target of early European plant explorers, but the New World, North America, was also high on their list. Archibald Menzies (1754-1842) was a Scottish surgeon, botanist and naturalist who travelled on the HMS Discovery with Captain George Vancouver on his Vancouver Expedition from 1791 to …

Stretching the Plant Hardiness Zone

Plant hardiness zones are the gardener's guide to which plants can be expected to survive in any given area. They are based on average winter low temperatures. Most of Southeast Wisconsin, including Ozaukee County, is in Zone 5b, which means that an average winter will see temperatures plunging to minus 10 to minus 15 degrees. …

Engelbert Kaempfer: Plant Explorer

Botanical names often give us clues as to the origin or physical appearance of a plant. For example, a specific epithet (second part of the botanical name) of virginiana tells us that the plant is likely native to Virginia, as in Pinus virginiana. Likewise, luteum means that some part of the plant, perhaps the flower, …

The Big and the Small Norway Spruce

Some of the largest and smallest evergreens growing in Cedarburg, Wisconsin are Norway Spruce (Picea abies). With dark green needles, drooping branches, and an ultimate height of over 70 feet, this European native cannot be missed in the landscape. Though not indigenous to North America, it grows well on a wide range of soil types, …