Week 13

1. Week 13 Plant Group #6 Evergreens

2. Buxus microphylla var. koreana – Korean Box Location: Southwest lawn at the Knoll and in Lagomarcino Courtyard Broadleaf evergreen with small, oval leaves and opposite arrangement Squarish green and tan stems Flowers ornamentally insignificant Size, form, and color varies by cultivar ‘Wintergreen’ and ‘Winter Gem’ are popular cultivars in cold climates Very popular shrub for formal hedges and formal gardens

3. Ilex xmeserveae – Meserve Holly Location: Horticulture Courtyard Broadleaf evergreen with alternate, thick, waxy leaves with spines Top of leaf is darker than the bottom and lower surface has a red midrib Dioecious - need a male pollinator for females fruits Showy red fruits in the winter on female plants Mrs. F. Leighton Meserve produced the initial hybrids Flowers ornamentally insignificant Placement is important to prevent winter desiccation - site away from winter wind and sun

4. Mahonia aquifolium – Oregon Grapeholly Location: East side Pearson Hall Broadleaf evergreen with pinnately compound, alternate, spiny, dark green, glossy leaves Yellow clusters of flowers in spring, and blue-black fruits Reddish new growth and purple/bronze fall color Protect from winter sun and wind to prevent desiccation Native to U.S. – reaches 4-5’ here, but 12’ in mild locations

5. Rhododendron catawbiense – Catawba Rhododendron Location: LaBaron Courtyard Broadleaf evergreen with thick, elliptic to oblong leaves Leaves are larger than those of ‘P.J.M’ Rhododendron Large, deep lilac-purple flowers in late May Large terminal buds One of the hardiest rhododendrons, but still good to protect from winter sun and wind 6-10’ in height, spreads 5 to 8’ – becomes leggy in less than desirable conditions Performs best in well drained and acid soils Native to Eastern U.S.

6. Rhododendron ‘P.J.M.’ –‘P.J.M.’ Rhododendron Location: Horticulture Hall Courtyard Alternate, scaly leaves that curl in low temps Broadleaf evergreen - Leaves last 3-4 years and develop red fall color as they senesce Flower buds are present at the tips of branches A very popular rhododendron for the Midwest because it is very cold hardy and tolerates high-pH soils better than other rhododendrons

7. Taxus cuspidata – Japanese Yew Location: Southeast corner of Pearson Hall Linear leaves are two-ranked and in a flat plane on the stem, paler beneath Seeds are covered in a red aril, and are somewhat ornamental Extremely popular evergreen with many different forms, depending on cultivar Very amenable to hedging and pruning into any form - It can have a very formal appearance if sheared, but it is better to hand-prune the longest growth every other year for a natural, “unpruned” look Needs well drained soil!

8. Taxus xmedia – Anglojap Yew Location: Southeast corner of Pearson Hall Similar to T.cuspidata, but leaves appear whorled around the stem Also has a seed covered in a red aril ‘Tountonii’, ‘Densiformis’, and ‘Hicksii’ are important cultivars

9. Yucca filamentosa – Adam’s-needle Location: South side of Friley Hall Rosette growth habit, reaching 2-3’ Monocot – Parallel veins, linear leaves Leaf margin has fine thread-like filaments Stalks of creamy white panicles in summer “Southwestern” appearance may be difficult to incorporate into the typical Midwestern landscape Spreads by rhizomes