Sample Listing of Species

Here is a sampling of some of the plants that will be available for purchase at our 2009 spring sales. For a complete list of plants please look at the following links. We are looking forward to seeing you at our sales.

Olympia Washington Sale
Plains Montana Sale
Spokane Washington Sale

Deep red summer color
Brilliant red in the fall.
Shade tolerant

The compact size, ornamental form, and shade tolerance have made this one of the most popular specimen plants in mild climates.

White clustered flowers
Blooms in late may
Red and purple fall foliage
Native to northern U.S.
Edible scarlet berries
Easily transplanted
Partial sun

If you’d like a decoration in your yard that will give good color for most of the seasons, this American Cranberrybush would be a good selection. It produces white clustered flowers in late may as well as edible scarlet berries that attract a variety of wild-life. In the fall, the foliage turns deep purples and reds. This is an easy stock to transplant and prefers partial sun.

Small white flowers
Red fall foliage
Ornamental
Can be used in a windbreak
Formal or informal hedge plant

As a hedge plant Cotoneaster lucidus, Hedge Cotoneaster, is hard to surpass. It works well as either an informal or tightly sheared hedge. Shiny green leaves become bright red in fall. Small white flowers precede relatively inconspicuous fruit that is loved by songbirds. For all its ornamental charm this is a tough plant that will serve well in a windbreak.

Bright yellow flowers in early May
Excellent windbreak or screen
Drought resistant
Yellow-green fall foliage
Tolerates poorer soils, difficult growing sites

For those who want an easy tend in their yard, the Siberian Peashrub is a good choice. Not only is it drought resistant, but it tolerates poorer soils and difficult growing sites. For color, this shrub yields bright yellow flowers in early May and a gentle
yellow-green foliage in the fall. It also makes an excellent windbreak or screen.

Rapid grower
Ideal for holding soil on steep banks
Nice color through all seasons, especially red stems
Easily transplanted
Modestly ornamental
Blooms late may, early June

This variety of dogwood is used mostly for modest ornamental purposes. It’s a shrub that adds a touch of color without being showy. It features red stems and small white flowers that bloom in late May. In the fall, the foliage will turn a purplish-red. This stock is also useful for holding soil on steep banks and grows at a rapid rate.

Good shade tree
Products excellent nuts
Fast growing
50 to 75 feet tall
colorful fall foliage
full sun
leaves can be used for a fragrance

This large black walnut tree has many fun uses that make it a good addition to a yard. Not only does it make an excellent shade tree (especially since its maximum height is 75 feet), it produces excellent walnuts. The leaves can be used for their easy fragrance and during the fall its foliage boasts a variety of colors

Early spring flowers
Long lived
Enjoys cool well drained soil
Likes partial shade
Song birds use the fruit in fall and winter.

George Washington planted this spring flowering tree at Mount Vernon, with a few of those same trees surviving into the late 1900’s. This native understory tree with it’s impressive show during the best in areas that have warm summers.

In 1960 the University of Minnesota developed a new apple variety from a cross of Macoun and Honeygold as part of an apple-breeding program to produce high quality yet winter hardy varieties. Originally known as MN 1711, the Honeycrisp apple has been gaining popularity ever since. Ripening in late September through October, this variety is a reliable annual bearer with excellent precocity. The fruit maintains its exceptionally crisp and juicy quality up to 5 months in common storage. Its sub-acid well-balanced flavor lends well to fresh eating as well cooking and processing.

In addition to cold winters many areas also struggle with poor dry soils. The Honeycrisp apple on
Budagovski 118 (Bud 118) provides a viable solution. This combination produces a very sturdy
tree about 75% of standard. Height can be easily kept 10' to 12' with early directive pruning
making this an excellent size for the back yard or commercial orchard. Honeycrisp on the Bud
118 rootstock can be grown in USDA zone 4 and into warmer areas of zone 3.

Yellow spring blooms
Fruit in the fall
Enjoys cool well drained soil
Likes dry, shady conditions

Another hedge or specimen plant favorite is the broadleaf evergreen Oregon Holly Grape. Erect shrub 3'- rarely 6', Zone 5-9. Glossy, green leaves are reddish in winter. Popular native evergreen shrub.

Handles warm, humid summers
Drought tolerant
Demands little water
Adaptable to most soils

One of the best spruce for landscape use is Picea omorika, Serbian Spruce. The narrow form works well in many sites. The lovely deep green, glossy needles have white undersides. It will handle warm, humid or hot, dry summer conditions. Water demands are low and it is quite adaptable to most soils including alkaline conditions.

Drought tolerant
Fragrant foliage
Blue and berry-like fruit.

A drought tolerant favorite is the Eastern Red Cedar. The species will handle most any site as long as it is not too wet. Bluishgreen foliage adheres tightly to branches of the dense crown that is oval when young, becoming rounded with age. The foliage, berries, and wood are all fragrant.

Drought tolerant
Fragrant flowers
Hardy and long-lived

As an all time favorite for fragrance, Syringa vulgaris, Common Purple Lilac rates right at the top of the list with roses. The drought tolerance and general hardiness of this species is well illustrated by its common appearance growing luxuriously on sites of abandoned home or farmsteads.

Reaches height of 80'
Provides wildlife food
Provides wildlife cover
Can be used as a building supply for flooring and casks.

Native Quercus alba, White Oak, is a truly magnificent example
of ‘the mighty oak’. Mature height and width of 80' and a wide spreading root system make it most suitable for expansive landscapes such as parks. In parks or forest settings it serves an important role for wildlife food and cover. As a timber species it is used for flooring, wine casks and furniture. The Iowa seed source we have selected makes the seedling crop very adaptable. The species is best suited to sunny, moderate sites that are not subject to compaction.

Feathery foliage
Fast growing
Pollution tolerant
Likes full sun

Since its discovery in 1941, the Dawn Redwood, Metasequioia glyptostroboides, has been a favorite for its feathery foliage and pyramidal form. Fast growth and pollution tolerance, and pest free nature contribute to its usefulness. It is suitable to all of the U.S. except the Southeast and milder parts of Canada. Full sun is best and well drained soils are required.

Pollution tolerant
Fragrant flowers
Good shade tree
Tolerant of clay soils

Increasingly popular as a street tree, Tilia cordata, Little Leaf Linden, has exhibited broad tolerance to urban conditions. Pyramidal to oval in shape, it provides dense shade and fragrant flowers in mid summer. It is also commonly used in Europe as a formal hedge. Foliage is dark green and shiny. This species is tolerant of heavy clay soils and a very wide range of pH.