Spiraea betulifolia ‘Thor’ (Thor or Tor Spirea)

Height: 60 cm (2 feet) Spread: 80 cm (2-3 feet) Bloom: white in early May Foliage: dense, blue green leaves turn redish in fall Pluses: very show bloom, foliage is different for spirea, reddish in fall Thor Spirea is a dense rounded shrub with white flowers in spring. I love the foliage on this spirea.… Read more »

Spiraea bumalda ‘Goldmound’ (Spirea)

Height: 80 cm (2 feet) Spread: 100cm (3 feet) Bloom: light pink, mid-summer, slight rebloom in late August Foliage: yellow to chartreuse green but on the brighter yellow side in full sun Spring foliage: same Pluses: Foliage colour, size and shape, easy care I have several Goldmound Spirea’s grown mostly for their bright yellow-green foliage… Read more »

Spiraea bumalda ‘Firelight’ (Spirea)

Height: 80 cm (2 feet) Spread: 100cm (3 feet) Bloom: medium pink, mid-summer, slight rebloom in late August Foliage: Spring foliage is coppery orange-red fading to green-yellow (although duller than Goldmound). Fall colour is burnt red. Pluses: Spring and fall colour, flower colour Minuses: A bit faded in mid-summer after flowering unless cut back to… Read more »

Spiraea japonica ‘Magic Carpet’ (Spirea)

Height: 60 cm (18 inches) Spread: 60 – 80 cm (18 inches to 2 feet) Bloom: deep pink, mid-summer, rebloom in August Foliage: orange-red in spring and fall changing to chartreuse green with red tips that holds its summer colour well. Pluses: Foliage colour, flower colour, small size I love this one. It is good… Read more »

Prunus virginiana (Choke Cherry)

Height: 2-9 m (6-30 feet) Bloom: white in early May Fall Colour: may turn yellow Fruit: yes, red Pros: Ontario Native Tree Another cherry tree native to the Carolinian or Deciduous Forest Region. Choke Cherry forms a large erect shrub or small tree, often multi-branched as it can form dense thickets from suckering. The fruit… Read more »

Prunus x cistena (Purpleleaf Sand Cherry)

Height: 2 m (7 feet) Spread: 1.5 m (5 feet) Bloom: Small white flowers in spring Exposure: Full sun to part shade Foliage: blackish-purple, new growth red-purple Pluses: foliage colour Cons: Japanese beetle damage When we first moved to our yard there were 16 Purpleleaf Sand Cherry spread throughout my gardens. With it’s rich reddish-purple… Read more »

Prunus serotina (Black Cherry)

Common Names: Black Cherry, Wild Black Cherry Zone: hardy to zone 3 Plant Type: Deciduous tree Height: 20 metres (60 to 90 feet) tall Spread: 35 to 50 feet wide Bloom: white in May Fruit: black / red in fall Habitat: full sun to part shade prefers moist, fertile soils Fall Colour: yellow to orange… Read more »

Malus sutyzam Malus ‘Indian Magic’

Height: 6 m (18 – 20 feet) Spread: 5 m (12 – 15 feet) Bloom: early spring before foliage Exposure: Full sun Pluses: four seasons of interest from early spring blooms to healthy foliage to crab apples that remain on the tree October through January. Indian Magic begins with red buds that open to dark… Read more »

Malus sutyzam ‘Sugar Tyme’

Height: 6 m (18 – 20 feet) Spread: 5 m (12 – 15 feet) Bloom: early spring before foliage Exposure: Full sun Pluses: four seasons of interest from early spring blooms to healthy foliage to crab apples that remain on the tree October through January. Sugar Tyme flowering crab apple buds start out light pink… Read more »

Magnolia x ‘Susan’

Height: 2.5 m (8 – 10 feet) Spread: 2.5m (8 – 10 feet) Bloom: fuschia pink in April Foliage: glossy green Fall Colour: bronze-yellow While they are a sight for sore eyes in early spring, the flowers of both Saucer Magnolia and Star Magnolia are susceptible to frost, especially in southern Ontario. For the last… Read more »