Winter Shrubs & Trees
by Lori Rose
What do witch hazel, Japan, basket weaving, and Vaudeville have in common? And, to make this mystery a bit more difficult to solve, what do they all have to do with winter landscapes?
On a blustery day in early spring, I was stopped on my way to a landscape design class by the strong scent of a flowery perfume. I was certain it was a natural scent, not one that you would smell wafting from the perfume counters in the mall. It was like a soft gardenia/jasmine/honeysuckle scent, not overbearing, but delicious. I could not identify its source—all the trees were either bare or had last years dried leaves still clinging to them.
Later that day, the class went outside to take a tour of the design elements of the plantings around the school. As we walked down that same stretch of pathway, all noses rose into the air. Our instructor, forced from his lesson plan by inquiring noses, discovered the source and brought a few branches for us to look at and sniff. Ozark witch hazel, he said. The flowers on the branches were a dead looking orangey brown, hanging like tiny shredded ribbons. On the way home from class I finally spotted the huge shrub. It looked like it was covered in little dead leaves, but it smelled so heavenly that I totally forgave it and insisted upon having one near my front door to get the first scent of spring.
Ozark witch hazel, Hamamelis vernalis, grows six to ten feet high and wide, and is receptive to wet or dry sites, sunny or shady sites and gravelly or clay soils. In short, it will thrive almost anywhere. The flowers also come in yellow, which is somewhat prettier, but it is not the looks of the early spring flowers that matter. By late spring, its leaves create an unassuming foil for other, more flamboyant shrubs and flowers.
The Royal Horticultural Society has given the Japanese maple, Acer palmatum, its prestigious Award of Garden Merit which is for plants of outstanding excellence. According to Michael Dirr, the acclaimed and opinionated author of Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, “True aristocrats are rare among people and trees, but Japanese maple is in the first order. Landscape uses…are limited only by the imagination of the gardener.” It is a long-lived tree, with a domed habit, zigzag trunks, and ground-sweeping branches. Japanese Maples are pricey, but don’t let that deter you. As Dirr says, “It is difficult to imagine a garden that could not benefit from a [Japanese Maple].”
I once saw one at an elegant restaurant thru the picture window facing the gardens. The deep maroon lacy leaves of the Japanese maple stood out against the unearthly blue of a perfectly formed blue spruce. The backdrop of green was necessary to help them stand out as they did, but what kind of trees provided the cool green is irrelevant. The contrast of color, form, and texture was a sight to behold.
Acer palmatum var. dissectum, the lace-leaf Japanese maple, continues its beauty through the winter months. Try one in front of and just to the side (8 o’clock or 4 o’clock) of a boulder. It may obscure the boulder when leafed out, but in winter when the leaves drop, the graceful, curling trunk and branches silhouetted against the smoothness of the boulder is a charming still-life resplendent with the pureness of a Japanese garden.
Japanese Maples grow slowly, ultimately reaching ten to fifteen feet in height, wider in spread. It prefers moist, well-drained soil and protection from wind. They grow best with some shade.
When the leaves fall and the temperatures drop, the colors of the red osier dogwood stems brighten up an otherwise dull winter landscape. Red osier dogwood, Cornus sericea, sports lots of bright coral-red or yellow-green branches during the cold months. Plant them in front of taller shrubs, or in front of evergreens to show off the radiant stem colors. They form a lovely hedge or try a variegated red osier as a focal point in a courtyard garden. Red osier branches piercing a carpet of snow are simply delightful.
The red osier dogwood does produces fruit that is low in sugar, so it is initially less attractive to wildlife and less inclined to rot than other fruits. The berries stay on the plant through the winter and are available when other berries are gone. Songbirds, grouse, quail, partridge, ducks, crows, and other birds use these berries as their late winter “last resort.” The long, slim stems were used by native Americans for basket weaving and are still used by present-day crafters.
Red osier dogwood does best in full sun to develop the shiny red or yellow stems and will also do quite well in part shade. They will grow in just about any type of soil but grow best with plenty of moisture. They can grow to nine feet high and ten feet wide, but they are easily pruned and look great at any size that fits your landscape needs. Removing some of the oldest stems each year will produce vigorous, vibrant new shoots to enjoy.
Have you ever seen a florist’s arrangement that had slim branches in it that look like they were curled around a paper towel roll, the way a little girl’s hair is curled around a finger? If so, then you have probably seen the branches of the European filbert Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’.
This wonderful shrub in the filbert family was discovered in 1863 in a hedgerow in England. Its contorted, convoluted branches made it a favorite planting in the early 1900s. During that time, a young man with pluck and wit transformed his life of poverty to become one of Scotland’s premier entertainers. Sir Harry Lauder was known for his jokes, costumes, and songs (such as Roamin’ in the Gloamin’) and was the first British recording artist to sell a million records. Described by Winston Churchill as Scotland's greatest ambassador, he was a star of British Music Hall, American Vaudeville, Australian Variety, records, radio and films. Sir Harry was most easily recognized and remembered for hobbling around with a twisted walking stick. His sticks became his trademark. Edward, Prince of Wales even presented him with a gnarled walking stick from Japan. It wasn’t long before our twisty, turny filbert became known as ‘Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick’.
Characterized as a small tree, in practice the ‘Contorta’ grows very slowly to ten feet high and wide. It is easy to grow and does well in sun or part shade. Even the leaves are a bit twisted, curling under at the edges. With its gnarled branches, curly leaves, and funny dangling catkins in spring, this plant is a curiosity throughout the year.
Now you know the solution to our landscape mystery: witch hazel, Japan, basket weaving, and Vaudeville all represent some of the prettiest, most distinctive trees and shrubs you can have in your garden during the winter, and throughout the year.
“Aye, I'm tellin’ ye, happiness is one of the few things in this world that doubles every time you share it with someone else.” (Sir Harry Lauder)
Lori Rose, the Midnight Gardener, is a Temple University Certified Master Home Gardener and member of GardenComm: Garden Communicators International. She has gardened since childhood and has been writing about gardening for over twenty years.