Stillwater Living Magazine Volume 10 Issue 12 June 2014 | Page 20

spotlight

One Plant,
Two Plants,
Red Plant,
Blue Plant.
Dr. Seuss Inspired
Gardening
BY: DR. CHERY L BOY ER
Looking to add a bit of whimsy
to your garden this year? I was recently on the hunt for a tree with interesting features that, well, are a bit
Dr. Seuss-like. You know, weeping
habit, curvy trunks, pom-pom ball

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pruning…the whole nine yards. So I
thought I’d share my finds with you
in case you’ve got a curious child in
your life that would really enjoy a
fun plant.
I’m always interested in the
actual plants, of course, but I think
it’s interesting and worth noting how
they grow the way they grow. Most
interesting cultivars or varieties of
ornamental plants are discovered
by unusual growth called “sports,”
originate from a “witch’s broom,”
involve unique traits on a seedling,
hybrid or plant breeding resulting
in polyploidism (bigger flowers,
bigger fruit, but often brings sterility and cross fertilization incompatibility). However those unique
traits are found, they are generally cloned (vegetative cuttings) and
grafted onto more stable roots.
Of course there are always
unique ways of pruning plants into

JUNE 2014 | STILLWATER LIVING MAGAZINE

topiaries as well, but let’s get into the
plants, shall we?
If you’re looking for a weeping
tree, there are lots of choices. For
starters, Redbud is a great plant
for our region. With dark pink
flowers in the spring and large,
glossy, heart-shaped leaves in the
summer you can’t go wrong. Add a
weeping feature and you’re in business. Popular weeping cultivars of
Redbud (Cercis canadensis) are
‘Lavender Twist’ and ‘Ruby Falls.’
The latter has red/purple leaves in
the summer.
Other deciduous weeping trees
include Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum ‘Ryussen’), Mimosa (Albizia
julibrissin ‘Pendula’), River Birch
(Betula nigra ‘Summer Cascade’),
European Hornbeam (Carpinus
betulus ‘Pendula’), and Baldcypress
(Taxodium distichum ‘Cascade Falls’
or ‘Falling Water’) just to name a few.