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If you’re looking for
smaller growing trees for the smaller yard or garden, and looking for
something really different and unique, I’ve got a couple trees for you to
consider…one of which, is actually extinct in the wild!
This is Evodia danielli,
or commonly known as Korean Evodia. Dark green pinnately compound leaves
that look this way from start to finish, smooth gray bark as it matures,
sort of like a beech, pretty much insect and disease free…but it’s the small
white flowers that occur from June thru August that really gets your
attention, followed by the fruit capsules that go from red to black that
really sets this small tree apart from the others. Again the name…Evodia.
E-V-O-D-I-A
Our next smaller tree
comes with a wonderful history. This is the Franklinia tree, and was first
discovered by John Bartram, back in the late 1700’s on the banks of the
Altamaha River in
Georgia. Mr. Bartram collected seeds from the tree and began growing them
at his garden in
Pennsylvania.
When he went back to find the tree again, it was gone, and since then, the
Franklinia tree has not been found growing in the wild. It had become
extinct. But thanks to Mr. Bartram, the tree exists today in very small
numbers, scattered about in gardens around the USA, as well as a few other
countries. Slowly but surely, local nurseries have begun growing this
wonderful small tree, for all of us to enjoy in our gardens. Again, it’s a
small tree or shrub like tree growing to about 20 feet, with these wonderful
5-6 inch long shiny green leaves, that turn an outstanding orange and red in
the fall, and, of course, these absolutely gorgeous slightly fragrant white
flowers with yellow centers, that appear July and into early September.
By the way, the
Franklinia tree was named after Mr. Bartram’s good friend, Benjamin
Franklin. Evodia and Franklinia…2 very unusual smaller trees for your
garden…harder to find but well worth the hunt. |
