From the US National Arboretum:
Tsuga 'Crossroad'
(Tsuga (caroliniana x chinensis) 'Crossroad')
This is second adelgid-resistant hemlock released by the US National Arboretum to the nursery trade, but with limited availability. 'Crossroad' was specifically bred for resistance to hemlock wooly adelgid, which has devastated stands of native hemlocks since its accidental introduction into the United States.
The tree has an upright, symmetric pyramidal habit and a modest rate of growth, reaching about 36 feet tall and 18 feet wide after 15 years of field growth. It has just a few large green cones that appear in late summer and open to light brown around October.
Use as a specimen tree or for informal screening.
The previous adelgid resistant hemlock, 'Traveler', was released by USNA in 2020. It has slightly weeping branches, reaching 30 feet tall by 18 feet wide, and abundant large cones.
New from Spring Meadow Nursery
Tuff Stuff Top Fun™ Mountain Hydrangea
(Hydrangea serrata 'SMNHSG')
If you like hydrangeas, this is one of the ones you definitely want to plant in your yard. Mountain hydrangeas have evergreen leaves that turn burgundy in autumn, along with re-blooming lace cap flowers from summer into fall. This one has pink to purple blooms and a tidy habit of two to 3.5 feet tall and two to three feet wide. It takes full to part sun, zones 4-9, attracts pollinators, and is heat and salt tolerant as well. What's not to like?
Cedar Rapids™ False Cypress
(Chamaecyparis pisifera 'RutCham1')
This particular false cypress is fast-growing and tall, 30 feet high and 12-15 feet wide. Its feathery foliage is a lime-green color, and it has a dense, pyramidal habit. Great as a specimen or if you plant a few of them, a privacy screen. Evergreen. Zones 4-8, deer resistant.
Berry Box™ Pyracomeles
(Pyracomeles 'NCXP2')
No, this is not a pyracantha, and I have to admit, it's a plant that I don't know. But, it is pyracantha-like, with the addition of little white, showy flowers in spring and vibrant orange-red berries in fall.
It can be used as a front border plant, in a container, or massed for quite a show. It's a heat and drought-tolerant evergreen that's easy to grow. It's 2.5 to 3.5 feet high, two to three feet wide, takes full to part sun, and is hardy in zones 7(6b) -9.
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