Ray's Tree Farm
Ray's Tree Farm
Evergreen Giant LiriopeThis group of grass like plants consists of a clumping form of evergreen perennials. They are planted as a groundcover or path edging and the plants do not creep. Leaves range from dark green or variegated to some varieties that have leaves that are so dark that they appear black. The flowers range from white to pale purple. Tall growing, dark green grass-like leaves reaching some 24-30 inches in height. This plant produces violet flower spikes in mid summer. This plant can be used as a tall groundcover, border plant, or accent plant. This variety will take full sun to partial shade.Evergreen ligustrumEvergreen ligustrum shrubs and trees thrive throughout the state. They are widely used as landscape shrubs, hedges, and specimen trees. Many species and cultivars are available with a diversity of leaf colors, leaf forms, and growth habits.All selections are tolerant of heavy pruning which makes them suited for clipped hedges. Because of a rapid growth rate, many require pruning to maintain them within bounds. The white flowers are attractive during late spring and early summer. Indian HawthornIndian Hawthorn is one of the best shrubs that can be easily kept under 3 feet. This robust plant is evergreen, easy to grow, drought tolerant, with ornamental fruits and flowers thrown in as a bonus. This is a great selection for low maintenance plantings.Crape myrtleCrape myrtle provides landscape interest year-round. Flowering begins as early as May in some cultivars and continues into the fall. Each 6- to 18-inch cluster of flowers (or panicle) develops on the tips of new growth and is composed of hundreds of one- to two-inch red, pink, white, lavender, or purple flowers.Crape myrtle is one of our most versatile landscape plants for sunny locations. Breeding and selection programs have resulted in plants of various sizes, shapes, flower colors, fall foliage colors, and bark characteristics. Crape myrtles are available for use as medium trees, small trees, shrubs, groundcovers, container plants, large perennial bedding plants and hanging baskets. Live oakThe live oak of the deep south is a medium size broad tree with a short trunk. It is on the widest domed trees of any other tree and is many time found gracefully laced with grey Spanish moss. It is an evergreen tree that has unlobed, leathery leaves that are rounded at the tip. The edges are often rolled under with a dark shiny green surface. The underside of the leaves are grey and covered with what appears to be fine hairs. The fruits of the live oak are acorns which are around 3\4 inch long. The acorns are narrow and green, becoming deep brown in the paler cups on long stalks. The live oak has both male and female flowers. The male flowers are thin, hanging catkins while the female flowers are small and form at the base of the leaves. Live oaks do well in sandy, moist soil.Bald CypressThe Bald Cypress's straight trunk with numerous ascending branches, and narrow conical outline makes the tree one of considerable beauty. In old age, the tree generally has a broad fluted or buttressed base, a smooth slowly tapering trunk and a broad, open, flat top of a few heavy branches and numerous small branchlets. The original-growth timber attained heights of 80-130 feet and diameters of 8-13 feet. The bark is silvery to cinnamon-red and finely divided by numerous longitudinal fissures. The leaves are about one-third to three-fourths of an inch in length, arranged in feather-like fashion along two sides of small branchlets, which fall in the autumn with the leaves still attached. The fruit is a rounded cone, or ‘ball’ about one inch in diameter, consisting of thick irregular scales. The wood is light, soft, easily worked, varies in color from a light sapwood to dark-brown heartwood. The heartwood is particularly durable in contact with the soil.Wax MyrtleA large evergreen shrub or small tree native to the southeastern United States. It produces grayish white fruit coated with a wax used in candlemaking. The berries ripen in early fall and cling most of the winter. The aromatic dark green leaves, 3-5" long, cling until late fall. Wax Myrtles grow in Zones 7-10. They do best in full sun in sandy, acid (pH 4.5-5.5) well drained soil. Only female plants bear berries, both sexes must be present (1 male to 6-10 females) for fruit production. There is no difference in appearance between the sexes except when berries are present.Copyright 2002 RaysTreeFarm.com |