Plants of Week: October 17

Tucked along a pathway in the John W. Nason Garden, one is most likely to first experience the fragrance of Clethra tomentosa ‘Cottondale’ before meeting the plant. A cultivar selected from our native woolly summersweet, C. tomentosa ‘Cottondale’ bears long, pendulous racemes of fragrant white flowers and serrated leaves covered in fine hairs which lend a gray cast to the plant. Provide full to partial sun in a moist site for optimal growth. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Hickories can always be counted on to lend vibrant shades of yellow to the autumn landscape. Carya ovata, the shagbark hickory, is no exception. The common name shagbark is derived from the shaggy, peeling bark found on mature trees. The large deciduous tree, which can reach well over 100’, is native to the eastern United States and southern Canada.  Photo credit: J. Coceano

Sorbus alnifolia, located between Willets and the Biostream, is loaded with a spectacular fruit display. Also known as the Korean mountain ash, S. alnifolia is a small tree reaching 50’ and is popular for its creamy white corymbs, fall color, and pink fruits that persist through the winter months. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Clematis ‘Edo Murasaki’ mixes and mingles with Campsis grandiflora ‘Morning Calm’ and Clematis ‘John Warren’ on an upright wooden beam in the Cosby Courtyard. Six to 8-inch velvety purple blooms appear in May and June, then again in September and October. Photo credit: J. Coceano