Plants of the Week – April 9

Chartreuse foliage adds pop to the garden! One plant that lends golden coloration in the Terry Shane Teaching Garden is Dicentra spectabilis ‘Gold Heart’. The clump-forming perennial creates a mound of graceful fern-like foliage 24 inches tall by 36 inches wide. Racemes of nodding, heart-shaped flowers, typical of the species, are held within and above the foliage. Foliage goes dormant during the summer months.  Photo credit: J. Coceano

Magnolia ‘Judy Zuk’, named in honor of the former director of the Scott Arboretum, is in bloom on Parrish Lawn near Old Tarble. The cultivar develops into an upright tree averaging 20-30 feet in height. Fragrant yellow flowers are blushed with soft apricot tones along the lower half of the tepals. Such attributes help Magnolia ‘Judy Zuk’ stand out amid the crowd of yellow magnolias. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Can you identify the flowers of this native plant? Take a guess before reading the description. The monoecious reddish-brown flowers belong to Asimina triloba. Often known as pawpaw, A. triloba is native to the Eastern, Southern, and Midwestern United States. Interestingly the fruit of asimina is the largest edible fruit indigenous to the United States. Photo credit: J. Coceano

The white flowers of Cercis canadensis ‘Alba’ are a different twist on the native Eastern redbud. Redbuds are perhaps best known for their profusion of pink pea-like flowers. The small tree, growing near Alice Paul Residence Hall, is ideal for the home landscape and works particularly well when several are grouped together. Photo credit: J. Coceano