What is Wrong with This Picture? Tom Hugging Velvet Touch™ Russian Olive Eleagnus angustifolia (Russian Olive) has two monstrous strikes against it. 1) It is naturally, dangerously throny. The 2-3 inch daggers at each leaf node slices and dices skin very nicely. Makes for a very good barrier if you don't like your neighbors cutting through your property. 2) It is rapidly showing up on many invasive species lists across the country. Rightly so -…

Humming Bird hovering over flower of Flame Mimosa (Fan Silk Albizia) Last week I walked a part of the Budwood Orchard to check out some new trees in our evaluation block. A few rows over, the bright red blooms of the Fan Silk Albizia (Flame Mimosa) caught my eye. I find these trees really attractive I am always attracted to the blooms and the silky soft looking foliage. I took a detour to enjoy the…

Purple Robe Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia 'Purple Robe') Saturday evening as I was taking my beautiful Bride to dinner, we drove by this stunning tree just a block away from our home. Now I've photographed this tree in prior years - actually several times as it keeps growing up. What was special about Saturday was the spectacular lighting (remember I am a photographer and lighting is king!). The early evening sun was spotlighting it perfectly and…

Lavender Twist® Redbud Cercis canadensis 'Covey' GM David Cox showing freshly dug Lavender Twist® Redbud Cercis canadensis 'Covey' is a tree I like which is still under used in the landscape. The main feature is the form - weeping which gives it character all season long - especially when dormant in the winter. Spring Bloom - Cercis canadensis 'Covey' This year's crop is well sized and there are some still available. Ron Ludekens 12-16-11

Rows of Lavender Twist® Redbuds James Shao braved the 105 degree heat today to photograph the Lavender Twist® Redbuds (Cercis canadensis 'Covey') in our production field for one of his customers. I thought we might as well share the images with everyone else too. They have good size already this early in the season so harvest size should be very nice again this year. Last fall we took some field shots when they were dormant…

Weeping Pussy Willow I wanted to show you the Weeping Pussy Willow (Salix caprea 'Pendula'). Until this year, we grew them in a two year field and I think the general consensus was they were too light of a caliper even though shaped nice. Phillip holding Weeping Pussy Willow from 3 year field This year and from now on, they are being grown in a three year field. Take a look at this representative sample…

Cercis canadensis 'Covey' - Lavender Twist® Redbud Field Shots   I had a request last week to show what the Lavender Twist Redbuds (Cercis canadensis 'Covey') looked like in the production field. Between rain, fog and being swamped in the office (no the roof is not leaking - just a desk buried in paperwork) I did not get out until this afternoon. Besides I needed a sanity break - or the office needed a break…

a.k.a. Chaste Tree, Monk's Pepper, Chaste Berry, Sage Tree, Hemp Tree When I was asked to consider growing Vitex not all that many years ago, I confess I had to look it up. As I read various descriptions, the feature that jumped out at me was the very wide range of climates that this large shrub/small tree grew well in. I remember reading that it had a range from Washington State to the Desert Southwest…