Eucalyptus trees are native to Australia, Tasmania, and nearby islands, where they comprise the dominant tree genus across most of the continent. Of approximately 700 species in the genus, none is native to the Americas. The story of how eucalyptus arrived in California begins in the Gold Rush era of the 1850s, when Australian ships…
The northern red oak (Quercus rubra) is one of the most widely planted and ecologically important native trees in North America. It is fast-growing for an oak, brilliantly colored in autumn, and capable of supporting more forms of wildlife than almost any other tree on the continent. But it is not without its challenges. It…
When it comes to planting Green Giant arborvitae, most gardeners focus on the wrong things first. They think about soil, fertilizer, watering schedules, and whether the nursery tag looks right. Those things matter. But spacing is the single most consequential decision in the entire planting process — and it is the one mistake you simply…
Walk into any nursery in North America and you are almost guaranteed to find both of them — Emerald Green arborvitae and Green Giant arborvitae — standing side by side, looking remarkably similar at first glance. Both are evergreens. Both form tidy, cone-shaped columns. Both are widely used for privacy screens and hedges. And yet,…
If you have walked through a spring garden and stopped to stare at a small tree covered in deep purple-red blooms, chances are you were looking at a Jane magnolia. This compact, deciduous tree is part of the famous “Little Girl” hybrid series developed by the U.S. National Arboretum in the 1950s and 1960s. It…
The dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) is one of the most remarkable trees in the world. Scientists once believed it had been extinct for millions of years. Then, in 1944, living specimens were discovered in a remote valley in China. That discovery sent shockwaves through the botanical community — and rightly so. Today, the dawn redwood…
Magnolias are among the oldest flowering plants on Earth. Records suggest they existed over 95 million years ago — long before bees evolved. Their flowers were designed to attract beetles instead. Today, there are over 200 recognized species in the Magnoliaceae family. They range from compact shrubs to towering trees. Some are evergreen; others are…
There are trees you plant for shade, trees you plant for fruit, and then there are trees you plant simply. The paperbark maple is firmly in that last category. Its peeling cinnamon-red bark is unlike anything else in the garden and impossible to ignore in every season in between. If you are looking for a…
Some trees earn their place in a garden through visual drama. Others earn it through rarity, or size, or historical significance. The katsura tree earns its place through something altogether more unexpected: it smells like burnt sugar and caramel on a warm autumn day. Walk past a katsura in October, when its heart-shaped leaves are…
There is a moment in October, high in the Alps or the Carpathians, when something unexpected happens. The conifer forests — dark green and seemingly unchanging — suddenly burst into gold. It is not the broad-leaved trees doing this. It is the larches. The European larch (Larix decidua) is one of the most extraordinary trees…