My husband bought it as a beautiful tree in the summer of 2007. We planted it in a spot sheltered on three sides by our house, a fence and a boxwood hedge. The downside to all of this is its proximity to a silver maple, a tree notorious for its moisture-hogging nature.
I won't lament its placement. It's really doing just fine. Time will tell whether or not it will recover from the brutal removal of its main stem. The year it died the tree also was attacked by borers. We've been babying it a bit, providing time-release fertilizer, a layer of organic mulch each season, and supplemental water during drought.
I can't help thinking, no wonder it hasn't been seen in the wild since 1803. Learn more about the Franklinia, which was discovered by American botanists John and William Bartram in 1765.
Cotinus c. 'Royal Purple' |
Cotinus x 'Grace' |
At left is 'Grace'; at right, 'Royal Purple' |
I keep them small by pruning them down by about two thirds each spring. This also creates a "smoke-free" plant, but it's a small sacrifice to keep them from getting too big.
Azalea 'Karen' |
Making its home at the feet of a speck of woods consisting of mostly pin oaks (Quercus palustris), Azalea 'Karen' is quite happy, otherwise.
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