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Big Shrubbery or Small Trees

Pittosporum undulatum is a large shrub that can become a small tree.

            Shrubbery behaving badly can be a problem. Many seemingly innocuous shrubs get planted in situations where they do not fit, and soon get too big for the space available. Others do not get shorn or pruned as they should, or simply get neglected, and eventually get overgrown. Many others have sneaky ways of sowing their seeds in awkward places where they would not otherwise get planted by anyone who knows better.

            Most home improvement shows on television would simply recommend removing obtrusive, overgrown or inappropriate shrubbery and replacing it with something more proportionate, appropriate and stylish. What a waste! Hidden within overgrown shrubbery, there are sometimes potentially appealing small trees that only need to be released from thickets of overgrowth.

            Overgrown Australian tea tree, sweet olive (Osmanthus fragrans), xylosma, glossy privet, ‘Majestic Beauty’ Indian hawthorn, and larger types of oleander, holly, pittosporum, cotoneaster and juniper are often easily salvaged by aggressive selective pruning rather than indiscriminate pruning for confinement. Lower growth that has become obtrusive, disfigured or otherwise unappealing can be thinned or removed to expose substantial sculptural trunks within. Upper growth that is out of the way can be left intact or thinned as necessary, but should not shorn or pruned indiscriminately. This creates informal small trees with distinctive trunks from what had been overgrown shrubbery.

            Some shrubbery may need some time to grow out of its former confinement, and may be somewhat unsightly during the process. As they develop though, they should require less maintenance, since most of their growth should be up out of the way instead of where it is in constant need of pruning for confinement. 

            Many small trees that often get shorn into shrubbery would similarly do better with selective pruning to enhance natural branch structure and eliminate congested thicket growth. Japanese maples, redbuds, smoke tree, English hawthorn, crape myrtle, parrotia, loquat, strawberry tree, Pittosporum undulatum, and small types of magnolias, acacias, and yew pines (Podocarpus spp.) are notorious for getting shorn into unmanageable shrubbery. Pineapple guava, photinia, toyon, hop bush, larger types of bottlebrush and smaller types of melaleucas are more conducive to being shorn and pruned as large shrubbery, or can be pruned into small trees if preferred.

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Cotoneaster

Cotoneaster berries can be as colorful as hawthorn berries, but with evergreen foliage.

            Unlike the more popular low growing cotoneasters that are grown as groundcover, the large Cotoneaster lacteus can be grown as large informal hedges or small sculptural trees with multiple trunks. Their limber arching branches can get more than eight feet high and broad. Cotoneaster lacteus are at their best where they have space to grow wild and unshorn, since indiscriminate pruning deprives them of their naturally graceful form; although selective pruning of lower growth exposes trunks and enhances the forms of those grown as small trees. Once established, they do not need much attention or watering anyway.

            Abundant two inch wide clusters of small white flowers in spring are not remarkably showy, but develop into comparably abundant clusters of bright red berries in autumn and winter, much to the delight of overwintering birds. The simple two inch long leaves of Cotoneaster lacteus have pale green and slightly tomentose (fuzzy) undersides.

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Horridculture – Queen Nefertiti

Ancient Egyptian influence within a modern landscape

Queen Nefertiti, during the fourteenth century BC, was the most famous and most influential Queen of Ancient Egypt. She wore a cool hat too. It was sort of cylindrical shaped, but also tapered so that it was wider on top, sort of like a funnel. So, not only was Queen Nefertiti very influential during her time, but she remains influential in modern mow, blow and go gardening. So-called ‘gardeners’ everywhere still shear shrubbery into the shape of Queen Nefertiti’s cool hat! Not many species of shrubbery are exempt. Just about any get shorn into a sort of cylinder shape that is wider on top, sort of like a funnel, but also tilted in one direction or another, just like Queen Nefertiti’s hat tilts toward the back. Such shearing typically deprives blooming shrubbery of its bloom, but bloom is apparently not a priority, as long as the ancient Egyptian form is maintained. The picture above includes four oleanders, a Texas sage and what seems to be two trailing lantana. The Texas sage and trailing lantana are more cylindrical than hat shaped, but the hat shape of the three oleanders is impossible to deny. It is such a universal technique that is performed so precisely wherever vegetation is maintained by mow, blow and go gardeners that it seems to be taught in classes as standard procedure. I am significantly more educated in horticulture than most mow, blow and go ‘gardeners’, but I somehow missed this in my curriculum. Instead, I learned that vegetation should be allowed to exhibit its natural attributes, such as form, texture, bloom and so on. If I wanted a herd of ancient Egyptian hats in my garden, I would probably construct something that resembled ancient Egyptian hats from an inert material that never needs shearing or irrigation.

the Original
a modern version of an ancient Egyptian fashion show
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Dwarf Alberta Spruce

Dwarf Alberta spruce is more like a strictly conical shrub than a small tree.

Unlike other related white spruce, which get more than fifty feet tall, dwarf Alberta spruce, Picea glauca albertiana ‘Conica’, stays smaller than its Latin name, rarely getting more than seven feet tall. It is so dense and conical that it should never need to be pruned. Shearing only damages its short light green to grayish green needles. Dwarf Alberta spruce is compact enough to live in large tubs or urns, as long as its sensitive roots are well insulated. (Concrete or wooden planters are well insulated, so do not transfer too much heat to the roots within. Ivy or ground cover cascading over and shading planters also helps.) Foliage should be sheltered from harsh exposure, since it can be desiccated by warm breezes or reflected glare, like from large windows or light colored south facing walls.

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Tam

The juniper that gives other junipers a bad name.

As much as I like junipers, even I have my limits. The tamarix juniper or tam, Juniperus sabina ‘Tamariscifolia’, is the juniper that gave junipers a bad name decades ago by being too common in too many of the wrong situations, and remains one of the most commonly planted junipers. What I do not like about it is that it is classified as a ‘ground cover’ juniper and can sprawl more than eight feet wide, but actually piles up more than two feet deep! However, I have noticed that it can be practical for certain situations as a ‘sprawling shrub’ instead.

Even without the foliar color or sculptural branch structure of other shrubby junipers, the dense dark green foliage and compact branch structure give the tam its own appeal and practicality. It can be shorn into low informal hedges as frequently as annually. It readily recovers its feathery texture if shorn as the weather starts to get warm in spring. All it wants is sunlight and infrequent but deep watering in summer. 

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Andromeda

Andromeda can be somewhat shade tolerant.

Andromeda might be more familiar by its Latin name of Pieris. A few of its seven species, and a few of their hybrids, are popular for home gardens. All are evergreen shrubs. A few do not grow much taller and wider than three feet. Few can grow a bit more than ten feet tall and wide. In the wild, some might grow as small trees that are almost twenty feet tall.

Andromeda has glossy evergreen foliage. Individual leaves are lanceolate, perhaps with serrated margins. They are between one and three inches long, and half to an inch wide. New growth of most cultivars is as rich cinnamony red as that of photinia. A few cultivars have more pinkish or simple green new growth. A few cultivars are variegated with white.

Andromeda blooms with somewhat pendulous racemes of tiny pendulous flowers. Floral racemes are between two and four inches long. Individual flowers are between a quarter and half an inch long. Most are white. Some are pink. Most have green rachi. Some have pink rachi. Bloom is abundant for the middle of spring. Andromeda prefers partial shade.

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Holly-Leaf Osmanthus

Holly-leaf osmanthus resembles both English holly and Euonymus.

English holly happens to be one of my all time favorite plants, even though it rarely produces the abundant berries that are expected of hollies. Its deep rich green foliage is so glossy and distinctively textured. Because English holly does not mind partial shade, the variegated varieties can add a bit of color where it is too dark for most other plants to bloom. I really do not mind that it is so prickly.

For those who do mind, the holly-leaf osmanthus, Osmanthus heterophyllus (or ilicifolius) is a worthy substitute for English holly that is just as happy with partial shade. The foliage is very similar in appearance, but a bit less glossy, and much less irritating. Holly-leaf osmanthus is sometimes mistaken for English holly, but can be distinguished by its opposite leaves. English holly has alternate leaf arrangement.

Mature holly-leaf osmanthus can get as large as English holly, but rarely does. It is more often less than 10 feet tall and wide, and is somewhat more adaptable to shearing into hedges. ‘Variegatus’, the most popular variety with pale white leaf margins, grows a bit slower and stays more compact, and actually looks better in partial shade than out where it is too exposed. Holly-leaf osmanthus flowers that bloom about now are not much to look at, but produce a delicate fragrance if the weather gets warm.

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flowering maple

Flowering maple should finish bloom soon.

The identities of the many different garden varieties are vague. Most are likely hybrids. A few might be simple species. Some that seem to be hybrids are really cultivars of simple species. Regardless, most flowering maples collectively qualify as Abutilon X hybridum. If all were hybrids, as their name implies, none would generate viable seed, as some do.

Flowering maple can grow somewhat fast, but tends to be lanky if it does so. It should be a bit fuller with slower growth or minor tip pruning. Several cultivars grow no higher than doorknobs, but others reach first floor eaves. Flowering maple demands regular watering and rich soil. It enjoys humid warmth, but may roast in arid heat with harsh sun exposure.

Bloom is sporadic from late spring until frost. The flowers resemble those of hibiscus, but are no more than three inches broad. Most are pastel tints of yellow, orange or pink, with prominently richer veining. Some are red, burgundy red or creamy white. The light green or variegated foliage may get a bit sparse through winter. Foliar lobes are quite variable, or lacking.

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Japanese Garden Juniper

Japanese garden juniper stays relatively low.

With adequate time, this prostrate juniper slowly evolves from ground cover to shrubbery. Japanese garden juniper, Juniperus procumbens, can sprawl more than ten feet. Without obstruction, it might do so without getting higher than a foot. It grows higher as it depletes space to expand, or reaches its maximum width. It may eventually grow a few feet deep.

The evergreen foliage of Japanese garden juniper is elegantly grayish or bluish green. It contrasts splendidly with deep green junipers or other rich green foliage. The tiny leaves display a visually fine texture, but are actually rigid and prickly. New stems are short and somewhat pointy until they widen with new foliage. Foliar density excludes most weeds.

Like most junipers, Japanese garden juniper is challenging to prune. Because foliage is so dense, it does not extend far below its outer surface. Consequently, there is not much growth to prune back to. Exposed inner stems are unlikely to foliate efficiently. Shearing, although effective, temporarily compromises natural form. Frequent light pruning is best. ‘Nana’ is the more compact cultivar.

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Euonymus fortunei

Euonymus fortunei can be shrubby or vining.

Like ivy, Euonymus fortunei creeps along the ground while juvenile, then climbs as a clinging vine where it finds support, and finally produces shrubby adult growth that can bloom and produce seed when it reaches the top of the support. Most cultivars (cultivated varieties) are juvenile plants that make good small scale ground cover that will eventually climb and mature to adulthood if not contained. As vines, they work nicely on concrete walls, but should not be allowed to climb wooden walls or painted surfaces that they can damage with their clinging rootlets. Cultivars that are grown from cuttings of adult growth are strictly shrubby.

The finely serrated, paired leaves are about three quarters to two inches long and about a quarter to one inch wide. The most popular cultivars of Euonymus fortunei that are grown for their variegated or yellow foliage do not grow too aggressively or get too large. Those with green, unvariegated foliage can slowly but eventually climb more than three stories high. Docile variegated plants can sometimes revert to unvariegated and become more aggressive. (Reversion is mutation to a more genetically stable state.)