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Current Plant Highlights

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November

Ilex pedunculosa

Ilex verticillata

Hamamelis virginiana

Pseudolarix amabilis

Berberis x gladwynensis ‘William Penn’

Lindera angustifolia

When Charles Sprague Sargent, the Arboretum's first director, discovered Ilex pedunculosa, longstalk holly, in Japan, he was surprised to learn that it was not cultivated as an ornamental. Recognizing the plant's potential, he returned to the Arboretum with seed and introduced the plant in 1892. Unlike those of some of its relatives, longstalk holly's leaves have smooth margins rather than spines. The bright red fruits are held above the leaves on two-inch-long stalks, hence the common name. This is one of the hardiest of the red-fruited, evergreen hollies. Longstalk holly is located in front and to the north of the Hunnewell Building.

Ilex verticillata, winterberry, is another holly, but unlike the longstalk, it loses its leaves in winter. Even so, winter is its most attractive season since its profuse, bright red fruits often remain well into the cold months, offering a jolt of color just when it is needed. Native to swampy areas, winterberry also does well on drier sites. A large specimen of winterberry is located on the east side of Meadow Road just past the Hunnewell Building.

One of the latest plants to flower in the Arboretum, Hamamelis virginiana, the common witchhazel, comes into bloom in November. Its fragrant, yellow flowers consist of four strap-like petals united by a reddish-brown center. In fall, the foliage turns a brilliant yellow that competes with the flowers for attention. The astringent we call witchhazel is prepared from the bark of stems and roots of this plant. Witchhazel can be found near the Centre Street Gate on the east side of Valley Road.

Pseudolarix amabilis, the golden larch, is spectacular in the fall, when the blue-green needles of summer turn a clear, golden yellow. Unfortunately, the show is relatively brief: the needles may fall within one to two weeks of turning. Golden larch is located just inside and to the left of the Walter Street Gate.

Berberis x gladwynensis 'William Penn' is a cross between B. gagnepainii and B. verruculosa. This hardy barberry is low growing and moundlike in habit and makes a wonderful groundcover when planted in masses. The lustrous, evergreen leaves are also ornamental throughout the year, especially in autumn and winter when they become a deep purple-red suffused with bits of yellow and orange. In spring, the greenish-yellow flowers are a welcome sight, densely blanketing the shrubs. Masses of this hybrid can be seen on each side of the steps leading up to the Hunnewell Building.

Betula uber, the roundleaf birch, is a very rare plant not only in cultivation but also in the wild. In fact, more plants may be growing in cultivation than in the wild; it is a federally protected species that occurs only in a single patch in Smyth County, Virginia. In the autumn, the small, rounded leaves become a deep golden yellow. Roundleaf birch is closely related to B. lenta, the sweet birch, and is regarded by some taxonomists as a subspecies of the sweet birch. Several trees of this species can be found in the birch collection, close to the curve of Bussey Hill Road.

Lindera angustifolia, a spicebush from Asia, is particularly showy at this time of year. It is a large, spreading shrub with lustrous, bright green leaves that become a brilliant apricot to orange-red in the autumn. However, unlike most other deciduous plants, this species does not shed its leaves at the end of the growing season; the foliage persists throughout the autumn and into winter, adding cold-weather interest. Though not very showy, the shiny black fruits are also noticeable in autumn. An example can be found among the other spicebushes along Bussey Hill Road, across from the lilacs.