Potting small bare root tree and shrub seedlings in a compost mixture allows you to nurture them with some tender loving care in your home nursery at least through the summer. The extra attention they’ll get allows you to plant them as larger specimens this autumn or thereafter. We’ve found that giving native species this quick head start in the nursery significantly improves their survival rate in the field.
If you’ve ever worked in a plant nursery at this time of year, you’ve certainly heard this inquiry from customers looking for something unique, “What is that little tree with the pink-purple blooms that’s flowering right now along the edge of the woods?” It’s the Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis), also known as the Judas Tree, a spectacular species for inclusion in garden landscapes, along forest edges, or as part of a vegetated riparian buffer. In coming weeks, the showy blossoms, which pollinators adore, will give way to an abundance of handsome heart-shaped leaves. The northern edge of the native range for this member of the legume (pea) family happens to include the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed, so it does quite well here. Because the Eastern Redbud only grows to a height of twenty to thirty feet, it can be planted near homes and other buildings. It would make a great choice for your Arbor Day project this Friday, April 29.
