Plants In Bloom

At the north end of Pemi Hall is an Amur Maackia {Maackia amurensis} in bloom with short spikes of white flowers.  These flowers browned up very quickly in last week’s heat wave.  This tree is not seen very often in our landscapes, it has attractive bronze colored bark that shines, especially when wet.

Amur Maackia

In the garden on the north side of Prospect Hall is a Sourwood {Oxydendron arboreum} tree that is blooming with pendulous panicles of white bell shaped flowers beginning to open.  This tree has excellent bright green summer foliage, fabulous deep red fall foliage and its seed heads also have a pendulous habit to create multiple seasons of interest.  In the same bed are a few Rosebay Rhododendrons {R. maximum} with white flower clusters held above their long evergreen foliage.  This is the species of Rhododendron that was a large part of the understory of southern New Hampshire’s forests and is well preserved in Rhododendron Sate Park in Fitzwilliam, N.H.  On High St. at the entrance to the parking lot at the north end of the Silver Center is a Silver Linden {Tilia tomentosa} in bloom with small yellow flowers.  I find the silver undersides of the leaves of more interest than the flowers [and where the plant gets its common name].  The ‘Shoshoni’ Viburnum {V. plicatum f. tomentosum ‘Soshoni’} of the May 24 entry is now accented by its red fruit and is very attractive for a second season of interest.  In front of the Facilities Services Building are three Plumleaf Azaleas {Rhododendron prunifolia} with reddish flowers on plants that are now over six feet tall.  A very nice addition to the garden when many shrubs are no longer in bloom.

Along the north side of the HUB Snackbar are four Korean Stewartia {S. koreana} coming into bloom with three inch white flowers opening to reveal yellow stamens.  The flowering will last up to four weeks depending on how warm it is.  The trunks are developing very handsome mottled bark with shades of white, gray and brown.  The summer foliage is dark green and the fall foliage is outstanding with shades of orange and red.  Truly a four season ornamental.  In front of the Russell House on Highland St. are several beds of ‘Anthony Waterer’ Spiraea {S. x bumalda ‘Anthony Waterer’} with carmine-pink flat topped flower clusters that will last several weeks.  The foliage will turn an attractive purplish red before dropping in October to reveal a very twiggy habit.

On the west side of the Hogan House {Health Services} on Merrill Street is our oldest Japanese Tree Lilac {Syringa reticulata} with large panicles of cream colored flowers. T his is considered the most trouble free of all Lilacs and is an excellent choice for a small tree.  In front of the Russell House by Highland St. are beds of ‘Goldflame’ Spiraea {S. x bumalda ‘Goldflame’} that have greenish-yellow foliage and many flower clusters of pink flowers.  When the new growth emerges in the spring the colors are a brilliant combination of orange and red.  In front of Prospect Hall is a large mass of ‘Henry’s Garnet’ Sweetspire {Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet} that has small white flower spikes emerging.  This spreading shrub is at its best in the fall, having excellent deep red fall foliage that lasts well into November.

On the south side of the Ellen Reed House, under the ‘Varied Directions’ Larch {Larix decidua ‘Varied Directions’} is a groundcover of ‘Weihenstephaner Gold’ Sedum {S. x ‘Weihenstephaner Gold’} that has yellow flowers above its succulent evergreen foliage.  We often get a second lesser bloom after the seed heads are removed.  At the southwest corner of the Ellen Reed House is an ‘Erie’ Viburnum {V. dilatatum ‘Erie’} in full bloom with large six inch clusters of white flowers above lustrous green foliage.  Later in the summer there will be a large amount of small red fruit, also in clusters, as well as beautiful mahogany brown fall foliage.  In the garden on the north side of Memorial Hall are two Flame Azaleas {Rhododendron calendulaceum}, one has yellow flowers and the other has orange flowers.  This native species has flowers in many different shades of yellow orange and red.  This species is used in hybridizing and is a parent of the Ghent hybrids.  Above the Yews {Taxus sp.} along Highland St. in front of Belknap Hall is a ‘Tricolor’ European Beech {Fagus sylvatica ‘Roseomarginata’} with purple foliage that has an irregular border of pink and white.  This plant needs high shade to keep the leaf margins from scorching in hot, dry weather.

In the islands between the parking lots of the Athletic Center are several Amur Maples {Acer tataricum ginnala} that are blooming with clusters of small yellowish fragrant flowers.  These flowers will yield colorful red seeds in August that will dry to an attractive silver late in the fall.  The summer foliage is a rich deep green and it has great yellow, orange and red fall foliage.  Unfortunately it suckers and seeds itself with abandon.

Amur Maples

On the east side of the HUB is a protected bed with Drooping Leucothoe {L. fontanesiana} in bloom.  This evergreen shrub has cream colored flowers hanging from its pendulous branches.  As long as it is protected from the winter sun it will thrive.  On the retaining wall on the west side of the parking lot at the north end of the Silver Center is a wonderful planting of Climbing Hydrangea {H. anomala petiolaris} with large clusters of white flowers beginning to open.  The leaves are bright green and they hide the attractive cinnamon colored stems that are visible after the leaves drop each fall.  Just past the stairs that come down from Grafton Hall on High St is a new group of three ‘Satomi’ Kousa Dogwoods {Cornus kousa ‘Satomi’} that have white bracts edged in pink.  The flowers will be followed by pink fruit in August.  Along the west side of the Speare Hall Annex are several Frernch Hybrid Lilacs {Syringa x sp.} that have fragrant flower clusters from white to pink.

In front of Prospect Hall is a ‘Winter King’ Hawthorn {Crataegus viridis ‘Winter King’} in bloom with clusters of white flowers.  The flowers will be followed by very attractive red fruit that remains effective well into winter.  This tree develops a strong horizontal branching structure that is especially noticeable in winter when the leaves have dropped and the fruit has turned red.  There is another fine example of this tree at the southwest corner of the HUB opposite the Robert Frost House.  Along the west side of the HUB are several redbudded hybrid Mountain Laurels {Kalmia latifolia} that are coming into bloom with clusters of red flower buds.  These will open to reveal flowers in different shades of pink and red.  These hybrids have an extended period of interest because of the color of their buds in comparison to our native Mountain Laurel.  This is a wonderful improvement for this fabulous evergreen shrub.

At the southwest corner of the Counseling Center is an Oyama Magnolia {M. sieboldi} with pendulous flower buds that open to reveal bright pink stamens.  The buds look like hanging eggs before they open.  Very different from our other Magnolia species.  Opposite this planting against the wall of Hyde Hall is a young Fringetree {Chionanthus virginicus} with fleecy white flowers.  The flowers are often followed by small, blue, egg shaped fruit.  On the north side of the wall near the main entrance to Rounds Hall are three of ‘Weston’s Pink Diamond’ Rhododendrons {R. x ‘Weston’s Pink Diamond’} in bloom with large pink flower trusses.  There is a certain sparkle in these flowers that helped name this variety.  At the northwest corner of Human Resources is a ‘Shoshoni’ Viburnum {V. plicatum f. tomentosum ‘Shoshoni’} that is covered in white flower clusters whose stems turn red to support red fruit.  A very colorful shrub with multiple seasons of interest.  This is a seedling of the previously mentioned ‘Shasta’ Viburnum and will mature in a smaller size.

Along the north side of the HUB is a group of Catawba Rhododendrons coming into bloom with large trusses of deep red flowers above the evergreen foliage.  This species comes in many flower colors from white to pink to deep purple.  At the northeast corner of Speare Hall is a planting of Highbush Blueberries {Vaccinium corybosum} that have cream colored bell shaped flowers, followed by lush green foliage, great red fall foliage and of course wonderful edible fruit in July.  Our finest example of an edible ornamental.  In the bed next to our new Veteran’s Memorial there is a Japanese Snowball Viburnum {V. plicatum plicatum} that has sphere like clusters of white flowers.  These flowers open in a light green color and mature to white.