You all know that my favorite flowering tree is the 'Kousa' sogwood, but what tree do you think is number two? The number two tree is the sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum). It would be number one, if only more nurseries carried it. I first saw this tree growing in a yard in Cohasset, Massachusetts my first summer home from college. I stopped the car and got out to get a better look at this unusual-looking tree.

It was early July and the tree was covered with large clusters of white flowers. The flower cluster was different, because each stem of the cluster grew horizontal--not drooping like most plants. The small white bell-shaped flowers seem to hang from these ridged stems, evenly spaced on the stem. The flowers looked like lilies of the valley. The stems numbered 10 or more to make up the cluster and each stem had 6 to 12 flowers on it. The flower stems that held the flowers were also white--like the flowers.

The flowers opened from the middle of the flower cluster, working their way to the tips. When looking at the flower cluster I saw faded flowers with white pods, flowers in bloom and buds to open in the days to come. It was just beautiful; the foliage was shiny dark green and clean-looking like a flowering pear tree--this made the flowers stand out even more. Another quality for this tree was that the flowers were fragrant!

I went straight home, took out my books from school at University of Massachusetts, The Stockbridge School of Agriculture, and began to search for this tree. In my prized landscaping book, Dirr's Hardy Trees And Shrubs, I found it and read all about it. There were more qualities of this tree listed, and as the weeks passed I travelled to the tree to see those changes. Those flowers faded, but the flower clusters seemed to stay just as beautiful as when they were in full bloom weeks earlier. I had to see what was going on, so I got out of the car again and walked to the tree. I found the faded flowers had changed to white pods, like tiny peas hanging from the stems. This tree was always in color starting in late June--and it was now August.

When September came, I headed back to school and talked to my teachers about this tree. They told me to go back home in early October and take a new look at this tree, as it would change again. I did, and my teachers were right--the beautiful sourwood tree was now covered with bright red leaves--almost like the burning bush. The clusters of white pods were now drooping clusters; as the berries filled out, the weight made the clusters droop down, so they were no longer horizontal on the plant. As the cold weather came, the color of the pods changed to brown and they lasted most of the winter on the tree. The leaves were oval--4 to 8 inches long, and stayed bright and shiny even when they changed from dark green to red in the fall.

The sourwood will grow to 25 to 30 tall and up to 20 feet wide. It loves to grow with evergreen trees in the background for winter protection and to show off its color. Like the dogwood it will grow best in partial shade. If you think you would like this tree, visit your local nursery during the winter and see if they can order it for you. When we bought our first house, I planted a sourwood tree on the end of the house in place of a dogwood. The neighbors loved it and were jealous that they did not have one.

Let me tell you about a beautiful flower tree that most of you do not know much about but will fall in love with once you see it. This tree is called the European mountain ash (commonly known in Europe as the rowan). It will grow to 35 to 50 feet tall and 25 to 40 feet wide. There are other varieties but this one is the best of its type. When young this tree tends to grow erect and oval. As it ages, the branches spread out and fill in. It will grow anywhere in New England, as it will adapt to those climates easily.

Select a site with full sun and give it room to grow. The European mountain ash will grow best in a soil that is well drained, with no standing water. It prefers moist soils during the growing season but not sandy, as low soil moisture will slow down the growth and keep the tree smaller.

In the spring, the tips of most of the branches will produce clusters of small white flowers. The flower cluster will be 3 to 6 inches wide, each cluster containing 25 to 50 or more of the flowers. When the wind and insects do their job of pollinating properly, you will be treated to small fruit the size of a pea. Early in the summer, the fruit is green and in the fall season the fruit quickly changes to bright orange. The weight of the fruit tends to make the branch bend to show you the fruit better. With a little bit of luck you will get to enjoy the fruit on the tree until Thanksgiving. The birds love the fruit and it is common to hear flocks of birds on the tree eating the feast of wonder orange fruit. Waxwings and robins love this fruit. My grandfather told me many years ago that the fruit on this tree was cherished during the days of Prohibition. He told me how he and friends used to make a fine liquor in the basement in those days.

The foliage is also unique, as the leaf has a center stem 6 to 10 inches long and contains 11 to 17 small leaflets that are arranged opposite each other on this stem. The leaflets are one and half inches, long with a wavy edges. The leaflets are bluish green and the underside is somewhat hairy. The trunk is smooth when young, becoming scaly and rough as it ages. In the winter, the buds on tip of the branches are very noticeable and are hairy and whitish--almost like a pussy willow.

When planted in a row, 20 feet apart between trees, they will make a great windbreak or barrier. But the best part of this tree is that disease problems of the foliage are rare. Unlike the flowering crabapple that has great color in the spring, but quickly develops spotted foliage in June, the European mountain ash has no such problems. Clean foliage all year and no spraying! To keep the tree healthy and growing properly, fertilize the tree each spring with organic slow-release fertilizer such as Plant-Tone or Tree-Tone. Use one pound of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter. Make holes in the ground about 6 inches deep with a crowbar and place a hand full of fertilizer in each hole. Make the holes at the drip line or near the tips of the branches in your lawn. Space holes 12 to 18 inches apart and if more holes are needed make another circle of holes under the tree moving closer to the trunk.

Plant the tree with a lot of compost and animal manure and then stake the first year after planting. Also make a 3 ft. wide mulch bed around the tree to prevent damaging the trunk when mowing the lawn. Plant flowers around the tree, and that will insure that you keep it well watered that first year.  Enjoy!

Many years ago, I took a group of radio listeners on a tour of Italy. One garden we all anticipated was the home of Dictator Mussolini, where we were to see the gardens and property. The property was just beautiful, the gardens outstanding, but a single tree caught everyone's attention. The tree was a tricolor purple beech and this sunny day it was magnificent. The sun was right behind it and the tree seemed to be lit up like at Christmas tree with wonderful purple and pink variegated leaves. The tree was at the back of the property and a good walk but we all walked towards the tree with amazement.

The tree was densely branched and you could see the branching structure like a skeleton holding the leaves. The bark is silvery-gray and as smooth as stone from the trunk to the tip of the branches. The tree grew upright but had many horizontal branches filled with brightly colored leaves on the tips of the branches. When standing under the tree you have the feeling of being under a tent, because the inside branches have no leaves except on the tips. The young leaves, when first open, are purple-red in the spring and early summer. As they begin to mature, streaks of cream and pink color begin to develop on the leaf margins. The variegation is brighter when planted in an area with bright sunshine. In shaded areas, you see less color and more purple.

This tree is a member of the European Beech family and is found all over Europe and the northern half of the United States. When mature, the branches will touch the ground and have a rounded appearance; when the tree is young, the look is more oval. These elegant trees have leaves that are 2 to 4 inches long, oval with a point on end. The margins of the leaves are also wavy. Beech trees will hold the leaves late into the fall. With the cold weather, they slowly turn golden brown. When the tree is leafless during the winter the silvery-gray bark stands out in the winter landscape. They will grow 50 feet tall and just as wide in warmer climates; for us in New England they will be a bit smaller.

When we got home from Italy, my wife Christine--who never asked for much in the garden--wanted the tricolor beech for our yard. We searched for the tree in several nurseries and finally found one at a larger nursery in the Portland, Maine area. We planted the tree in the middle of the back yard where the tree could be enjoyed from our back deck during the summer and kitchen window during the winter. The tricolor beech is not fast-growing, so we placed it in a fishpond garden as a focal plant surrounded with many other variegated and red-leafed plants. It has been growing about six inches a year now and on those sunny days of July and August it reminds of our trip to Italy.

There are many varieties of beech, many growing wild all through New England. The bark color, late ability to hold on the leaves in the fall, and the length of its life in the forest will make this tree family one to plant in your yard. Beeches are strong-growing trees and can live well over 100 years. Whether the tree is green, purple or tricolor, it will be a show plant in your landscape. If you like unusual, look for the weeping beech at your favorite large nursery or ask if they can get this tree for you. Enjoy!