All the Dirt on Gardening

American Beautyberry shrub is a native, American shrub in the Verbena plant family. Their native range is primarily in USDA growing zones 7 to 9. Since they do best in such a narrow range, they have not become a widely promoted or planted shrub. Beautyberries are naturalized in moist woodlands from southern Maryland to NC and from OK to Mexico.  When they are planted in colder areas, such as St. Louis, they die to the ground in the winter. American Beautyberry flowers in June There are over a thousand other plants in the Verbenaceae family including all the verbenas, vervains, and lantanas. American Beautyberry takes its time growing into the mature size of 3 to 6 feet tall and wide, or more.  The summertime flowers are small, pink-white, clusters that pollinators are drawn to. After the flowers fade the loose-stemmed shrub has arching stems of mid-green leaves that provide a backdrop for summer flowers.  In the fall, all of those clusters of pollinat...

Now that summer is waning and fall planting season is here, Oklahoma State University Extension Specialist, Mike Schnelle, has advice for homeownersabout which trees and shrubs could be good choices for our area. “Wait through this winter before you decide to remove a leafless tree in your yard and replace it,” Schnelle said. “The drought has put many trees into early dormancy. They may still be alive and could leaf out next spring.” The unusual weather of the past two summers has taken its toll on some of the most rugged native plants and Schnelle acknowledged that native shrubs and trees had to be watered this year to keep them looking their best. “The best trees under the worst stress can be vulnerable to insects and diseases,” said Schnelle. “But, with that said, there are several plants to recommend that require no chemical insecticides or pesticides.” One superior small tree is the Oklahoma Redbud (Cercis canadensis), a grafted tree with lavender spring flowe...