by Dan Whitehead 

Many of us are familiar with the Chinese proverb that says “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now”.

Most of us would agree with this wise insight, but so many improvements have been made in tree development over the past two decades that make it possible to now consider asking the question… “Is now the best time to plant a tree?”

We are living in an age of innovation. Over the past 20 years we have seen vast improvements in science, medicine, technology, travel, and communications. Advancements are fueled by those who are willing to identify challenges and see them as opportunities to solve needs. Why should horticulture be any different?

Adaptability is the engine driving new cultivars. Our ability to plant trees capable of thriving in adverse conditions will only improve through new development. Nowhere else is this more evident than in Georgia. The Peach State is leading the way in the development of new nursery tree selections. The following is my insight into three trees new to the nursery industry.

The American hornbeam, a native species in North America, is a small to medium-sized tree that typically reaches heights of 20 to 35 feet. It typically has a rounded canopy and with attractive bark that resembles muscle tissue, giving it the nickname “Musclewood”. The leaves are green in the summer and turn shades of yellow, orange, and red in the fall.

Moon’s Tree Farm found one very unique tree in a group of several other Hornbeam. It had a distinctly upright and narrow branch structure in comparison to all the others with dark green foliage and reddish orange new growth. Clarynette® now offers a native design alternative to its fastigiate European hornbeam cousin.

In the fall of 2015, a grower planted several rows of October Glory® Maple in McDonough, Georgia.  Summertime heat and humidity in this region create significant stress on most Red Maple cultivars.  Much of this has to do with regionality (October Glory® was originally discovered in New Jersey).  

As the trees in this field matured, he noticed a distinct difference in one maple with darker green foliage and a much more vigorous growth rate.  In early November, he saw an intense russet red fall color on this tree.  Evaluations and propagation continued over the next four years.  The comparison of overall health and vitality was distinct.  Samples were taken to the University of Georgia Horticulture Department for genotype analysis with other red maple cultivars to verify the tree’s unique genetics. 

Over the past few years, several nursery growers have added this durable new tree, Red Sky®, to their offerings.  The feedback from growers and landscape contractors has been very positive.                              

This species is found in eastern North America, from southern Maine to northern Florida and southwest into east-central Texas, growing in a wide range of climatic and soil conditions. The tree is extremely tolerant of drought due to its extensive, fibrous root system. In the nursery trade, it has had some difficulty with twig blight and root rot, plus a lack of uniformity due to genetic variation in shape.

This native evergreen was discovered at Jacks Creek Farm, a nursery and Christmas tree farm in Bostwick, Georgia. This greyish-green selection was chosen for its disease resistance and uniformity of shape. One nursery grower contacted me two weeks after taking a direct hit from Hurricane Helene with sustained winds of 95-100 mph for several hours in rain-drenched soils. He told me that he was astounded that in a planting of 150 ‘Jacks Creek’, not one single tree at 10 to 12 ft height leaned even slightly under the adverse conditions. This is truly a remarkable native evergreen selection.