Poliothyrsis sinensis is in full bloom. The deciduous tree, a member of the Flacourtiaceae family, is native to central China.  E.H. Wilson, noted plant collector, first supplied the Arnold Arboretum with seed in 1908.  Three trees, averaging 30 feet in height, are planted around the Cunningham House and Wister Center.  Photo credit: J. Coceano

A 1998 recipient of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal Plant Award, Thuja ‘Green Giant’ is a tightly-pyramidal evergreen.  Adaptable and readily available, ‘Green Giant’ is ideal as a single specimen, grouped to form a screen, or as an anchor to frame a view.  Consider using as a substitute for leyland cypress.  Thuja ‘Green Giant’ will be available at the Scott Associates Plant Sale. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Crape myrtles are tough plants!  Capable of withstanding drought and rarely browsed by deer, they deserve more consideration in the garden. Lagerstroemia faurei ‘Fantasy’, growing along Trotter Hall, is covered in white blooms and produces highly attractive cinnamon-brown bark.  It is one of the first crape myrtles to bloom at the Scott Arboretum. Photo credit: J. Coceano