Guest Author: Rosemary Grogan, 2019 summer intern
Rosa ‘KORfeining’ (MaxiVitaⓇ Rose)
Rosa ‘KORfeining’ is a perennial shrub that has orange pink blooms during the spring, summer, and occasionally early fall. ‘KORfeining’ can reach up to 60 to 70 cm and spread from 40 to 50 centimeters wide. This floribunda has medium blooms that are semi-double flowered and non fragrant. Floribundas have been around since the early 1900’s and their name suggests their habit. The shrub has abundant flowers and there are usually multiple blooms per stem. Find these roses blooming in the Dean Bond Rose Garden. Photo credit: R. Grogan
Aralia elata ‘Aureovariegata’
Aralia elata (angelica tree) is a small, deciduous tree native to China, Japan, Korea and eastern Russia. In the wild, Aralia elata can grow to a height of 20 to 40 feet tall, while in domestic gardens, the plant is usually seen as a shrub that reaches from 12 to 18 feet high.
The plant has thorny bark, topped with an umbrella of jagged-edged leaves. In August, small white flowers bloom in large panicals near the ends of branches. Clusters of black drupes follow the flowers, which ripen from late summer to early fall. The cultivar ‘Aureovariegata’ is known for its yellow-edged leaflets. Find this unique tree near Kohlberg Hall, bordering the Isabelle Cosby Courtyard. Photo credit: R. Grogan
Euscaphis japonica
Euscaphis japonica is native to valleys, open forests, and thickets in China, Japan and Korea. J.C. Raulston found this tree on the Korean Peninsula while on a U.S. National Arboretum collection expedition in 1985. Raulston brought seeds back to the U.S. to the North Carolina State Arboretum
The name Euscaphis is derived from the Greek words eu meaning good and scaphis meaning a vessel after the shape of the tree’s seed pods. Around this time, the heart-shaped seed pods can be seen, reaching full ripeness from September to October. When at peak ripeness, the bright red pods will split open to reveal small black seeds. You can find this tree adjacent to Beardsley and Trotter Halls. . Photo credit: R. Grogan