Glossy AbeliaSemi evergreenSmall, glossy, simple leaf . Green and burgundysmall pink tubular flower2’ – 3’ rounded shape shrub

Japanese Maple expensive

slow growing small tree

palmate leaves, 2 – 3 ‘’ wide and tall

leaves can be red or green

used as an accent plant.

Sugar Maple4- 5” palmate leave

green leaves – orange in the fall

grey bark

helicopter seeds

large, fast growing trees

maple syrup

Japanese Aucuba evergreen shrub

grows in full shade

large leaves with yellow blotches on leaves.

leaves 4 – 8” long and half as wide

Several different varieties with different with patterned yellow blotchesdon’t confuse it with the croton houseplant

Japanese Barberrysmall leaves < 1” long, half as wide

burgundy leaves in spring and summer

no leaves in winter revealing its thorny stems, like barbed wire.

‘crimson pygmy ‘ is a dwarf variety -3’

River Birchmedium sized landscape tree

small serrated, green leaves that turn yellow in fall.

bark peals off like paper revealing a white inner bark.

Butterfly Bushsilver, lance-shapedleaves. fragrant stems

purple flowers that attract butterflies

many varieties, one white flowering variety, and a yellow, but most bloom in shades of blue and purple

Common Boxwoodglossy, simple, small leaf. Smooth edges

oppositely leaf arrangement.

Soft textured - very huggable

distinct fragrance of cat pee. usually grown as a formal, evergreen hedge

Sasanqua Camelliavery showy flowers on a large loosely branched shrub

evergreen leaves – serrated leaf margins

blooms in many different shades of pink, white, and red

blooms in cold months when many things aren’t blooming

Japanese CamelliaEvergreen shrub

Leaves are glossy, serrated leaf margin with black dot “glands” on the serrations used for respiration

Blooms are showy – double flower and single flowers depending on variety. Blooms from fall to spring – some varieties even bloom in winter.

Very similar to sasanqua camellias except the leaves are a larger.

Plum YewA spreading evergreen conifer with fernlike foliage.

Grown for its unique texture.

Tolerates a wide range of conditions

Leaves are stiff and needlelike.

Small fruit on mature plants look like plums.

‘Fastigiata’ is a columnar shaped Plum Yew variety.

Flowering QuinceDeciduous shrub. Scraggly, natural growth habit.

Red flowers emerge before the leaves – early spring. Entire plant is covered.

Fruit looks like a green apple – edible

Stems are thorny

Some varieties bloom white and pink.

Often used in natural areas.

RedbudMedium-sized, broadleaf tree with heart-shaped leaves

Great flower display in early spring. Entire tree is covered with purplish-pink flowers before leaves emerge. Even the trunk can have flowers.

Great fall color – yellow

Large (3” – 4” ) bean pods form in the fall and eventually turn brown and hang onto the tree in the winter months

DogwoodSmall tree with 4-season interest

Silver, flying saucer shaped terminal buds open to be white “flowers” in spring before the leaves emerge.

Flowers are 4-petaled and showy.

Leaves are oppositely arranged on the stem with smooth leaf margins. Often see anthracnose diseased grey spots.

Red fall color. Red, oval berries form in tight clusters and hang on through the winter.

Rock Spray CotoneasterSprawling, semi-evergreen shrub with tiny, oval leaves (1/2” long). Shrub gets 6’ to 8’ wide and 1’ to 2’ tall.

Used as a groundcover and to stabilize steep slopes. Strong, herringbone patterned stems and branches.

Pink or white flowers form on the stems in the spring and red berries in the fall. Fall color is yellow and orange.

Scraggly looking in the winter. Catches leaves of neighboring trees. Looks good cascading over retaining walls – waterfall effect.

Leyland CypressFast-growing. evergreen conifer. Pyramidal shape. Feathery appearance to dark green foliage. Very symmetrical. Can get 70’ tall and 8’ wide.

Great to use in the landscape for a privacy screen.

Often sold as Christmas trees.

ForsythiaDeciduous shrub used for it spring flower display. 6’ to 10’ loose and mounding growth habit.

Small, yellow flowers cover the plant in early spring before leaves emerge. Light grey bark covered in lenticels (knotty ridges).

Leaves are lancolate with serrated margins. Veins are very prominent.

Stems are often used in floral arrangements.

GardeniaMedium-sized evergreen shrub grown for it’s fragrant, white flowers.

Leaves are very glossy and waxy.

Flowers can be singles (daisy-like) or doubles (more like a tea rose). Flowers fade to an unattractive brown.

Can be marketed as an indoor plant.

Borderline hardy in zone 7. “Athen’s choice” and “August Beauty” are two hardy varieties for zone 7.

GinkgoLarge broadleaf conifer (though it doesn’t have needles).

Distinct fan-shaped leaf. Turns bright yellow in the fall.

A living dinosaur – oldest tree species.

There are male trees and female trees (dioecious). Females have green, 1” round fruit that smells bad – but edible.

Grown for its fall color and its herbal qualities (enhances brain function and memory).

Bigleaf HydrangeaLarge deciduous shrub.

Big “snowball” flowers – white, pink, purple, blue – unique because the flower color is influenced by soil acidity. Some “lacecap” varieties with lacy flowers instead of snowballs.

Leaves are 4” long and half as wide. Serrated leaf margins with prominent veins.

Flowers are often used in floral arrangements fresh or dried.

Oakleaf HydrangeaDeciduous, natural looking shrub.

Leaves are coarsely textured like sandpaper. Leaves are lobed similar to a red oak.

Large beehive shaped flower clusters. White summer flowers fade to pink in the fall.

Nice red fall color. Papery bark exfoliates.

Dwarf Burford HollyMedium-sized, evergreen shrub. 6’ – 8’ (not very dwarf) full and rounded.

Convexed, stiff, plastic-like and glossy, ovate, needle-pointed leaves 2” long by 1” wide.

Red berries in the winter.

Often used in foundation plantings or hedges. Often mass-planted.

Carrisa HollySmall rounded shrub. 3’ to 4’ mounds.

Leaves are very similar to dwarf burford hollies. Close observation needed to see the light green band around the leaf margin. Leaves have a bright green midrib.

No berries unlike dwarf burfords.

Good for foundation plantings. Not good for pruning.

Compacta HollyMedium sized rounded shrub 4’ x 4’ at maturity.

Leaves are small in undescript. Small, less than an inch. Smooth leaf margins, may have crenate indentions towards the leaf tip.

Black berries – hard to see

Leaves look very similar to dwarf yaupon hollies and boxwood. Leaves are alternately arranged unlike the oppositely arranged boxwood. Leaves are a little glossier than dwarf yaupons.

Dwarf Yaupon HollySmall, evergreen, rounded shrubs. Neat, trained appearance.

Small, ovate leaves. – 1” long. Slightly cremate margins. Burgundy-red stem tips and petioles. Grey, almost white stems.

Used as a foundation plant or in mass plantings as a groundcover. Takes shearing well.

Small Anise TreeAn upright evergreen shrub with a loose natural habit. Upright and stalky.

The leaves are licorice scented and elongated to 4”. The color is yellow-green. Smooth, waxy texture with an entire leaf margin.

Very versatile shrub – sun, shade, and soil types.

Leaves are attached to the stem at an upward facing angle.

Shore JuniperAn evergreen conifer groundcover. Grows only 1’ tall, but spreads up to 8’.

Blue foliage stands out in the landscape. Good plant to use as a contrasting accent in foundation plantings.

Used as a groundcover on steep slopes that are hard to mow. Looks cool spilling over walls.

‘Blue Star’ and ‘Blue Chip’ are popular varieties with greyish blue foliage.

Blue Rug JuniperA low growing conifer used as a groundcover. Similar to shore juniper in habit and color. Leaf texture is more feathery. Hugs the ground more than shore juniper.

Great for slopes and space filler.

Crape MyrtleLarge shrub that is often times trained into a small, multi-trunked tree.

Flowers form cone-shaped clusters in pink, lavender, and white. Blooms in mid summer.

Bark is ornamental and exfoliating. Greyish brown outer bark peels away to expose cinnimon colored new bark underneath.

Round seed clusters form in the fall. Red, yellow, and orange fall color.

Variegated Chinese PrivetLarge semi-evergreen shrub with unique green and white variegation. Leaves are 1 ½” long and half as wide.

Used as a hedge, foundation plant, and mass plantings.

Shrub can get 10’ tall by 10’ wide untrained.

Small, insignificant flowers that smell like cat pee.

American SweetgumLarge, deciduous tree. Juvenile trees have a pyramidal shape that broadens as it gets older.

Distinct star-shaped leaves. Great fall color – (orange to burgundy)

Round, spiked seed pods 1 ½” acrossPainful to step on barefooted.

Grey-white bark on straight trunks.

Better left to a natural setting. Not a good landscape tree mainly because of messy seed pods.

Yellow PoplarLarge, columnar deciduous tree. Inner wood is yellowish. Fast growing.

Leaves are large 4” tall and wide. They have a distinct shape similar to the shape of a tulip flower. Lobed, smooth margins .

Attractive, but hard to see flowers. 2” to 3” flowers look like green and yellow tulips. Tulip poplar is another common name.

Yellow fall color.

Often used in the timber industry because of its long and straight trunk and clean grain. Good for furniture and cabinets.

Southern MagnoliaLarge evergreen tree.

Dark green, stiff, glossy leaves. Green on top and fuzzy and tan on the underside.

Large, fragrant, white flowers up to 1’ across. Smells like lemons.

Grenade-like seed heads with red berries within. Looks like a cone.

Used in large landscape areas that can accommodate its large size.

Leatherleaf MahoniaA natural looking evergreen shrub that is often confused as a holly because of its spiked leaves.

Yellow flowers in long strands in late winter and early spring that smell like grapes. Sometimes called the Oregon grape.

Leaves are oppositely arranged with no petiole. Blade attaches directly to stems.

Wax MyrtleA large evergreen shrub or small tree.

whorled leaf arrangement. leaves are 2” to 3” long and 1” wide.

Open branching creates a soft texture in the landscape.

No significant flowers. Used as small patio-trees or large foundation shrubs.

Heavenly BambooAlso called Nandina. Evergreen. Straight species can get large, up to 8’ tall and 4’ wide. Grow upright and loosely branched. Usually more foliage on the top of the plant as opposed to the bottom of the plant

Leaves are compound and fern-like. Leaf color is greenish with purple new growth. Red fall color.

Clusters of red berries in the fall and persist through the winter.

Harbour Dwarf NandinaA dwarf variety of the Heavenly bamboo. Small, rounded evergreen shrub 3’ x 3’.

Brightly colored,fern-like foliage works great as an accent plant.

No flowers or berries.

Indian Hawthornsmall evergreen shrub that grow in neat mounds.

Round, glossy, green leaves that are slightly tinged with burgundy.

Small, white, daisy-like flowers that form in small clusters in the spring.

Great plant for foundations. Versatile and healthy plant.

‘Clara’ is a popular pink flowering form

Fortunes OsmanthusOften confused as a holly because of its spiked leaves. Opposite leaf arrangement that appears whorled at a distance.

Dark green evergreen shrub that can get to 10’ by 10’

Fragrant flowers in the fall

White PineA large conifer with bluish-green needles. Grows in a pyramid shaped. It branches around the trunk in layers giving it a stair-tstepped appearance up to a pointed top like a Chrismas tree.

4” needles in clusters

Long, thin cones that sometimes have a curve.

Great for screens and privacy in the landscape.

Loblolly PineCommon, large evergreen conifer.

Leaf bundles are in groups of 3.4”-6” needles

Baseball sized cones.

Natural trees, not commonly planted for ornamental purposes. Great timber value.

Japanese Pieris Medium sized , upright growing, evergreen shrub.

Leaves are 2” -3” long and narrow. Smooth margins.

Bright red new growth of leaves on limb tips give it a distinct appearance.

Attractive flower clusters. Individual flowers look like bells.

Likes shade and acidic soils.

FirethornEvergreen, sprawling shrub. Large and leggy.

Green leaves that are 1 ½” to 2” long and ½” wide. Thorny stems.

Often trained onto sides of houses or trellises (espalier)

Bright orange berries are the main ornamental characteristic of this plant. Berries form along stems – ¼” to ½” round.

Bradford PearMedium-sized , symmetrical, deciduous tree with 4 season interest in the landscape. Very fast growing and weak wooded. Round canopy.

White 5-petaled flowers 1” across completely cover the tree in the spring. Unpleasant odor.

Leaves are round with crenate leaf margins. Dark green with purple tinges. Purple leaves in the fall. Small light brown pears are edible but bitter.

Good tree to use for fast growth and lots of color.

Often used along roadways and driveways.

They are bad to split in half due to weak branching habit.

Pin OakLarge deciduous tree. Pyramidal when young. Fast growing.

Leaves are deeply lobed, and fairly symmetrical. Leaf tips are pointed.

A native tree mainly used for lumber.

Similar to a red oak, but more deeply lobed.

Live OakBroad, evergreen tree. Doesn’t grow in northwest GA, but does south and east of here.

Unique growth habit – branches low to the ground and spreads.

Leaf is similar to a willow oak, but it is thicker and sandpaper-like. It also is a darker green leaf.

Southern Indica AzaleaEvergreen, shrub prized for its spring blooms.

Leaf is simple, elliptical and 2” long by 1” wide. Slightly hairy. Look for the light green pointed tip of the leaf.

Flowers are 5-petaled and many colors depending on the variety.

Stems are attached to limbs in a unique way, joined in one spot on the limb in a “Y”.

Kurume AzaleaEvergreen shrub. Blooms in early spring. Many colors. Spreading and densely branched.

Leaves are lsightly smaller than Southern indica azaleas

Popular landscape plant. Also used often for bonsai.

Hybrid Tea Roseupright deciduous shrub with thorns and very showy flowers. There are thousands of varieties with different flower colors.

Tend to get fungal diseases –black spot and powdery mildew

Leaves are small – less than an inch long and slightly less wide. Slightly serrated margins. Papery texture.

Orange hips in the winter

Weeping WillowDeciduous tree with distinct pendulous branching. Limbs blow in the breeze.

Long narrow leaves. slightly serrated and greyish-silver underside

Yellow stems.

Needs lots of water. Messes up field lines and septic systems.

Anthony Waterer SpireaMedium-sized deciduous shrub.

Pink flowers in the summer – frilly and flat-topped flower clusters. Blooms in the summer.

Small, serrated leaves. 2” -3” long and 1” wide.

Cleyera

Doublefile Viburnum

Adam’s Needle Yucca