Landscape Plants for Georgia B 625

Landscape Plants for Georgia

James T. Midcap, Department of Horticulture
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Neal Weatherly, Jr.
School of Environmental Design
Revised by Matthew Chappell, Department of Horticulture
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

• Definitions of Terms Used
• Plant Hardiness Zones
• Vines and Their Characteristics
• Ground Covers and Their Characteristics
• Ornamental Grasses and Their Characteristics
• Symbolic Forms of Shrubs
• Small Shrubs and Their Characteristics
• Medium Shrubs and Their Characteristics
• Large Shrubs and Their Characteristics
• Symbolic Forms of Trees
• Small Trees and Their Characteristics
• Large Trees and Their Characteristics

**This publication is currently undergoing major revisions. All plants on the GA-EPPC invasive plant list have been removed from the original version of this publication.**

Landscape Plants for Georgia is an effort to compile a list of good plants organized into various sizes and groups. It does not list all available plant materials but rather brings together the best possible groupings according to the principles and requirements of good landscape design and plant maintenance. It is not possible to offer pictures of the plants. Many publications, books and web sites, however, have good plant pictures.

The design qualities of plants — their form, size, color and texture — are of major emphasis. Hardiness and disease and insect resistant qualities are also considered when selecting good landscape plants.

Definitions of Terms Used

Class — For identification, plants are divided into three major classes or groups: evergreen conifers, broad-leaved evergreens and deciduous plants.

Conifer — Most conifers are cone-bearing and have needle-like foliage. Examples are pine and cedar.

Deciduous — A deciduous plant sheds its foliage in the fall or winter. Flowering dogwood, maple and spirea are examples.

Botanical Name — This refers to the scientific name recognized the world over. Cornus florida is the botanical name of flowering dogwood. Botanical names are listed according to Index of Garden Plants by Mark Griffiths, 1994, Timber Press.

Broad-leaved Evergreen — This refers to broad-leaved plants that retain foliage the entire year. Examples are boxwood and camellia.

Common Name — Common plant names may vary from region to region. For this reason scientific names are included in this publication to establish the true identity of the plant.

Texture — Plant foliage is usually defined as being fine-, medium-, or coarse-textured, depending upon the size, density and arrangement of its leaves. Southern magnolia is an example of coarse foliage texture.

Form — Form refers to the shape or general outline of the plant. Boxwood has a rounded form. Pyracantha is irregular.

Normal Georgia Height — Due to environmental conditions, such as variations in soil, temperature, fertility and moisture, exact growing heights of plants cannot be established. "Normal Georgia Height" is a term used to designate average size after reasonable maturity. It is intended for use only as a guide.

Specimen — This is a plant with desirable form, foliage, fruit or flower that can be separated from other plants to emphasize its desirable characters.

Georgia's Hardy Zones — The plant hardiness zones used in this publication (see map) denote areas in the state where a plant has the best chance of survival and growth. The zones are based on the average minimum temperature the plant will tolerate. The numbers and letters in parentheses are the zone designations used in the reference publication. Source of this information is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, Miscellaneous Publication No. 1475, Agricultural Research Service, 1990.

Plant Hardiness Zones for Georgia

Vines . . .

Vines have many uses in the landscape. They may be used to soften unattractive walls and fences or to create exciting shadow patterns on blank surfaces. Many are desirable because of their evergreen foliage. Some have attractive flowers and/or berries to brighten or accent a landscape feature or attract wildlife. Vines provide attractive screening and privacy when used on trellises and fences.

As a general rule, residential building lots are becoming smaller, and appropriate plant material must be selected if the valuable space is to be used to best advantage. This class of plants is very useful in small gardens where planting space is limited.

. . . and Their Characteristics

Ground Covers . . .

Ground covers are very versatile. In addition to sunny open locations, selected ground covers are especially useful on steep slopes and densely shaded areas where other plants are more difficult to establish and maintain. Many ground covers are excellent for preventing soil erosion; while others are helpful in carrying out design patterns. Evergreen ground covers are particularly useful in establishing both formal and informal designs in residential and public landscapes. Ground cover plants are usually more satisfactory in narrow planters than shrubs.

Ground cover usually ranges from a few inches to a foot or more in height. In the evergreen class, English ivy and common periwinkle have rich green foliage, making them particularly valuable in landscape design. Several of the recommended plants have attractive seasonal flowers. Certain ground covers may become invasive once they become established and require heavy maintenance to keep them in bounds. Ground covers are often cites as being low maintenance. However, they all require some maintenance such as weeding, pruning or fertilization to look their best.

. . . and Their Characteristics

Ornamental Grasses . . .

Ornamental grasses, long popular in certain European countries, are experiencing a rise in popularity among the southern gardeners. Grasses adapted to landscape plantings fall primarily into two categories: 1) the perennial grasses which with just a few exceptions, are large-growing, clump-type grasses; and 2) the annual grasses, utilized most often accents or drifts in the herbaceous border.

All of the grasses listed in this section are perennials except for two of the fountain grasses which are annuals. Except for the Blue Fescue (Festuca ovina glauca), a ground cover, all of the ornamental grasses are listed in this section.

Pampas grass is the most widely recognized ornamental grass. Pampas and the other selections in the ornamental group are used as specimen or accent plants, for contrast in shrub borders or herbaceous borders and for informal mass plantings.

All grasses die back to the ground in winter; consequently, all will need to be cut back to the ground before new growth emerges in spring. Despite this limitation, the taller-growing plants in this group make excellent seasonal screens and informal hedges. If properly handled, the flower or panicle portion of several selections make excellent material for dried arrangements.

...and Their Characteristics

Shrubs . . . Their Symbolic Forms

Small Shrubs - 1 to 5 Feet . . .

Contemporary homes seldom have any discernible foundation, consequently fewer tall-growing shrubs are needed. More of the plants selected for the base of this type of residence should come from these small shrubs. Small shrubs are also very useful in guarding against overcrowding and overgrowth. Many plants in this size range are also desirable for their mass foliage and/or flowering effects. In addition, they are valuable in small lots where ground space is at a premium.

The 1- to 2-foot size shrubs are particularly well suited for raised planters. The smaller, compact growing species are often used to stabilize design lines in formal gardens and for edging walks and plant beds.

Plants in the upper range of this class that reach 4 or 5 feet in height form an effective background for perennials and annuals.

. . . and Their Characteristics

Medium Shrubs - 5 to 8 Feet . . .

Shrubs in this size range are most useful for hedges, screening and backgrounds, for large scale foundation plantings and large mass plantings. Some species have enough good qualities to serve as specimen plants.

A number of the better flowering and berry-producing shrubs fall within this medium size range. When planted in groups, some these flowering shrubs are particularly useful for seasonal highlights.

Many plants are grown for foliage rather than for flowers. Variations in foliage color range from glossy green to light gray. Be mindful that plants having variegated leaves are somewhat difficult to harmonize with other plants.

. . . and Their Characteristics

Large Shrubs - 8 Feet and Up . . .

There are many excellent plants in the large shrub class which are particularly useful as heavy screening and hedging or as specimens because of their outstanding foliage, flower or fruit. Plants in this category have limited use as foundation plants because of their ultimate size.

Because of the ultimate size of several plants in this group, they are also listed in the "small trees" section that follows. Many times the actual use or pruning of a landscape plant determines whether it is classified as a large shrub or a small tree.

These plant adapt well for use in parks, public grounds and other large-scale landscape developments, but use them with caution in the restricted spaces of small landscapes.

. . . and Their Characteristics

Trees ... Their Symbolic Forms

Upright

Pyramidal

Round

Columnar

Oval

Vase

Weeping

Spreading

Small Trees - 10 to 40 Feet . . .

Small trees are important plants in a landscape since, with a minimum of maintenance, they provide outstanding foliage, flowers and fruits for gardens and public areas. Trees with interesting branching habits are often used as accents in the landscape. Some small evergreen trees provide good year round foliage. Some deciduous trees in this group provide good fall color.

Small trees have a place in landscape plans for small lots and houses. They provide proper scale for small areas where often one tree would serve more adequately than several shrubs. Several trees in this size group are good for high backgrounds and screening, providing a taller barrier than shrubs.

. . . and Their Characteristics

Large Trees - 40 Feet and Up . . .

In the deep South, the foliage of trees provides protection from the hot summer sun, making them a welcome addition to the landscape. They are the largest and the most permanent plant in the landscape. Therefore, large trees should be chosen with care.

Hardiness and disease and insect resistance are important considerations. Some of the trees commonly planted in Georgia should not be used because of undesirable characteristics.

Trees are important in parks and naturalistic developments, useful for screening and windbreaks, and provide shade and ornament for streets and highways. Many large trees may be used for specimens, displaying outstanding form, foliage or flowers. Another ornamental value of some large deciduous trees is fall color.

. . . and Their Characteristics

Appreciation is expressed to Thomas Williams, Jr., Head, Extension Landscape Department (retired), The University of Georgia, on whose work portions of this publication are based. Also to Gerald E. Smith, Extension Horticulturist (retired), University of Georgia, for helpful suggestions in the original revision. To Will Corley, Georgia Experiment Station (retired), for information pertaining to ornamental grasses, and to other individuals and organizations who contributed information. Appreciation also to the following for artwork: Gregg Coyle, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, the Extension Art Department and Howard Ellis, former intern in Extension Landscape Architecture Department.